Consequences of Nectar Robbing in Colorado Wildflowers: Insect Variation and Nectar Sugar Concentration

Abstract

Nectar robbing is a process used by various insects to retrieve nectar from flowers that would otherwise be inaccessible. The community-level consequences of nectar robbing have not been widely studied, and the differences between primary and secondary robbing have been studied even less. Fitness costs to plants from nectar robbing have been documented, such as reductions in male and female components of plant reproduction, but there is room for additional experimentation. In this study, I examined the consequences of nectar robbing on insect visitation and nectar sugar concentration. This was accomplished through both manipulation and natural surveys in an attempt to observe any differences between flowers that had been robbed and those that had not. In general, I found no evidence to support that insects chose flowers based on the presence of nectar robbing in Ipomopsis aggregata, nor did I find evidence that sugar concentration in nectar differs depending on the size of robber holes. I found significantly more insects in robbed flowers than unrobbed flowers in Linaria vulgaris, but this data is not enough to prove preference. Due to this difference, further experimentation into L. vulgaris would help to clarify insect preference in this plant in robbed versus unrobbed flowers, and these results may provide better insight into the consequences and effects of nectar robbing.

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