Stealthy behaviour of bees for entering the flower buds of Strobilanthes ixiocephala

 

by Priyanka Ambavane, Nikhil More, Renee M. Borges

 

Plant–pollinator interactions are mostly mutually beneficial when flowers attract bees, flies and birds for pollination and in return provide nectar or pollen rewards. Sometimes when the flowers are tubular and visitors cannot reach the nectar rewards, they exploit the flowers by piercing a hole at the bottom of the flower tube to access the rewards. At such times, they may or may not provide pollination services. There are two types of such floral cheaters. Robbers are cheaters that pierce a hole to gain rewards while thieves sneakily consume nectar or pollen without damaging the flower. This collectively is termed floral larceny. 

 

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