| Title: | Meaningful Words in Crowd Noise: Searching for Volatiles Relevant to Carpenter Bees among the Diverse Scent Blends of Bee Flowers |
| Author(s): | Rabeschini G; Joaquim Bergamo P; Nunes CEP; |
| Address: | "Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brasil. gabi.rabeschini@gmail.com. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brasil. Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brasil. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-021-01257-y |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Olfactory cues constitute one of the most important plant-pollinator communication channels. Specific chemical components can be associated with specific pollinator functional groups due to pollinator-mediated selection on flower volatile (FV) emission. Here, we used multivariate analyses of FV data to detect an association between FVs and the worldwide distributed pollinator group of the carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). We compiled FVs of 29 plant species: 9 pollinated by carpenter bees, 20 pollinated by other bee pollinator functional groups. We tested whether FV emission differed between these groups. To rule out any phylogenetic bias in our dataset, we tested FV emission for phylogenetic signal. Finally, using field assays, we tested the attractive function of two FVs found to be associated with carpenter bees. We found no significant multivariate difference between the two plant groups FVs. However, seven FVs (five apocarotenoid terpenoids, one long-chain alkane and one benzenoid) were significantly associated with carpenter bee pollination, thus being 'predictor' compounds of pollination by this pollinator functional group. From those, beta-ionone and (E)-methyl cinnamate presented the highest indicator values and had their behavioural function assessed in field assays. Phylogenetic signal for FVs emission was weak, suggesting that their emission could result from pollinator-mediated selection. In field assays, the apocarotenoid beta-ionone attracted carpenter bees, but also bees from other functional groups. The benzenoid (E)-methyl cinnamate did not attract significant numbers of pollinators. Thus, beta-ionone functions as a non-specific bee attractant, while apocarotenoid FVs emerge as consistent indicators of pollination by large food-foraging bees among bee-pollinated flowers" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Bees Behavior, Animal Cinnamates/chemistry/metabolism Flowers/*chemistry Food Preferences/physiology Male Multivariate Analysis Norisoprenoids/chemistry/metabolism Odorants Pheromones/*chemistry/metabolism Phylogeny Pollination/*physiology Reprodu;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineRabeschini, Gabriela Joaquim Bergamo, Pedro Nunes, Carlos E P eng 2021/03/09 J Chem Ecol. 2021 May; 47(4-5):444-454. doi: 10.1007/s10886-021-01257-y. Epub 2021 Mar 8" |
