Scent chemistry and pollinator attraction in the deceptive trap flowers of Ceropegia dolichophylla

Heiduk, Annemarie; Brake, Irina; Tolasch, Till; Frank, J. Howard; Jürgens, Andreas; Meve, Ulrich; Dötterl, Stefan

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2010.07.022

Cited by 41 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The fly pollinators of Ceropegia belong to diverse families, but, typically, only species of a single or a few fly families interact with a single species of Ceropegia (Ollerton et al, 2009). This specificity is likely due to distinct floral scents, which are responsible for pollinator attraction (Vogel, 1961;Heiduk et al, 2010). It was suggested that the flowers mimic rotting plant material, male sex pheromones or animal related odors, leading to the idea that pollinating flies are attracted by chemical deceit (Vogel, 1961;Ollerton et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent

et al. 2015

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Ceropegia species (Apocynaceae) have deceptive pitfall flowers and exploit small flies as pollinators, supposedly by chemical mimicry. Only preliminary data on the composition of flower scents are available for a single species so far, and the mimicry system is not yet understood in any species. We collected data on basic pollination aspects of C. dolichophylla, analyzed floral scent by gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), identified electrophysiologically active scent components by gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD), and determined compounds responsible for pollinator attraction in bioassays. We found that flowers of C. dolichophylla are visited by small flies of several taxa. Only Milichiidae and Chloropidae carried pollinaria and are, thus, pollinators. The pollen transfer efficiency (PTE) at two different sites was 2% and 4%, respectively. The floral scent was dominated by spiroacetals, mainly (2S,6R,8S)-8-methyl-2-propyl-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane, n-tridecane, and N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide. This spiroacetal and the acetamide elicited the most intense electrophysiological responses in fly antennae, and bioassays confirmed the capability of the spiroacetal in eliciting behavioral responses in pollinators. Most flies, determined as pollinators of C. dolichophylla, are kleptoparasites. They exploit insect prey of predatory arthropods as food source to which they are attracted by volatiles. undecane and N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide have not been identified before as volatiles of other plants, however, they are known as insect volatiles. Both compounds occur in the venom glands of paper wasps, a potential food source for the pollinators of C. dolichophylla. We propose that C. dolichophylla shows a kleptomyiophilous pollination strategy. It mimics insect related odors to exploit the food-seeking behavior of its kleptoparasitic pollinators.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent

et al. 2015

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“…We have speculated that male flowers of A. muelleri is unlikely playing important role on seed production, but more prominent from ecological point of views like in other species (Kite and Hetterschieid, 1997;Heiduk et al, 2010;Gottsberger et al, 2012) because many Nitidulidae insects visited the spadix, mated and foraged pollen during anthesis.…”

Section: Morphometric Characters Of Flowersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flower Development and Its Implication for Seed Production on Amorphophallus muelleri Blume (Araceae)

Santosa¹,

Lontoh²,

Kurniawati³

et al. 2016

J Hort Indonesia

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There are many studies on agronomic and economic advantages of iles-iles (Amorphophallus muelleriBlume Keywords: developmental stage, female flower, iles-iles, male flower, seed production ABSTRAKTelah banyak kajian keunggulan agronomi dan ekonomi iles-iles (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume), sehingga mendorong peningkatan permintaan benih untuk mendukung perluasan areal produksi di banyak negara Asia. Namun demikian, kajian fenologi dan morfologi bunga khususnya terkait produksi benih masih terbatas. Oleh karena itu, kami mengkaji perkembangan dan morfologi 80 bunga iles-iles yang ditanam di bawah paranet 65% di Kebun Percobaan Leuwikopo IPB, Bogor, Indonesia dari Mei 2015 sampai Juli 2016 dalam rangka perbaikan produksi benih. Iles-iles menghasilkan sebuah tongkol bunga dengan bunga betina pada bagian bawah dan bunga jantan pada bagian atas. Tongkol bunga tumbuh lambat 58-71 hari setelah pecah tunas, diikuti tumbuh cepat 30-35 hari hingga antesis, dan biji dipanen 9.6 sampai 10.2 bulan setelahnya. Perkembangan bunga dari pecah tunas hingga buah matang dapat dibagi menjadi tujuh tahap. Tahap VI ke tahap VII menentukan keberhasilan produksi biji iles-iles. Selain itu, keberhasilan produksi biji juga dipengaruhi oleh keberadaan akar dan ukuran tongkol khususnya panjang bagian bunga betina. Beberapa karakter morfologi bunga iles-iles dipengaruhi oleh ukuran umbi saat tanam. Oleh karena itu, perlu perbaikan agronomis untuk meningkatkan ukuran umbi dan ukuran bunga betina guna mendukung produksi benih.

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“…While the roles of flies (Diptera) as pollinators of angiosperms has been long recognised, being considered the second most import order of insects for pollination after the Hymenoptera (Larson et al 2001), small flies, including both the Chloropidae and Milichiidae, are rarely recorded visiting flowers and their association with flowers is often overlooked (Larson et al 2001). The Chloropidae and Milichiidae have been identified as pollinators of species from several families in addition to the Orchidaceae including the Apocynaceae (including Asclepiadaceae), Aristolochiaceae and Araceae (Proctor et al, 1996, Borba and Semir 2001, Heiduk et al 2010and Oelschlägel et al 2014). The known mechanisms by which myophilous flowers within these families attract flies is discussed below.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many deceptive fly pollinated flowers in the Aristolochiaceae and Araceae are protogynous with elaborate trap mechanisms that detain flies, sometimes for up to 24 hours, while the flower transitions between female and male phases, first being pollinated and then releasing pollen onto the same flies after the stigmas are no longer receptive (Proctor et al, 1996). Heiduk et al (2010) suggest that the floral scent of Ceropegia dolichophylla (Apocynaceae), which was found to include known insect alarm pheromones, attracts kleptoparasitic milichiid flies as pollinators by mimicking their feeding sites on dead and dying insects. Recently, Oelschlägel et al (2014) demonstrated pollination of the trap flower Aristolochia rotunda mainly by deception of female kleptoparasitic chloropids that normally feed on the leaking hemolymph of mirid bugs freshly killed by predatory insects or spiders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive success and pollination of the Tuncurry Midge Orchid (Genoplesium littorale) (Orchidaceae) by Chloropid Flies

Bower¹,

Towle

Bickel

2015

Telopea

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The Midge Orchids (Genoplesium R.Br.) (Orchidaceae) are thought to attract pollinators by nectar reward. All verified records of Genoplesium pollinators are small flies of the families Chloropidae and Milichiidae, suggesting pollinator specificity. We investigated pollination of the Critically Endangered Tuncurry Midge Orchid, Genoplesium littorale D.L.Jones. In common with other Genoplesium species, G. littorale is pollinated exclusively by chloropid flies. Although there is specificity at the pollinator family level, G. littorale is oligophilous, being pollinated by five putative chloropid species in two genera, Conioscinella and Cadrema. Most visitors were female with females greatly predominating among flies bearing pollinaria. Examination of flowers on ten inflorescences showed G. littorale is outcrossing with high pollen vector activity; pollinaria had been removed from 71% of post anthesis flowers. A set of criteria for distinguishing outcrossed, autogamous and apomictic flowers based on observations of pollinaria removal, pollination of stigmas and fruit set on individual flowers ruled out the occurrence of autogamy and apomixis in G. littorale. Fruit set on inflorescences averaged 44% prior to seed dispersal and varied significantly among sub-populations. Nectar is produced in the groove of the labellum callus, although flowers emitted no odour detectable by humans. Detailed examination of 29 flowers revealed no chloropid eggs, indicating the pollination syndrome is not brood site mimicry. The absence of strong dung or carrion-like odours also makes sapromyophily unlikely. The Genoplesium pollination syndrome is nectar reward, but may also represent an example of 'kleptomyiophily' , recently described in Aristolochia rotunda. Herbivory reduced reproductive capacity by half overall, varied significantly among sub-populations and may be a significant threatening process for G. littorale. Strategies to reduce herbivory in this critically endangered species should be investigated.

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Scent chemistry and pollinator attraction in the deceptive trap flowers of Ceropegia dolichophylla

Cited by 41 publications

References 30 publications

Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent

Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent

Flower Development and Its Implication for Seed Production on Amorphophallus muelleri Blume (Araceae)

Reproductive success and pollination of the Tuncurry Midge Orchid (Genoplesium littorale) (Orchidaceae) by Chloropid Flies

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