HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

What's this?

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (18) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Anderson, B. Articles by Carbutt, C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Anderson, B. Articles by Carbutt, C. Agricola Articles by Anderson, B. Articles by Carbutt, C. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Exploitation of a specialized mutualism by a deceptive orchid¹

School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa

ABSTRACT

Plants that lack floral rewards may nevertheless attract pollinators through mimetic resemblance to the flowers of co-occurring rewarding plants. We show how a deceptive orchid (Disa nivea) successfully exploits a reciprocally specialized mutualism between a nectar-producing plant (Zaluzianskya microsiphon) and its long-proboscid fly pollinator (Prosoeca ganglbaueri). Disa nivea is a rare southern African orchid known only from habitats that support large populations of Z. microsiphon, which it closely resembles in both general morphology and floral spectral reflectance. Significant covariation in floral traits of Z. microsiphon and D. nivea was detected among populations. Where mimics are uncommon, flies do not appear to discriminate between the flowers of the two species. Pollination success in D. nivea was much higher at a site with abundant Z. microsiphon plants than at a site where Z. microsiphon was rare. Exploitation of a highly specialized mutualism appears to demand a high degree of phenotypic resemblance to a rewarding model by a deceptive mimic, as exemplified by D. nivea. The majority of deceptive orchids, on the other hand, exploit relatively generalized pollination systems and thus require only a vague resemblance to rewarding plants in the community in order to attract pollinators.

Key Words: advergent evolution • Batesian mimicry • convergent evolution • deceptive • exploitation • long-tongued fly • mutualism • orchid • specialization

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. D. Johnson The pollination niche and its role in the diversification and maintenance of the southern African flora Phil Trans R Soc B, February 12, 2010; 365(1539): 499 - 516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Benitez-Vieyra, N. H. de Ibarra, A. M Wertlen, and A. A Cocucci How to look like a mallow: evidence of floral mimicry between Turneraceae and Malvaceae Proc R Soc B, September 22, 2007; 274(1623): 2239 - 2248. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Anderson and S. D Johnson The effects of floral mimics and models on each others' fitness Proc R Soc B, April 22, 2006; 273(1589): 969 - 974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]