Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent

Title data

Heiduk, Annemarie ; Kong, Hanghui ; Brake, Irina ; von Tschirnhaus, Michael ; Tolasch, Till ; Tröger, Armin G. ; Wittenberg, Elisabeth ; Francke, Wittko ; Meve, Ulrich ; Dötterl, Stefan:
Deceptive Ceropegia dolichophylla fools its kleptoparasitic fly pollinators with exceptional floral scent.
In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Vol. 3 (2015) Issue 66 .
ISSN 2296-701X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2015.00066

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Abstract in another language

Ceropegia species (Apocynaceae) have deceptive pitfall flowers and exploit small flies as pollinators, supposedly by chemical mimicry. Only preliminary data on the composition of flower scents are available for a single species so far, and the mimicry system is not yet understood in any species. We collected data on basic pollination aspects of C. dolichophylla, analyzed floral scent by gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), identified electrophysiologically active scent components by gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD), and determined compounds responsible for pollinator attraction in bioassays. We found that flowers of C. dolichophylla are visited by small flies of several taxa. Only Milichiidae and Chloropidae carried pollinaria and are, thus, pollinators. The pollen transfer efficiency (PTE) at two different sites was 2% and 4%, respectively. The floral scent was dominated by spiroacetals, mainly (2S,6R,8S)-8-methyl-2-propyl-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane, n-tridecane, and N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide. This spiroacetal and the acetamide elicited the most intense electrophysiological responses in fly antennae, and bioassays confirmed the capability of the spiroacetal in eliciting behavioral responses in pollinators. Most flies, determined as pollinators of C. dolichophylla, are kleptoparasites. They exploit insect prey of predatory arthropods as food source to which they are attracted by volatiles. 8-Methyl-2-propyl-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane and N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide have not been identified before as volatiles of other plants, however, they are known as insect volatiles. Both compounds occur in the venom glands of paper wasps, a potential food source for the pollinators of C. dolichophylla. We propose that C. dolichophylla shows a kleptomyiophilous pollination strategy. It mimics insect related odors to exploit the food-seeking behavior of its kleptoparasitic pollinators

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Additional notes:	BAYCEER129724
Institutions of the University:	Research Institutions Research Institutions > Research Centres Research Institutions > Research Centres > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Chair Plant Systematics Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science
Date Deposited:	22 Jul 2016 09:02
Last Modified:	22 Jul 2016 09:02
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/33475