Pollinators of Arisaema nambae (Araceae), endemic to Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, western Japan

Kubo, Tetsuta; Matsumoto, Tetsuya K.; Miyazaki, Yuko; Yano, Okihito

doi:10.1016/j.japb.2023.11.001

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…This uncertainty arises from factors such as effective pollinators shedding a large portion of pollen grains while roaming within spathes until their demise. Additionally, the potential for pollen transfer among insect individuals within the trap complicates interpretations (Kubo et al, 2023). Therefore, to establish a clear definition of pollinators, we applied the following criteria to insect species, established from prior research: (i) they exhibited entrapment in both sealed male and female spathes, and (ii) they possessed a size conducive to passing through the exit hole of the male spathe, thereby facilitating pollen transport (Kakishima et al, 2019;Matsumoto et al, 2019Matsumoto et al, , 2021Suetsugu et al, 2021Suetsugu et al, , 2022Vogel & Martens, 2000).…”

Section: Pollinator Assemblagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Back from the dead: A fungus gnat pollinator turns Arisaema lethal trap into nursery

Suetsugu,

Nishigaki,

Kakishima

et al. 2024

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementThe research explores the complex interaction between flowering plants and their pollinators, specifically focusing on the genus Arisaema. Unlike most plants, Arisaema has a distinctive trait in which killing pollinators can be beneficial. Traditionally, this interaction has been viewed as highly antagonistic because it appears to favor the plants at the expense of the pollinators. However, new evidence reveals that a pollinator uses the lethal floral trap of Arisaema thunbergii as a nursery. Remarkably, some individuals probably even escape from the trap after laying eggs. This finding challenges the prevailing notion that deceptive pollination is the sole outcome in Arisaema, a genus known for its intricate lethal pollination mechanisms.Summary While many flowering plants engage in mutualistic relationships with their pollinators, flower‐insect interactions are not always mutually beneficial. Some plants exploit their pollinators by deceptively promising rewards without delivering them. Among such plants, the genus Arisaema (Araceae) is notable for its antagonistic behavior towards pollinators, as female plants invariably entrap them with lethal effects. Here we tested the hypothesis that the succulent appendix of some Arisaema species, such as Arisaema thunbergii, may serve as a food source for pollinator larvae, leading to the possibility of nursery pollination. To investigate this, we retrieved adult insect corpses trapped within the spathes of A. thunbergii. Subsequently, we incubated the spathes after collecting the corpses to determine if conspecific insects emerged from them. We present novel evidence that one of the main pollinating fungus gnats, Leia ishitanii, uses the lethal floral trap of A. thunbergii inflorescences as a nursery. Astonishingly, some L. ishitanii individuals may even succeed in escaping from the female spathe after depositing their eggs. These findings challenge the conventional understanding that deceptive pollination is the norm within the genus Arisaema. The interaction between A. thunbergii and L. ishitanii, in which a significant portion of female adults die inside but still reproduction seems successful, suggests an intermediate stage between brood‐site deception and nursery pollination mutualism.

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Section: Pollinator Assemblagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Back from the dead: A fungus gnat pollinator turns Arisaema lethal trap into nursery

Suetsugu,

Nishigaki,

Kakishima

et al. 2024

Plants People Planet

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Fungus gnat pollination in Arisaema urashima: the interplay of lethal traps and mutualistic nurseries

Suetsugu,

Nishigaki,

Sato

et al. 2024

Plant Biol J

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While most flowering plants engage in mutualistic interactions with their pollinators, Arisaema species employ a unique, seemingly antagonistic strategy by imprisoning and causing the pollinators to perish within their spathes. Recent studies have revealed that Arisaema thunbergii primarily relies on a fungus gnat, Leia ishitanii, with some individuals possibly escaping female spathes after oviposition. We investigated interactions between A. urashima and its pollinating fungus gnats, given that A. urashima is closely related to A. thunbergii. Specifically, we tested whether decaying A. urashima serve as brood‐sites for some pollinators and whether these pollinators can escape seemingly lethal floral traps. We retrieved A. urashima spathes together with adult insect corpses trapped within the spathes and incubated the spathes to see if conspecific insects emerged. In addition, under laboratory conditions, we observed the escape behaviour of Sciophila yokoyamai, whose next‐generation adults most frequently emerge from the decaying spathes. Our findings indicate that S. yokoyamai almost always escapes from the female spathe after oviposition while using the inflorescence as a nursery. In contrast, other pollinators of A. urashima, including Mycetophila spp., remain trapped and perished within the spathes. This study demonstrates that A. urashima spathes can function both as lethal traps and mutualistic nurseries, with outcomes differing among pollinator species. Our results also suggest that the contribution of certain pollinators to Arisaema reproduction is underestimated or even neglected, given that information on their pollinator assemblages has been based on floral visitors trapped within the inflorescences.

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Pollinators of Arisaema nambae (Araceae), endemic to Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, western Japan

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

Back from the dead: A fungus gnat pollinator turns Arisaema lethal trap into nursery

Back from the dead: A fungus gnat pollinator turns Arisaema lethal trap into nursery

Fungus gnat pollination in Arisaema urashima: the interplay of lethal traps and mutualistic nurseries

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