Title: | A sensory bias overrides learned preferences of bumblebees for honest signals in Mimulus guttatus |
Author(s): | Haber AI; Sims JW; Mescher MC; De Moraes CM; Carr DE; |
Address: | "Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, Boyce, VA, USA" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Insect pollinators readily learn olfactory cues, and this is expected to select for 'honest signals' that provide reliable information about floral rewards. However, plants might alternatively produce signals that exploit pollinators' sensory biases, thereby relaxing selection for signal honesty. We examined the innate and learned preferences of Bombus impatiens for Mimulus guttatus floral scent phenotypes corresponding to different levels of pollen rewards in the presence and absence of the innately attractive floral volatile compound beta-trans-bergamotene. Bees learned to prefer honest signals after foraging on live M. guttatus flowers, but only exhibited this preference when presented floral scent phenotypes that did not include beta-trans-bergamotene. Our results suggest that a sensory bias for beta-trans-bergamotene overrides the ability of B. impatiens to use honest signals when foraging on M. guttatus. This may represent a deceptive pollination strategy that allows plants to minimize investment in costly rewards without incurring reduced rates of pollinator visitation" |
Keywords: | Animals Bees Bias Flowers *Mimulus Pollen Pollination Bombus impatiens Mimulus guttatus floral rewards floral scent honest signal sensory bias; |
Notes: | "MedlineHaber, Ariela I Sims, James W Mescher, Mark C De Moraes, Consuelo M Carr, David E eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. England 2021/04/08 Proc Biol Sci. 2021 Apr 14; 288(1948):20210161. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0161. Epub 2021 Apr 7" |