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Proc Biol Sci

Title:		Smells like aphids: orchid flowers mimic aphid alarm pheromones to attract hoverflies for pollination
Author(s):		Stokl J; Brodmann J; Dafni A; Ayasse M; Hansson BS;
Address:		"Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany. johannes.stoekl@biologie.uni-regensburg.de"
Journal Title:		Proc Biol Sci
Year:		2011
Volume:		20101013
Issue:		1709
Page Number:		1216 - 1222
DOI:		10.1098/rspb.2010.1770
ISSN/ISBN:		1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Most insects are dependent on chemical communication for activities such as mate finding or host location. Several plants, and especially orchids, mimic insect semiochemicals to attract insects for unrewarded pollination. Here, we present a new case of pheromone mimicry found in the terrestrial orchid Epipactis veratrifolia. Flowers are visited and pollinated by several species of aphidophagous hoverflies, the females of which also often lay eggs in the flowers. The oviposition behaviour of these hoverflies is mainly guided by aphid-derived kairomones. We show that the flowers produce alpha- and beta-pinene, beta-myrcene and beta-phellandrene, and that these compounds attract and induce oviposition behaviour in female hoverflies. This floral odour profile is remarkably similar to the alarm pheromone released by several aphid species, such as Megoura viciae. We therefore suggest that E. veratrifolia mimics aphid alarm pheromones to attract hoverflies for pollination; this is the first time, to our knowledge, that such a case of mimicry has been demonstrated"
Keywords:		"Acyclic Monoterpenes Animals Aphids/*chemistry *Behavior, Animal Bicyclic Monoterpenes Bridged Bicyclo Compounds/chemistry/isolation & purification/metabolism Cyclohexane Monoterpenes Cyclohexenes/chemistry/isolation & purification/metabolism Diptera/*phy;"
Notes:		"MedlineStokl, Johannes Brodmann, Jennifer Dafni, Amots Ayasse, Manfred Hansson, Bill S eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/10/15 Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Apr 22; 278(1709):1216-22. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1770. Epub 2010 Oct 13"