scholarly journals Finding flowers in the dark: nectar-feeding bats integrate olfaction and echolocation while foraging for nectar

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania P. Gonzalez-Terrazas ◽  
Carlos Martel ◽  
Paulo Milet-Pinheiro ◽  
Manfred Ayasse ◽  
Elisabeth K. V. Kalko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Floral Scent ◽  
Terminal Group ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Floral Scents ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Exact Position ◽  
Leptonycteris Yerbabuenae ◽  
First Time ◽  
Olfactory Cue

Nectar-feeding bats depend mainly on floral nectar to fulfil their energetic requirements. Chiropterophilous flowers generally present strong floral scents and provide conspicuous acoustic echoes to attract bats. While floral scents are assumed to attract bats over long distances, acoustic properties of flower structures may provide detailed information, thus supporting the localization of a flower at close ranges. So far, to our knowledge, there is no study trying to understand the relative importance as well as the combination of these generally coupled cues for detection (presence) and localization (exact position) of open flowers in nature. For a better comprehension of the significance of olfaction and echolocation in the foraging behaviour of nectar-feeding bats, we conducted two-choice experiments with Leptonycteris yerbabuenae . We tested the bats' behaviour in three experimental scenarios with different cues: (i) olfaction versus echolocation, (ii) echolocation versus echolocation and olfaction, and (iii) olfaction versus echolocation and olfaction. We used the floral scent of the bat-pollinated cactus Pachycereus pringlei as olfactory cue and an acrylic paraboloid as acoustic cue. Additionally, we recorded the echolocation behaviour of the bats and analysed the floral scent of P. pringlei . When decoupled cues were offered, bats displayed no preference in choice for any of the two cues. However, bats reacted first to and chose more often the coupled cues. All bats echolocated continuously and broadcast a long terminal group before a successful visit. The floral scent bouquet of P. pringlei is composed of 20 compounds, some of which (e.g. methyl benzoate) were already reported from chiropterophilous plants. Our investigation demonstrates for the first time to our knowledge, that nectar-feeding bats integrate over different sensory modes for detection and precise localization of open flowers. The combined information from olfactory and acoustic cues allows bats to forage more efficiently.

scholarly journals Global warming impairs chemical communication between plants and pollinators

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guaraci Cordeiro ◽  
Stefan Dötterl
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Chemical Communication ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Fragaria X Ananassa ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Floral Scents ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
First Time

Abstract Global warming is expected to have a great impact on floral scents and consequently, on the attraction of pollinators. While there is evidence that temperature affects the biosynthesis and emission of floral scents, the effects on chemically mediated pollinator behavior have not been assessed. Here, we show by chemical analytical, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches that increased air temperatures affect the chemical communication between strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) and its bee pollinators (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris, Osmia bicornis). Plants cultivated at increased temperatures released smaller amounts and a different composition of floral scent than plants cultivated at physiological optimum temperatures, which translated into a reduced attractiveness to pollinators. Our study highlights for the first time that increased temperatures negatively affect the chemical communication between plants and their pollinators. This raises important ecological and agricultural questions, as impaired communication between plants and their pollinators might result in insufficient pollination with negative consequences for ecosystem functioning and crop yields.

scholarly journals Floral Scent and Pollinators of Cypripedium calceolus L. at Different Latitudes

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Herbert Braunschmid ◽  
Robin Guilhot ◽  
Stefan Dötterl
Keyword(s):  
Floral Scent ◽  
Latitudinal Gradients ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Floral Scents ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Octyl Acetate ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Cypripedium Calceolus ◽  
Negative Frequency Dependent Selection ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Floral scent is an important trait in plant–pollinator interactions. It not only varies among plant species but also among populations within species. Such variability might be caused by various non–selective factors, or, as has been shown in some instances, might be the result of divergent selective pressures exerted by variable pollinator climates. Cypripedium calceolus is a Eurasian deceptive orchid pollinated mainly by bees, which spans wide altitudinal and latitudinal gradients in mainly quite isolated populations. In the present study, we investigated whether pollinators and floral scents vary among different latitudes. Floral scents of three C. calceolus populations in the Southern Alps were collected by dynamic headspace and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). These data were completed by previously published scent data of the Northern Alps and Scandinavia. The scent characteristics were compared with information on pollinators recorded for present study or available in the literature. More than 80 scent compounds were overall recorded from plants of the three regions, mainly aliphatics, terpenoids, and aromatics. Seven compounds were found in all samples, and most samples were dominated by linalool and octyl acetate. Although scents differed among regions and populations, the main compounds were similar among regions. Andrena and Lasioglossum species were the main pollinators in all three regions, with Andrena being relatively more abundant than Lasioglossum in Scandinavia. We discuss natural selection mediated by pollinators and negative frequency–dependent selection as possible reasons for the identified variation of floral scent within and among populations and regions.

scholarly journals Diversity of nectar amino acids in the Fritillaria (Liliaceae) genus: ecological and evolutionary implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Roguz ◽  
Andrzej Bajguz ◽  
Magdalena Chmur ◽  
Agnieszka Gołębiewska ◽  
Agata Roguz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Pollen Vectors ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
First Time ◽  
Nectar Amino Acids

Abstract Nectar is considered to be a primary food reward for most pollinators. It mostly contains sugars, but also has amino acids. The significance of the concentration and composition of amino acids in nectar is often less understood than that of its volume, sugar concentration and composition. However, there is a trend towards a broader approach in ecological research, which helps to understand nectar properties in an ecological context. The genus Fritillaria, exhibiting great diversity in flower morphology, nectar composition, and dominant pollinators, allows for the possibility to study some of the above. We studied the concentration and composition of amino acids in the nectar of 38 Fritillaria species attracting different groups of pollen vectors (bees, flies, passerines, and hummingbirds). The flowers of fritillaries produced nectar with a varying composition and concentration of amino acids. These differences were mostly associated with the pollinator type. The nectar of passerine bird-pollinated species was rich in amino acids, whereas humming bird-pollinated produced low amino acid nectar. Contrary to previous reports nectar of the insect-pollinated species did not contain a higher amount of proline. Two non-protein amino acids, sarcosine and norvaline, were detected in the floral nectar for the first time.

scholarly journals High activity enables life on a high-sugar diet: blood glucose regulation in nectar-feeding bats

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1724) ◽  
pp. 3490-3496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Detlev H. Kelm ◽  
Ralph Simon ◽  
Doreen Kuhlow ◽  
Christian C. Voigt ◽  
Michael Ristow
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
High Activity ◽  
Flight Time ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
High Blood Glucose ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Normal Feeding

High blood glucose levels caused by excessive sugar consumption are detrimental to mammalian health and life expectancy. Despite consuming vast quantities of sugar-rich floral nectar, nectar-feeding bats are long-lived, provoking the question of how they regulate blood glucose. We investigated blood glucose levels in nectar-feeding bats ( Glossophaga soricina ) in experiments in which we varied the amount of dietary sugar or flight time. Blood glucose levels increased with the quantity of glucose ingested and exceeded 25 mmol l −1 blood in resting bats, which is among the highest values ever recorded in mammals fed sugar quantities similar to their natural diet. During normal feeding, blood glucose values decreased with increasing flight time, but only fell to expected values when bats spent 75 per cent of their time airborne. Either nectar-feeding bats have evolved mechanisms to avoid negative health effects of hyperglycaemia, or high activity is key to balancing blood glucose levels during foraging. We suggest that the coevolutionary specialization of bats towards a nectar diet was supported by the high activity and elevated metabolic rates of these bats. High activity may have conferred benefits to the bats in terms of behavioural interactions and foraging success, and is simultaneously likely to have increased their efficiency as plant pollinators.

scholarly journals Discrimination of small sugar concentration differences helps the nectar-feeding bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae cover energetic demands

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (18) ◽  
pp. jeb215053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H. Walter ◽  
Aaron Verdong ◽  
Vanessa Olmos ◽  
Christina C. Weiss ◽  
Lisa-Ruth Vial ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Energy ◽  
Sugar Concentration ◽  
Entire Concentration Range ◽  
Physiological Constraints ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Leptonycteris Yerbabuenae ◽  
Very High ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACTEvery day nectar-feeding animals face an energetic challenge during foraging: they must locate and select flowers that provide nectar with adequate amounts of sugar to cover their very high energy needs. To understand this decision-making process, it is crucial to know how accurately sugar concentration differences can be discriminated. In a controlled laboratory setting, we offered the nectar-specialist bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae the choice between different sugar solutions covering the entire concentration range of bat-pollinated plants (3–33%). When feeding on solutions below 10% sugar concentration, L. yerbabuenae were unable to cover their energetic demands because of physiological constraints. Their ability to discriminate sugar concentrations was better than that of any other nectar-feeding animal studied to date. At sugar concentrations below 15%, L. yerbabuenae can discriminate solutions differing by only 0.5%. The bats may utilize this fine-tuned ability to select nectar from flowers with reward qualities that provide them with the necessary amount of energy to survive.

scholarly journals How Nectar-Feeding Bats Localize their Food: Echolocation Behavior of Leptonycteris yerbabuenae Approaching Cactus Flowers

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e0163492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania P. Gonzalez-Terrazas ◽  
Jens C. Koblitz ◽  
Theodore H. Fleming ◽  
Rodrigo A. Medellín ◽  
Elisabeth K. V. Kalko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Leptonycteris Yerbabuenae

Effect of Heat Treatment on Acoustic Properties of Chromium Polycrystals at Low Temperatures

2008 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.P. Pal-Val ◽  
L.N. Pal-Val ◽  
S.B. Golovina ◽  
Igor S. Golovin
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Magnetic Phase ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Magnetic Phase Transitions ◽  
Preliminary Deformation ◽  
Longitudinal Vibrations ◽  
Bending Vibrations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Thermoelastic Stresses ◽  
First Time

Acoustic properties of polycrystalline Cr samples of 99.99 % purity are investigated at frequencies of longitudinal vibrations f ~ 75 kHz and of bending vibrations at 0.6 < f < 1.5 kHz when thermocycling within the temperature interval 5 − 330 K. Special attention is paid to the acoustic anomalies in the vicinity of the magnetic phase transitions: the Néel point and the spin-flip transition. In the as-received samples, a significant hysteresis of the acoustic properties has been found for the first time. The effect of heat treatments on internal friction and elastic properties of chromium polycrystals is also investigated. The data obtained are compared with the effect of small preliminary deformation and а long-time ageing at room temperature on the ultrasound anomalies in Cr single crystal. The observed behavior of the acoustic properties may be caused by changes in the antiferromagnetic domain structure in Cr polycrystals under the action of thermoelastic stresses arising from quenching, preliminary plastic deformation or thermocycling.

Queens of Bombus diversus tersatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are innately attracted to floral scents emitted by Cremastra appendiculata (Orchidaceae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-376
Author(s):  
Ryohei Kubo ◽  
Masato Ono
Keyword(s):  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Floral Scents ◽  
Solvent Control ◽  
Cremastra Appendiculata ◽  
Methyl Dodecanoate ◽  
Methyl Decanoate ◽  
Antennal Responses

AbstractThe rewarding orchid, Cremastra appendiculata (Orchidaceae), has a strong floral scent and is pollinated by long-tongued bumble bee queens (Bombus diversus tersatus Smith; Hymenoptera: Apidae). The response of queens of B. diversus tersatus to the scent of C. appendiculata was investigated using a gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector system and Y-tube olfactometer. Gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector analysis of flower extracts showed that seven compounds (nerol, methyl decanoate, methyl dodecanoate, methyl tetradecanoate, methyl hexadecanoate, ethyl dodecanoate, and ethyl tetradecanoate) elicited antennal responses from B. diversus tersatus queens. Further, Y-tube olfactometer test results showed that queens significantly preferred both the flower extracts and synthetic mixture of seven EAD active compounds compared with pentane (a solvent control). These results suggest that floral scents play an important role in attracting queens and promote successful pollination.

scholarly journals Optimization of SPME-GC-MS and Characterization of Floral Scents from Aquilegia Japonica and A. Amurensis Flowers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua-Ying Wang ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Jian-Hua Dong ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
Yuan-Hong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Floral Scents ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
New Ideas

Abstract The floral scent of plants plays a key role in plant reproduction through the communication between plants and pollinators. Aquilegia as a model species for studying evolution, however, there have been few studies on the floral scents and relationships between floral scents and pollination for Aquilegia taxa. In this study, three types of solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) fiber coatings (DVB/PDMS, CAR/PDMS, DVB/CAR/PDMS) were evaluated for their performance in extracting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from flowers of Aquilegia amurensis, which can to contribute to the future studies of elucidating the role of floral scents in the pollination process. In total, 55 VOCs were identified, and among them, 50, 47 and 45 VOCs were extracted by the DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, CAR/PDMS fiber and DVB/PDMS fibers, respectively. Only 30 VOCs were detected in A. japonica taxa. Furthermore, the relative contents of 8 VOCs were significant different (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05) between the A. amurensis and A. japonica. Therefore, the results can be applied in new studies of the relationships between the chemical composition of floral scents and the processes of attraction of pollinator. It may provide new ideas for rapid evolution and frequent interspecific hybridization of Aquilegia

scholarly journals In vivo and in vitro Volatile Constituents of the Flowers of Xylopia aromatica by HS‑SPME/GC-MS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Junqueira ◽  
Michelle do Nascimento ◽  
Lucas da Costa ◽  
Lincoln Romualdo ◽  
Francisco de Aquino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Large White ◽  
Volatile Constituents ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time

Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) is a typical species from the Brazilian cerrado that presents medicinal properties. The plant is distinguished by its large white flowers which produce a pleasant fragrance. X. aromatica is characterized by a wide range of medicinal application. These characteristics have motivated us to investigate the flowers volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via in vivo and in vitro protocols by a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS‑SPME) technique combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC‑MS). Four different fibers, extraction times and temperatures were the parameters changed to lead to the maximum profiling of the volatile constituents. Data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 77 VOCs were extracted from the floral scent, with 52 and 68 extracted from in vivo and in vitro sampling, respectively, of which 48 were reported for the first time in the literature as volatile constituents from X. aromatica flowers. The extraction and identification of VOCs were successfully performed through HS-SPME/GC-MS. The PCA data allowed the identification of parameters that led to the maximum number of VOCs, which were polyacrylate (PA) and carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fibers, 60 min extraction time and temperature of 29.0 °C. Among the volatile constituents identified, sesquiterpenes predominated, comprising about 61.04%.

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