A global review of pollination syndromes: A response to Ollerton et al. 2015

by Ramiro Aguilar et al.

Hummingbird pollinated Kohleria spicata (Gesneriaceae)

In a recent study, we demonstrated that the evolution of floral traits is driven by adaptation to the most effective pollinators (Rosas-Guerrero V, Aguilar R, Marten-Rodriguez S, Ashworth L, Lopezaraiza-Mikel M, Bastida JM, Quesada M. 2014. A quantitative review of pollination syndromes: do floral traits predict effective pollinators? Ecology Letters 17: 388–400). We also showed that the predictability of pollination syndromes is greater in pollinator-dependent species and in plants from tropical regions. Many plant species also have secondary pollinators that often correspond to the ancestral pollinators documented in evolutionary studies.

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Read the scientific publication in JPE.

The pollination syndromes: how much do we really understand?

by Jeff Ollerton and Nick Waser

Ecologists and evolutionary biologists seek to document repeated patterns that they see in nature and to understand the processes that determine these patterns.   One example is the idea of “pollination syndromes”, sets of flower characteristics that appear to have repeatedly evolved in different plant families due to the convergent selection applied by specific types of pollinators.  Thus, red, scentless flowers are typical of many bird-pollinated plants whilst white, night-scented flowers often signify moth pollination.  Plant species that display such archetypical flower traits are used as textbook examples to emphasize a view that plant-pollinator interactions tend to be predictable and specialised.  

Read the whole summary in: English!
Read the scientific publication in JPE.

 

Flies and Flowers III: Ecology of Foraging and Pollination

by Inouye et al.

This bumble bee mimic is a Syrphid fly

Flies (the Diptera) are important flower visitors and pollinators for many plant species and in a variety of habitats.  Diptera are not as well studied as other groups of pollinators, and not nearly as much is known about their foraging and effectiveness as pollinators as is known for bees, butterflies, moths, and bird pollinators. This paper reviews the available information about how fly foraging is influenced by environmental variables, their foraging behaviour, and interactions with other flower visitors.  We conclude that Diptera exhibit many of the same foraging behaviours as other flower visitors and that they are effective pollinators in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. 

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The forgotten pollinators – First field evidence for nectar-feeding by primarily insectivorous elephant-shrews

by Petra Wester

A Cape rock elephant-shrew licks nectar from flowers of the Pagoda Lily

Pollination of plants by non-flying mammals, such as mice (rodents, Rodentia), is a rarely observed phenomenon. Previously, elephant-shrews (Macro-scelidea, Afrotheria), small African mammals looking similar to mice, but not being related to them, were believed to be purely insectivorous. Occasional flower visits of elephant-shrews in captivity were interpreted as a by-product of the search for insects. Only recently, it was demonstrated that under lab conditions elephant-shrews regularly lick nectar from flowers. However, field observations of flower-visiting elephant-shrews and their role as pollinators were completely missing. In this study, I present the first evidence for flower visits and nectar consumption for elephant-shrews in the field. With video camcorders and infrared lights I recorded Cape rock elephant-shrews (Elephantulus edwardii) beside Namaqua rock mice (Micaelamys namaquensis) visiting flowers of the Pagoda lily (Whiteheadia bifolia, Asparagaceae) under natural conditions in the Namaqualand of South Africa.  

Read the whole summary in: English!
Read the scientific publication in JPE.