Besleria longimucronata (Gesneriaceae) and its nectar robbers: what are the effects of this supposed negative interaction on reproductive success?

Authors

  • Rubem Samuel de Avila Jr. Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil. Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG., Brasil

Keywords:

fitness, polinization, fructification, antagonism, robbery of floral nectar

Abstract

Antagonistic interactions are intuitively classified as negative for the reproductive success of individuals. Among these, the behavior of robbed floral nectar by different groups of animals is one of the most frequent and common in angiosperms. This kind of interaction could be an important selective force in the evolution of floral traits, type and amount of resources available and flowering period. So, there is a need to analyze in detail the various stages of reproductive plants considering the possible negative impact of nectar robbers and better understand and quantify their impact on fitness. The flowers of Besleria longimucronata showed a great rate of robbed flowers in preliminary observations made in 2005. The potential effects on the reproductive success of the nectar robbery were evaluated by fruit set in both treatments (robbed flowers and no robbed flowers) for each 31 individuals (blocks with 5 flowers for each treatment). Each flower produces a large amount of nectar and the robbers not seem to decrease the amount of resource available to effective pollinators. Fruit production did not change significantly between robbed-flowers and not robbed-flowers, which can be interpreted as a neutral effect of this antagonist interaction.

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Published

2010-08-01

How to Cite

de Avila Jr., R. S. (2010). Besleria longimucronata (Gesneriaceae) and its nectar robbers: what are the effects of this supposed negative interaction on reproductive success?. Ecología Austral, 20(2), 209–213. Retrieved from https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1320

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2010): August 2010, Pages 89-221

Section

Short Communications

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Copyright (c) 2020 Rubem Samuel de Avila Jr.

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