Investigating the impact of pollinator- and seed predator-mediated selection on floral traits in an <i>Ipomopsis aggregata</i> and <i>I. tenuituba</i> (Polemoniaceae) hybrid zone
Abstract
While the impacts of pollinator species on selection for floral traits in angiosperms are relatively well-studied, less is known about the contributions of herbivores towards selection on floral traits. We investigated the relationship among a variety of floral traits (including volatile emissions and morphological features) and oviposition by the seed predator fly Delia (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in an Ipomopsis hybrid zone in Gunnison County, Colorado. We performed flower measurements on Ipomopsis individuals which had previously been planted at three elevations in a reciprocal transplant experiment at Poverty Gulch. Using a scent manipulation experiment near the Gothic town site, we also investigated the impacts of α- and β-pinene treatments on oviposition. We found no evidence for a correlation between Delia oviposition and any traits measured for Poverty Gulch flowers; however, other studies have suggested that oviposition may respond to increased corolla and sepal width. Single enantiomer pinene treatments [(+)-α, (-)-α, (+)-β, (-)-β] averaged significantly higher mean oviposition rates than our control. Additionally, our (+)-β treatment tended to have higher oviposition than our (-)-β enantiomer treatment, which is consistent with findings from 2011. When data from both years were combined, this difference was statistically significant. However, we also found our control to be significantly lower than our background oviposition rate. Our results indicate that treatments of single pinene enantiomers may increase attractiveness of Ipomopsis aggregata individuals to Delia. These results highlight the importance of incorporating seed predators and other herbivorous insects, as well as pollinator species, into investigations of floral trait adaptation and plant evolution.
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References (35)
12 in Knowledge Hub, 23 external