Presentation Details
| I like your style: an intersexual floral mimic exploits bee behavior by mimicking anther chemistry Avery / L Russell1, Thomas Eltz2, Liam Wilson1, Stephanie Sanders1, Abilene Mosher1, Rachel Wilkins1, Daniel / R Papaj3. 1aDepartment of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, USA.2Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße, Bochum, Germany, Germany.3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, Arizona, USA |
Abstract
To maximize foraging success, pollinators must rapidly and accurately assess complex and variable floral displays. Because producing floral rewards is energetically costly, plants may use floral displays to attract visitors without offering rewards. Yet how complex display components contribute to duping visitors is frequently unclear. Plants in the genus Begonia produce unrewarding female flowers (mimics) thought to mimic tepals and anthers of male pollen-rewarding flowers (models) in a system termed intersexual mimicry. We investigated how reproductive structures and sterile tepals contributed to successful mimicry in Begonia odorata. Bees initially preferred flowers with styles, but learned to avoid them; tepal origin did not affect learning or initial preference. We uncovered chemical mimicry of models via GC-MS: model and mimic tepals were similar, as were styles to anthers; however, pollen was significantly dissimilar. Bees did not distinguish models from mimics when we replaced live reproductive structures with chemical extracts of the structures. We discuss how chemical mimicry may have facilitated the evolution of variable floral forms across Begonia.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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