Effects of nectar robbing on the volatile organic compounds and nectar chemistry of intraindividual flowers in <i> Corydalis caseana </i> ssp. <i> brandegeei </i>

Abstract

Plants are able to change volatile organic compounds in response to herbivory, and these chemicals can communicate with other parts of the same plant and with other plants. Nectar robbers like Bombus mixtus introduce a new microbial community to a flower’s nectar that is different from the one introduced by legitimate pollinators, and this impacts chemical phenotype. This study asks: Does nectar robbing affect the nectar chemistry and volatiles of other flowers on the same inflorescence or the same plant? To answer this question, I compared sugar concentration and volatile organic compound composition of untreated, artificially robbed, and naturally robbed flowers and other flowers on the same Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegeei plant. Sugar concentration is lower in robbed flowers than in unrobbed flowers since rain can enter the nectary through natural or artificial robbing holes, but variation in our data between naturally robbed, artificially robbed, and control plants’ sugar concentrations is more due to confounding variables than a systemic response to robbing. Volatile organic compound composition varies between artificially robbed, naturally robbed, and control plants but does not vary significantly between robbed and unrobbed inflorescences on the same plant.

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