Evidence of short-term shifts in floral traits in response to nectar robbing

ABSTRACT

Background

Nectar robbing has multiple effects on plants and pollinators, depending on the traits of a plant and its reproductive system, the behaviour of its pollinators, and the identity of the robber.

Aims

We aimed to evaluate temporal variation in morphological traits of robbed and intact flowers of the ornithophilous Asian basket plant, Aeschynanthus speciosus (Gesneriaceae).

Methods

We measured the length of the style and corolla, and the width of the stigma of the flowers of potted A. speciosus plants on three different days. We also recorded whether nectar robbing influenced the position of the androecium in relation to the gynoecium between robbed and intact flowers.

Results

Nectar robbing by the bananaquit, Coereba flaveola, had a negative effect on the development of floral traits of A. speciosus, resulting in flowers with smaller styles and stigmas, and reduced herkogamy.

Conclusion

We discuss these findings from the perspective of plant-nectar robber interactions, offering insights into the strategies adopted by plants to counteract the negative effects of nectar robbing.

KEYWORDS:

• Flower development
• plant breeding system
• plant-pollinator interaction
• self-pollination
• visual cues

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Marcela Rosa Tavares for her valuable comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and Stephen Ferrari for revising the English expression. We also acknowledge the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), through PQ process number 306.579/2018–9, and the Carlos Chagas Filho Rio de Janeiro State Research Foundation (FAPERJ), through CNE process number E-26/202.835/2018, for financial support to the second author. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. CAPES awarded a master’s scholarship to the first author (process number 88887.669944/2022-00).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the CAPES [Finance Code 001, scholarship process 88887.669944]; CNPQ [306.579/2018–9]; Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro [E-26/202.835/2018].