Ménage À Trois-Two Endemic Species of Deceptive Orchids and One Pollinator Species

Gögler, Julia; Stökl, Johannes; Sramkova, Anna; Twele, Robert; Francke, Wittko; Cozzolino, Salvatore; Cortis, Pierluigi; Scrugli, A.; Ayasse, Manfred

doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00712.x

Cited by 61 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Sardinia is also a major centre of diversity and endemism for the genus Anchusa, with six allopatric taxa occurring in either coastal or mountain habitats of the island . The genus Ophrys has extensively radiated throughout the Mediterranean region (Delforge, 2006) and now encompasses more than 200 species (Gögler & al., 2009). The number of endemic species belonging to this genus is a consequence of the high number of taxa that were described mainly in the last 30 years (Delforge, 2006), as a consequence of the difficulties of classifying Ophrys taxa into a consensual taxonomic system (Gögler & al., 2009).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A checklist of the exclusive vascular flora of Sardinia with priority rankings for conservation

Bacchetta

Fenu

Mattana

2012

Anal. Jard. Bot. Madr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A checklist of the exclusive vascular flora of Sardinia with priority rankings for conservation

Bacchetta

Fenu

Mattana

2012

Anal. Jard. Bot. Madr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Finally, males of several cleptoparasitic bee species, so-called "cuckoo bees" because they have evolved the habit of laying their eggs into the nests of other species (Michener, 1974;, are recorded as primary pollinators of orchids that are of particular conservation concern, such as the two Sardinian endemics O. chestermanii and O. normanii, both pollinated specifically by males of Bombus (Psithyrus) vestalis (Paulus & Gack, 1995;Gögler et al, 2009). The queens of these cuckoo or inquiline bumblebees produce no workers, but instead rely on the invasion of colonies of their host (here Bombus (Terrestribombus) terrestris) and subsequently overtake the host queen to force and the "enslave" the host workers of that colony to feed her and her developing young (Sladen, 1912;Goulson, 2003;Benton, 2006).…”

Section: Pollinator Network-a Selection Of Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollination Syndromes in Mediterranean Orchids—Implications for Speciation, Taxonomy and Conservation

2010

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Mediterranean flora is spectacularly rich in orchid species that have evolved remarkable adaptations to their environment. Orchids have complex and delicate interactions with their pollinators, which makes them particularly prone to local extinction. Conservation actions should be encouraged for a range of endangered Mediterranean orchid species, but the current taxonomic confusion in several genera and the apparent disagreement among orchid taxonomists make the situation particularly confusing from a conservation perspective. In this review, we document how the different pollination syndromes of Mediterranean orchids (nectar reward, shelter offering, food deception and sexual deception) can have a profound impact on the type of reproductive barriers among species, on floral phenotypic variation as we perceive it, on potentially related processes of species sorting and extinction and, consequently, should have a strong influence on the related conservation management programs. We also highlight that the majority of Mediterranean orchids are pollinated by specialised bees often occupying otherwise narrow ecological niches (e.g. pollen specialisation, brood cell parasites, specific nesting site). This condition makes the orchid-pollinator interactions very fragile and several orchid species prone to local extinction. We illustrate this phenomenon by a selection of case studies that show how the adequate integration of the ecological requirements/traits of the orchids and their associated pollinators into conservation actions could help protect endangered species and ensure the sustainability of the often complex local pollination web.

show abstract

“…Although the patrolling behaviour of bumblebee males was already recognized by Darwin (1886), studies on males focus almost exclusively on reproductive physiology (Alcock, et al 1978;Eickwort and Ginsberg 1980;Duvoisin, et al 1999) with few exceptions addressing foraging and flower visitation (Ranta and Lundberg 1981;Bertsch 1984;Ostervik, et al 2010). Indeed, apart from recent work on two species of orchid (Ophrys normanii and Ophrys chestermanii), which are pollinated by males of the cuckoo-bumblebee Bombus (Psithyrus) vestalis (Gögler, et al 2009) and insightful lab-experiments on male Bombus impatiens (Ostervik, et al 2010), we are not aware of any report on the potential impact of free-flying bumblebee males on pollination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pollination potential of free-foraging bumblebee (Bombus spp.) males (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Wolf

Moritz

2014

Apidologie

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

-Bumblebee workers are efficient pollinators. However, despite their flower visits and less intense grooming the role of males as pollen vectors is largely unexplored. We compared the quantity and diversity of pollen on the bodies (pollination-active pollen) of free-foraging workers and males of two bumblebee species (Bombus lapidarius and Bombus terrestris) to assess their pollination potential. In both species, males exhibit worker-like flower constancy, but differ significantly from workers in the predominantly collected pollen types. Mean pollen loads of approximately 10,000 grains/individual suggest that males can contribute to the colony pollination service. Bumblebee males add to the diversity of pollinators, associated to increased crop pollination and facilitate pollen flow in specific ways, worthwhile further investigation.bumblebee males / pollen loads / colony pollination service / flower constancy

show abstract

Ménage À Trois-Two Endemic Species of Deceptive Orchids and One Pollinator Species

Abstract: In the sexually deceptive orchid genus

Cited by 61 publications

References 57 publications

A checklist of the exclusive vascular flora of Sardinia with priority rankings for conservation

A checklist of the exclusive vascular flora of Sardinia with priority rankings for conservation

Pollination Syndromes in Mediterranean Orchids—Implications for Speciation, Taxonomy and Conservation

The pollination potential of free-foraging bumblebee (Bombus spp.) males (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About