Specialization for Tachinid Fly Pollination in the Phenologically Divergent Varieties of the Orchid Neotinea ustulata

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Steven D. Johnson¹  Stefan Dötterl²  Hannes F. Paulus⁴  Jana Jersáková⁵  Demetra Rakosy⁶  Manfred Ayasse⁷  Carlos Martel⁸  L. Anders Nilsson⁹  Hans Mejlon⁹ 

[1] Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa;Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria;Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany;Department of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia;German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany;Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany;Institute of Omic Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Lima, Peru;Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;

关键词: food deception;    flower color;    flower morphology;    floral scent;    pollinator efficiency;    pollinator specialization;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fevo.2021.659176

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Despite increased focus on elucidating the various reproductive strategies employed by orchids, we still have only a rather limited understanding of deceptive pollination systems that are not bee- or wasp-mediated. In Europe, the orchid Neotinea ustulata has been known to consist of two phenologically divergent varieties, neither of which provide rewards to its pollinators. However, detailed studies of their reproductive biology have been lacking. Our study aimed to characterize and understand the floral traits (i.e., morphology, color, and scent chemistry) and reproductive biology of N. ustulata. We found that the two varieties differ in all their floral traits; furthermore, while Neotinea ustulata var. ustulata appears to be pollinated by both bees (e.g., Anthophora, Bombus) and flies (e.g., Dilophus, Tachina), var. aestivalis is pollinated almost entirely by flies (i.e., Nowickia, Tachina). Tachinids were also found to be much more effective than bees in removing pollinaria, and we show experimentally that they use the characteristic dark inflorescence top as a cue for approaching inflorescences. Our results thus suggest that while both N. ustulata varieties rely on tachinids for pollination, they differ in their degree of specialization. Further studies are, however, needed to fully understand the reproductive strategy of N. ustulata varieties.

【 授权许可】

Unknown