Abstract
Olfactory cues constitute one of the most important plant-pollinator communication channels. Specific chemical components can be associated with specific pollinator functional groups due to pollinator-mediated selection on flower volatile (FV) emission. Here, we used multivariate analyses of FV data to detect an association between FVs and the worldwide distributed pollinator group of the carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). We compiled FVs of 29 plant species: 9 pollinated by carpenter bees, 20 pollinated by other bee pollinator functional groups. We tested whether FV emission differed between these groups. To rule out any phylogenetic bias in our dataset, we tested FV emission for phylogenetic signal. Finally, using field assays, we tested the attractive function of two FVs found to be associated with carpenter bees. We found no significant multivariate difference between the two plant groups FVs. However, seven FVs (five apocarotenoid terpenoids, one long-chain alkane and one benzenoid) were significantly associated with carpenter bee pollination, thus being “predictor” compounds of pollination by this pollinator functional group. From those, β-ionone and (E)-methyl cinnamate presented the highest indicator values and had their behavioural function assessed in field assays. Phylogenetic signal for FVs emission was weak, suggesting that their emission could result from pollinator-mediated selection. In field assays, the apocarotenoid β-ionone attracted carpenter bees, but also bees from other functional groups. The benzenoid (E)-methyl cinnamate did not attract significant numbers of pollinators. Thus, β-ionone functions as a non-specific bee attractant, while apocarotenoid FVs emerge as consistent indicators of pollination by large food-foraging bees among bee-pollinated flowers.
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Acknowledgments
During the execution of this work, CEPN was supported by the Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutorado - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES, Institutional Grant to the Department of Plant Biology, UNICAMP) and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, 2017/22642-5). We thank the Instituto Florestal (Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Santa Virginia) for supporting research related to the observations in Cattleya loddigesii by Edicson Parra. We thank Vivian Zambon, Aline Binato and Natalia S. Martarello for the pictures in Fig. 3b, c, d, respectively. We also thank Prof. Marlies Sazima for assuring institutional support for this work during the period when GR was an undergrad student under her supervision.
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During the execution of this work, CEPN was supported by the Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutorado - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES, Institutional Grant to the Department of Plant Biology, UNICAMP) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de São Paulo (FAPESP, 2017/22642–5).
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GR and CEPN conceived the ideas, designed methodology and collected the data; GR, CEPN and PJB analysed the data; GR and CEPN led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.
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The 29 bee-pollinated plant species used in the work with their respective main pollinators and with an indication if the plant species is native from the study site (XLSX 15 kb)
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Percentages of the floral volatile organic compounds (FVs) in the 29 bee-pollinated plant species used in the work. For each plant species, there are the amounts of FVs (in %) categorized into main classes of compounds and then the amounts of each FV individually, with its respective number of registry on CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service of the Chemical American Society) and with the Retention Index (RI) associated to it in the articles used for data compilation or with the RI obtained in laboratory’s identification in the case of Cattleya loddigesii (XLSX 66 kb)
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Rabeschini, G., Joaquim Bergamo, P. & Nunes, C.E.P. Meaningful Words in Crowd Noise: Searching for Volatiles Relevant to Carpenter Bees among the Diverse Scent Blends of Bee Flowers. J Chem Ecol 47, 444–454 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-021-01257-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-021-01257-y