Foraging Behavior of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Lycastrirhyncha nitens (Diptera: Syrphidae) on Pontederia sagittata (Commelinales: Pontederiaceae) on a Disturbed Site
Keywords:
insect behavior, floral visitors, Apis mellifera, syrphid, heterostylyAbstract
By influencing the exchange of pollen, floral visitor behavior largely promotes the reproductive success of the plants. Pontederia sagittata (C. Presl) (Commelinales: Pontederiaceae) is a tristylous species whose morphs (long-styled L, mid-styled M and short-styled S) differ in the arrangement of reproductive organs and the amounts and accessibility for food for pollinating insects. We evaluated the behavior of 2 common contemporary visitors to inflorescences, the exotic bee Apis mellifera (L.) (Apidae), a not historical pollinator, and the flower fly Lycastrirhyncha nitens (Bigot) (Syrphidae), a frequent visitor already reported on this aquatic plant, based on HD video records of the number of individuals and the frequency and duration of their visits to 300 inflorescences. Both species of insects preferred to visit S-morph inflorescences. Pollen collection and nectar feeding were the most important activities of the bees, whereas flower flies were observed fed only on nectar. Thus, these behaviors could play an important role in reproduction in the study population of P. sagittata.
El comportamiento de los visitantes florales influye en el intercambio de polen y define en gran medida el éxito reproductivo de las plantas. Pontederia sagittata (C. Presl) es una especie tristílica cuyos morfos (estilo largo L, estilo mediano M y estilo corto S) difieren en la disposición de los órganos reproductivos así como en la cantidad y acceso a la recompensa alimenticia para los insectos. Evaluamos el comportamiento de dos visitantes contemporáneos comunes a las inflorescencias, la abeja exótica Apis mellifera (L.) que no es un polinizador histórico, y la mosca de las flores Lycastrirhyncha nitens (Bigot), un visitante frecuente ya reportado en esta planta acuática, con base en video grabaciones de alta definición del número de individuos, frecuencia y duración de sus visitas a 300 inflorescencias. Ambas especies de insectos prefirieron visitar las inflorescencias del morfo S. La colecta de polen y la alimentación de néctar fueron las actividades más importantes de las abejas, mientras que las moscas sólo fueron observadas alimentándose de néctar. Estos comportamientos podrían desempeñar un papel importante en la reproducción de la población estudiada de P. sagittata.
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