The role of thrips in pollination of Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi
6 páginas, 2 figuras, 1 tabla. Because of the low availability of insects other than thrips as potential pollinators in arctic environments, early botanists of the twentieth century proposed that thrips pollination would be important in many plants, especially those of the Ericaceae family. However,...
| Published in: | International Journal of Plant Sciences |
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
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University of Chicago Press
2008
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/33504 https://doi.org/10.1086/588068 https://doi.org/10.13039/501100007273 |
| Summary: | 6 páginas, 2 figuras, 1 tabla. Because of the low availability of insects other than thrips as potential pollinators in arctic environments, early botanists of the twentieth century proposed that thrips pollination would be important in many plants, especially those of the Ericaceae family. However, this was an object of controversy that continues today. In this article, we combined experimental evidence and a broad regional survey to analyze the role of thrips in flower pollination of the Ericaceae Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi. We conducted exclusion experiments, nectar measures, and observation of thrips in plants during 2 yr at four populations in southwestern Europe. We found that flower pollination by thrips seems to be a common element in the studied populations of A. uva-ursi that accounts for similar to 20% of the total pollination. We found seven species of thrips visiting the flowers of similar to 50% of the individuals of A. uva-ursi. The most abundant species were Ceratothrips ericae, previously cited as a potential pollinator of many Ericaceae in northern Europe, and Haplothrips setiger, a widely distributed Mediterranean Phlaeothripidae commonly cited in flowers of Asteraceae. We also discuss the role of spontaneous self-pollination in the reproductive success of A. uva-ursi and nectar consumption by thrips. We thank Jorge Sellés, Cota Marqués, and Jaime and Juan García‐Fayos for their aid with fieldwork, and Vicent Adall (Fredes) and the Rocher‐Pérez and Dobón‐Pérez (Bronchales) families for their warm support and for generously allowing use of logistic facilities. Jorge Sellés also aided in the laboratory, and Cota Marqués kindly sewed all the bags. Daniel García, Miguel Verdú, and Jaume Tormo generously aided with statistical analysis and the R package. Alfredo Lacasa (Polytechnic University of Cartagena) kindly aided with the determination of several samples of thrips. We also thank three anonymous reviewers and Dr. Laurence Mound (CSIRO Entomology, Australia) for their comments on an earlier ... |
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