scholarly journals Bee flowers drive macroevolutionary diversification in long-horned bees

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1959) ◽  
pp. 20210533
Author(s):  
Achik Dorchin ◽  
Anat Shafir ◽  
Frank H. Neumann ◽  
Dafna Langgut ◽  
Nicolas J. Vereecken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Host Preference ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Rapid Radiation ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Rapid Diversification ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Angiosperm Pollen ◽  
Plant Pollinator

The role of plant–pollinator interactions in the rapid radiation of the angiosperms have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. Studies have brought evidence for pollinator-driven diversification of various plant lineages, particularly plants with specialized flowers and concealed rewards. By contrast, little is known about how this crucial interaction has shaped macroevolutionary patterns of floral visitors. In particular, there is currently no empirical evidence that floral host association has increased diversification in bees, the most prominent group of floral visitors that essentially rely on angiosperm pollen. In this study, we examine how floral host preference influenced diversification in eucerine bees (Apidae, Eucerini), which exhibit large variations in their floral associations. We combine quantitative pollen analyses with a recently proposed phylogenetic hypothesis, and use a state speciation and extinction probabilistic approach. Using this framework, we provide the first evidence that multiple evolutionary transitions from host plants with accessible pollen to restricted pollen from ‘bee-flowers’ have significantly increased the diversification of a bee clade. We suggest that exploiting host plants with restricted pollen has allowed the exploitation of a new ecological niche for eucerine bees and contributed both to their colonization of vast regions of the world and their rapid diversification.

scholarly journals Tactile active sensing in an insect plant pollinator

2021 ◽  
Vol 224 (4) ◽  
pp. jeb239442
Author(s):  
Tanvi Deora ◽  
Mahad A. Ahmed ◽  
Thomas L. Daniel ◽  
Bing W. Brunton
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Manduca Sexta ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Sensory Structure ◽  
Numerous Species ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Plant Pollinator

ABSTRACTThe interaction between insects and the flowers they pollinate has driven the evolutionary diversity of both insects and flowering plants, two groups with the most numerous species on Earth. Insects use vision and olfaction to localize host plants, but we know relatively little about how they find the tiny nectary opening in the flower, which can be well beyond their visual resolution. Especially when vision is limited, touch becomes crucial in successful insect–plant pollination interactions. Here, we studied the remarkable feeding behavior of crepuscular hawkmoths Manduca sexta, which use their long, actively controlled, proboscis to expertly explore flower-like surfaces. Using machine vision and 3D-printed artificial flower-like feeders, we revealed a novel behavior that shows moths actively probe surfaces, sweeping their proboscis from the feeder edge to its center repeatedly until they locate the nectary opening. Moreover, naive moths rapidly learn to exploit these flowers, and they adopt a tactile search strategy to more directly locate the nectary opening in as few as three to five consecutive visits. Our results highlight the proboscis as a unique active sensory structure and emphasize the central role of touch in nectar foraging insect–plant pollinator interactions.

Overall and repeated floral visitation by insects suggests flower flies (Syrphidae) as the major pollinator group of Alaska Wild Rhubarb (Koenigia alaskana var. glabrescens; Polygonaceae) in Northwest Territories, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-191
Author(s):  
Paul M. Catling ◽  
Brenda Kostiuk ◽  
Jeffrey H. Skevington
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Alpine Plant ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Floral Visitation ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Flower Flies ◽  
Northwestern North America ◽  
Northeast Corner

Alaska Wild Rhubarb (Koenigia alaskana var. glabrescens; Polygonaceae) is a native Arctic, subarctic, and alpine plant of northwestern North America. Although the plant has some economic and ecological importance, its biology is poorly known. At 11 sites in the northeast corner of its range in Northwest Territories, we found that 87% of its floral visitors were flies, mostly Syrphidae, a diverse family known to be important pollinators. Insects visiting consecutive flowers on different plants and, thus, likely effecting pollination were also flies (78.6%) and also mostly Syrphidae (72.7%) followed by Hymenoptera (20%). Although syrphids were the dominant potential pollinators at most sites, there was some variation among sites. Our results provide quantitative support for pollinator diversity and the major role of Syrphidae in pollination of Alaska Wild Rhubarb. We suggest that pollination is not a limiting factor in this plant’s spread, nor its rare and local occurrence and restricted distribution, because the majority of its pollinators are widespread.

scholarly journals The lifecycle and epidemiology of Bactericera cockerelli on three traditional Maori food sources

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 275-275
Author(s):  
A.J. Puketapu
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Ipomoea Batatas ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Host Preference ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Bactericera Cockerelli ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Introduced Pest ◽  
Solanum Aviculare

The tomato/potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera Triozidae) is an introduced pest of solanaceous crops in New Zealand A range of established plants play host to Bactericera cockerelli including three traditional Maori food sources taewa or Maori potatoes (Solanum tuberosum ssp andigena) kumara (Ipomoea batatas) and poroporo (Solanum aviculare) Taewa and kumara are highly susceptible to summer B cockerelli infestation whilst poroporo an evergreen plant remains susceptible yearround and provides overwintering refuge Extensive monitoring of each host plant was carried out to determine the significance of each host in the lifecycle of B cockerelli in New Zealand Poroporo was monitored from late autumn for 6 months to determine if the plant served as a significant overwintering host for the pest after harvesting summer crops Taewa and kumara plants were monitored throughout the summer growing season on a weekly basis increasing to twice a week as populations proliferated Host plants were monitored both in the natural environment and under laboratory conditions Data collected contributed to tracking population development of B cockerelli on each host including the length of each life stage (ie egg nymph adult) Comparisons between the three hosts revealed host preference host suitability and the significance of each host in the lifecycle progression of B cockerelli

scholarly journals Dodder-transmitted mobile signals prime host plants for enhanced salt tolerance

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 1171-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalan Li ◽  
Jingxiong Zhang ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Nian Liu ◽  
Guojing Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Stress ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Physiological Function ◽  
The Other ◽  
Physiological Changes ◽  
Plant Signaling ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Salt Treatment ◽  
Systemic Signals

Abstract The dodders (Cuscuta spp.) are a genus of shoot parasites. In nature, a dodder often simultaneously parasitizes two or more neighboring hosts. Salt stress is a common abiotic stress for plants. It is unclear whether dodder transmits physiologically relevant salt stress-induced systemic signals among its hosts and whether these systemic signals affect the hosts’ tolerance to salt stress. Here, we simultaneously parasitized two or more cucumber plants with dodder. We found that salt treatment of one host highly primed the connected host, which showed strong decreases in the extent of leaf withering and cell death in response to subsequent salt stress. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that 24 h after salt treatment of one cucumber, the transcriptome of the other dodder-connected cucumber largely resembled that of the salt-treated one, indicating that inter-plant systemic signals primed these dodder-connected cucumbers at least partly through transcriptomic reconfiguration. Furthermore, salt treatment of one of the cucumbers induced physiological changes, including altered proline contents, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rates, in both of the dodder-connected cucumbers. This study reveals a role of dodder in mediating salt-induced inter-plant signaling among dodder-connected hosts and highlights the physiological function of these mobile signals in plant–plant interactions under salt stress.

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