The effects of floral traits on the behaviors of pollinators and pre-dispersal seed predators in a gynodioecious species, <i>Polemonium foliosissimum</i>.

Abstract

In order to maintain in the population, female plants of gynodioecious species must compensate for their loss of male function. Understanding how mutualist pollinators and antagonists such as seed predators respond to floral cues presented by female and hermaphrodite flowers in ways that could contribute to differences fitness among the sexes. In this study, I investigated the effects of floral traits on visitation rates by pollinators and pre- dispersal seed predators in a gynodioecious species, Polemonium foliosissimum. I manipulated the petals and anthers of hermaphrodites to make them look like females and examined visitation rates by putative pollinators and rates of oviposition by a common pre-dispersal seed predator. Results showed that pollinator preference and oviposition rate did not differ among the treatment types, which indicated the pollinator and pre-dispersal seed predator did not use the size of petal and the presence of anther as cue to locate their host plants.

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