| Title: | More than euglossines: the diverse pollinators and floral scents of Zygopetalinae orchids |
| Author(s): | Nunes CEP; Wolowski M; Pansarin ER; Gerlach G; Aximoff I; Vereecken NJ; Salvador MJ; Sazima M; |
| Address: | "Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, C.P. 6109, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil. cepnunes@gmail.com. Instituto de Ciencias da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, 37130-001, Brazil. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil. Botanical Garden Munchen-Nymphenburg, Menzinger Str., 65, 80638, Munich, Germany. Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leao 915, Rio de Janeiro, RG, 22460-030, Brazil. Agroecology & Pollination Group, Landscape Ecology & Plant Production Systems Unit, Free University of Brussels, Boulevard du Triomphe C.P. 264/2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium. Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, C. P. 6109, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-017-1511-3 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1432-1904 (Electronic) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play important roles in plant-pollinator interactions. We investigated the reproductive ecology and floral VOCs of Zygopetalinae orchids to understand the relationship between floral scents and pollinators. We performed focal observations, phenological censuses and breeding system experiments in eight species in southeast Brazil. Floral scents were collected and analysed using SPME/GC-MS. We performed multivariate analyses to group species according to affinities of their VOCs and define compounds associated to each plant. Dichaea cogniauxiana was pollinated by weevils which use their developing ovules, while D. pendula was pollinated by the same weevils and perfume-collecting male euglossine bees. The other species were deceit-pollinated by bees. Zygopetalum crinitum was pollinated by carpenter bees, while W. warreana, Z. mackayi and Z. maxillare were bumblebee-pollinated. The latter was also pollinated by Centris confusa. Breeding system varied widely with no association to any pollinator group. Most VOCs are common to other floral scents. Zygopetalum crinitum presented an exclusive blend of VOCs, mainly composed of benzenoids. The scents of Pabstia jugosa, Promenaea xanthina and the Zygopetalum spp. were similar. The bumblebee-pollinated species have flowering periods partially overlapped, thus neither phenology nor pollinators constitute hybridization barriers among these species. Euglossines are not the only pollinators of Zygopetalinae. Different VOCs, size and lifespan of flowers are associated with distinct pollinators. A distinctive VOC bouquet may determine specialisation in carpenter bees or male euglossines within bee-pollinated flowers. Finally, visitation of deceit-pollinated flowers by perfume-collecting euglossines allows us to hypothesise how pollination by this group of bees had evolved" |
| Keywords: | Animals Bees/*physiology Flowers/*chemistry Orchidaceae/*chemistry/*physiology *Pollination Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism Weevils/physiology Apidae Atlantic forest Bee Chemical ecology Deceit-pollination Orchidaceae; |
| Notes: | "MedlineNunes, Carlos E P Wolowski, Marina Pansarin, Emerson Ricardo Gerlach, Gunter Aximoff, Izar Vereecken, Nicolas J Salvador, Marcos Jose Sazima, Marlies eng Germany 2017/10/14 Naturwissenschaften. 2017 Oct 13; 104(11-12):92. doi: 10.1007/s00114-017-1511-3" |
