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Floral herbivory in the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata

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Abstract

Losses of floral tissues to herbivory (florivory) can affect plant reproduction, population growth and structure, and community dynamics. Because carnivorous plants inhabit nutrient-poor environments and exhibit slow growth rates, losses to herbivory may be particularly costly. However, there has been no published study of florivory in carnivorous plants. We conducted a 2-year field study in Leon County, Texas USA, on the carnivorous Pale Pitcher Plant Sarracenia alata and its specialist herbivore Exyra semicrocea. We surveyed the proportions of flowers attacked and compared the mass of floral components (ovaries, anthers, petals, sepals, and style) between attacked and undamaged flowers. In 2017, a mean of 53% of flowers was attacked. The anther count and the masses of anthers, perianth (petals + sepals), and style were significantly lower in attacked flowers than in undamaged flowers, but ovary mass was not significantly affected. The total flower dry mass (without peduncle) of attacked flowers on the last collection date was 13.3% less than that of undamaged flowers, but this difference was not statistically significant. In 2018, a mean of 33% of flowers were attacked, with significant mass losses from all floral components, including ovaries. The total flower dry mass (without peduncle) of attacked flowers on the last collection date was significantly (48%) less than that of undamaged flowers. Herbivore population size, differences in emergence phenology of the host and/or herbivore, and differential defense of components may have contributed to differences between years in the proportion of flowers attacked and variation in the floral structures consumed.

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Fig. 1

Photographs by J. Horner

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Acknowledgements

The Texas Christian University Research and Creative Activities Fund provided funding for this research. ZMW was provided support by a grant from the Department of Biology Adkins Program. The authors thank R Carmickle and Dr. M Green for field assistance and the land owners for permission to work on their property. We thank Dr. Wes Nowlin at the Aquatic Ecology Lab at Texas State University for performing nutrient analyses. Three reviewers made helpful suggestions on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, 76129, USA

    Zane Miles Winer & John D. Horner

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  1. Zane Miles Winer
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  2. John D. Horner
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Authors contributed equally to the design, field work, statistical analysis, and writing of the project. ZMW performed most of the laboratory analyses.

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Correspondence to John D. Horner.

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Winer, Z.M., Horner, J.D. Floral herbivory in the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 16, 109–118 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-021-09880-y

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