马家柚花部特征及其访花昆虫种类调查

马家柚是江西优质水果品种,但自花授粉结实率低,需要异花传粉。昆虫是自然界中重要的传粉媒介,通过调查马家柚访花昆虫种类和了解马家柚的花部特征,可为使用昆虫实现马家柚授粉提供参考依据。本研究首先调查了马家柚的访花昆虫种类,其次对马家柚花不同形态参数进行测量,并采用蒸馏法提取马家柚鲜花的精油及利用GC-MS分析挥发油的组分。马家柚共有访花昆虫23种,隶属于5目 12科,其中中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana是最常见的访花昆虫。马家柚的花为双性花,具白色花瓣,黄色花药和绿色柱头。花朵盛开后,花瓣分离,呈辐射对称。雄蕊围绕雌蕊着生,花丝28~47枚。雌蕊具近球形柱头,直径为5.10±0.88 mm,表面具乳白色液体。从马家柚花挥发油中共获得78种化合物,鉴定出其中73种,相对含量占99.40%。挥发油中萜类化合物种类最多,共有39种,相对含量为70.19%;其次是脂肪酸衍生物,有30种,相对含量为28.53%;苯环类化合物4种,相对含量为0.60%。含量较高的组分是法尼醇,α-橙花叔醇和芳樟醇,其含量分别是28.48%、12.85%、10.12%。马家柚访花昆虫种类多样,这可能与其花部结构特征及丰富多样的挥发物作为视觉和嗅觉信号吸引不同类型昆虫有关。     

紫花苜蓿花部特征遗传多样性分析

采用形态标记和RAPD分子标记相结合的方法,对10个紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa L.)品种的花萼直径、花冠长度、花序花朵数、单枝花序数、单位面积花朵数、已弹花百分率、花蜜量、花蜜含糖量及花蜜中蔗糖、果糖和葡萄糖含量等花部特征的遗传变异进行了研究,结果表明紫花苜蓿品种间花部特征的变异为0.80%~92.30%,花蜜中葡萄糖变异最大,变幅为0.01~0.53 µmol/L (P<0.05);花蜜含糖量的变异最小,且差异不显著(P>0.05);RAPD分析表明各品种的遗传距离变异范围为0.21~0.35,其中变异最大的是WL323和Shanbei,而变异最小的是Derby和Prime;紫花苜蓿品种间的花部特征具有丰富的遗传多样性。     

菊花花部特征及花冠精油组分与访花昆虫的相关性

 菊花(Dendranthema morifolium)是异花授粉植物, 具有自交不亲和特性。其自然授粉的主要媒介为蜂类和蝶类。我们对19个菊花品种的花色、花朵繁密度、花冠直径、管状花花盘直径、株高以及花冠精油组分与访花蜂数和访花蝶数的相关性进行了研究。结果表明, 黄花色系较吸引西方蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)访花; 菊花的花朵繁密度、花冠直径、管状花花盘直径均与访花蜂数有显著相关性, 而株高与访花蜂数无相关性。大红蛱蝶(Vanessa indica)青睐红色花, 其访花蝶数与花朵繁密度、管状花花盘直径均有显著相关性, 而花冠直径和株高与访花蝶数无相关性。经气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)分析得知, 不同菊花品种花冠精油的组分不同, 其主要成分均为单萜和倍半萜类及其含氧衍生物; 并且不同品种含有某些特定的花冠精油组分, 其中樟脑萜(r = –0.909, p<0.05)和6,10,14-三甲基-2-十五酮(r=0.882, p<0.05)与访花蜂数呈一定的相关性, α萜品醇(r=0.979, p<0.01)、顺柠檬烯氧化物(r=0.979, p<0.01)、金合欢烯氧化物(r=0.979, p<0.01)、p-mentha-6,8-dien-2-ol,cis- (r=0.973, p<0.01)、p-menth-1-en-8-ol (r=0.962, p<0.01)和4-萜品烯醇(r=0.957, p<0.05)与访花蝶数呈一定相关性。     

洛阳地区黄胸木蜂访花植物种类及访花行为

【目的】明确黄胸木蜂Xylocopa appendiculata的访花植物种类和访花行为, 为进一步开发和利用木蜂资源奠定基础。【方法】 2009-2011年连续3年, 在洛阳地区黄胸木蜂的活动期3-10月, 采用目测、 拍照等方法记录其访花植物及访花行为, 记录和统计访花植物的生物学特征; 测量访花植物种类被盗蜜后盗蜜口的大小。【结果】在洛阳地区黄胸木蜂访花植物种类为27科52种, 主要的访花植物有25种。采访的植物种类中, 忍冬科和豆科植物最多, 分别为9种和8种, 占采访植物种类的17.31%和15.38%; 其中黄胸木蜂盗蜜的植物有16种, 占其采访植物种类的30.77%。在采访的植物种类中, 黄胸木蜂喜欢采访中等花型、 两侧对称的紫色、 黄色和白色花。在不同植物上, 黄胸木蜂的盗蜜口大小和访花频率不同, 黄胸木蜂在臭牡丹上的盗蜜口最大, 为9.43±1.91 mm, 蝟实上的盗蜜口最小, 为3.46±0.98 mm; 在紫薇上的访花速度最快, 访花频率为25.71±2.36朵/min; 在蜀葵上的单花停留时间和访花间隔时间均最长, 单花停留时间5.89±3.34 s, 访花间隔时间为2.63±2.04 s。【结论】在洛阳地区黄胸木蜂访花植物种类多、 访花时间长。对于不同的植物种类, 黄胸木蜂的访花行为和访花频率有差异。     

白花野牡丹的开花进程、花部形态特征及访花昆虫观察

为了解白花野牡丹( Melastoma candidum f. albiflorum J. C. Ou)的开花进程、花部形态特征及访花昆虫的种类和访花行为,分别于2011年和2012年对栽培于深圳市中国科学院仙湖植物园的白花野牡丹花期进行观察和统计分析。结果表明：白花野牡丹的单花花期约12 h,7：00雌蕊柱头从即将开放的花蕾中伸出、8：00左右花朵半开放、8：30左右花瓣完全展开、16：00左右花瓣开始闭合、19：00左右花瓣完全闭合,翌日花瓣不再开放并逐渐萎蔫,至第4天花部完全脱落。白花野牡丹的花序为近头状的伞房花序,每个花序有3~8朵花;雌蕊1枚;雄蕊2轮(5+5,6+6),内轮雄蕊较短、而外轮雄蕊较长;不分泌花蜜。白花野牡丹花期的访花昆虫有2目5科13种,其中传粉昆虫有2科6种,包括领木蜂( Xylocopa collaris Lepeletier)、东亚无垫蜂〔Amegilla ( Zonamegilla) parhypate Lieftinck〕、蓝彩带蜂(Nomia chalybeata Smith)、彩带蜂(Nomia sp.)、中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana Fabricius)和绿芦蜂(Pithitis smaragdula Smith)。这6种传粉昆虫的访花行为、访花规律及传粉效率各异,其中,领木蜂、东亚无垫蜂、中华蜜蜂和绿芦蜂的日活动规律为单峰型,访花高峰期均在10：00或11：00;而蓝彩带蜂和彩带蜂的日活动规律为双峰型,2个访花高峰期分别在10：00和15：00。花瓣开始松动时,小体型的中华蜜蜂和绿芦蜂开始传粉;随着花瓣继续开放,中等体型的蓝彩带蜂和彩带蜂成为主要传粉者;花瓣完全开放后,大体型的领木蜂和东亚无垫蜂成为主要传粉者。研究结果显示：白花野牡丹花粉是传粉昆虫的惟一报酬;各传粉昆虫的访花行为与白花野牡丹的开花进程密切相关,因此,可以有效保证白花野牡丹的繁殖。     

蒙古扁桃的花部综合特征与虫媒传粉

连续2年对蒙古扁桃自然居群的传粉昆虫进行了观察,用重力玻片法检测。结果表明风媒导致的异株传粉作用可以忽略;蒙古扁桃花散布的气味、花蜜在诱导昆虫传粉中起主要作用;共发现访花昆虫17种,主要包括蜂类、蝇类、蝶类,以蜂类为主;昆虫访花频率与开花习性有关,访问者偏爱访问处于盛花期的花;蒙古扁桃趋向于虫媒的异花授粉,但缺乏忠实的传粉者。     

多叶斑叶兰花蜜特征和分泌规律及其对昆虫访花的影响

为探讨多叶斑叶兰(Goodyera foliosa)花蜜体积和成分的变异性,及其对传粉昆虫的影响,采用毛细管法、折光仪和高效液相-蒸发光法对一天内不同时间段单花花蜜体积、总糖浓度和可溶性糖成分及含量进行检测,用摄像机对其传粉昆虫访花行为进行观察。结果表明,单花花蜜体积在10:00达到最大[(7.19±2.29)μL, n=10],糖浓度在16:00达到最大[(25.85±1.83)%,n=10]。花蜜中的主要可溶性糖为果糖和蔗糖,果糖在上午10:00含量达到最高(78.310 mg/g);蔗糖在下午16:00含量达到最高(247.600 mg/g)。中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana)访花时间为每天9:00-15:00,访花高峰期在10:00-14:00;橘尾熊蜂(Bombus friseanus)访花时间为每天8:00-16:00,访花高峰期在10:00-12:00和16:00-18:00。因此,这两种传粉昆虫访花频率与多叶斑叶兰单花花蜜体积及糖浓度的变化有一定的相关性,它们更倾向于访问较高花蜜体积及糖浓度的花朵。多叶斑叶兰花蜜成分中蔗糖占优势,能有效吸引各种蜂类、蝶类和蚁类访花,且访问频率较高,中华蜜蜂和橘尾熊蜂能携带其花粉块,是主要的有效传粉昆虫。花形态和访花昆虫的体型大小的匹配,决定了是否成为有效传粉昆虫。     

紫花苜蓿的花蜜量和访花蜜蜂数量对种子产量的影响

对10个紫花苜蓿品种的花萼直径、花蜜量、访花蜜蜂数量和种子产量进行了研究,结果表明,紫花苜蓿的单位面积花蜜量与访花蜜蜂数量呈极显著正相关(r=0.93**),访花蜜蜂数量与种子产量呈显著正相关(r=0.87*);紫花苜蓿的花蜜量与花萼直径呈极显著正相关(r=0.99**);紫花苜蓿品种赛特(Sitel)和德宝(Derby)在兰州地区能获得高产、优质的种子。     

毛茛状金莲花不同花期的花特征和访花昆虫的变化及表型选择

为了研究植物生长季内开花时间对花特征表型选择的影响,我们以青藏高原东缘高寒草地的毛茛状金莲花Trollius ranunculoides)为实验材料,在生长季内不同开花时间(花前期、花末期)测定花特征,观察访花昆虫的类群和访花频率,生长季结束后收集种子.根据昆虫访花的喜好和季节内类群与访花频率的变化,分析了不同开花时间毛茛状金莲花的花特征与昆虫的选择;并用种子产量表示雌性适合度,估计了毛茛状金莲花的花特征在不同开花时间所受的表型选择.结果表明:不同花期植物的花特征有显著差异,相应的访花昆虫的类群和频率也存在差异,不同类群昆虫访花喜好也不一样.蜂喜好花瓣和花萼较宽、花茎短和花茎数少的个体,这正符合花前期的特征,因而蜂的访花频率在花前期较高;蝇对花特征没有明显的偏好.而通过雌性适合度估计毛茛状金莲花花特征所受的表型选择则是:花前期,花茎较长和花茎数多的植株适合度大;花末期,花茎数多的植株适合度大.我们的研究表明:在植物生长季,花期的分化伴随着传粉昆虫活动的变化.不同花期,访花昆虫的变化可能对植物花特征的分化起了至关重要的作用.但是访花昆虫对花特征的选择与通过雌性适合度估计植物受到的选择不尽相同,这可能是由于其他因素造成的.     

单性木兰花部综合特征及其传粉适应性

对单性木兰花部综合特征和访花昆虫种类及访花行为进行了研究,结果表明,单性木兰花冠顶端呈半合拢状,花被片之间存在间隙,只有那些能够穿过这些间隙的昆虫才能到达花内为其采粉和授粉,对访花者的要求较为苛刻。于降雨前去掉雄花和雌花花被片,使雄花雄蕊群和雌花柱头充分暴露,另外选择雄花和雌花作对照,降雨后将花取回并测定雄花花粉生活力和雌花柱头上的花粉粒。结果表明,在雨天,单性木兰花冠顶端呈半合拢状的开放方式对雄花和雌花均起到了保护作用,这种花部结构的特化是对花期持续降雨的一种生态适应。从访花昆虫种类上看,单性木兰雄花的昆虫种类是雌花的两倍,显然雄花比雌花更能吸引昆虫。     

Managed and unmanaged floral margins for the conservation of bee communities in intensive agricultural areas

Floral resources on crop field margins are a well-accepted measure to increase bee abundance in agricultural landscapes. However, studies have mainly focused on managed margins, while studies on the effect of unmanaged floral margins for the conservation of bees are still scarce. This work aims to test and compare the effects of three types of floral margins (managed herbaceous, managed shrubby, and unmanaged herbaceous) on the abundance and diversity of bees in order to propose a management strategy for the conservation of pollinating insects. Bee abundance was recorded by visual samplings in plots of 2 × 2 square meters over two years in the three margin types in four localities in southern Spain. The diversity of plant species and the flowers they supported were measured to explain the associated bee communities. Differences in the relative abundances of bee families and the number and abundance of bee genera were observed between margin types. Andrenidae was generally more abundant in the herbaceous margins regardless of whether these were managed or not. With the exception of the Halictidae, the majority of bees families (wild Apidae, Apis mellifera, Colletidae and Megachilidae) were more abundant in the managed than unmanaged margins. Moreover, the number of bee genera was higher in managed than in unmanaged margins. In addition, here we show that managed margins supported at least 30% more rare bee genera than unmanaged margins, highlighting the importance of floral margins management for the enhancement and conservation of bee communities, restoring habitat and food resources for pollinators across the Mediterranean agricultural landscape.     

Flower visitation patterns of the coexisting honey bees Apis cerana japonica and Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

We compared flower visitation patterns of two coexisting honey bees, Apis mellifera Linnaeus and Apis cerana japonica Radoszkowski, on 20 plant species, including three exotics, under natural conditions in Nara, Japan, from April to August 2012. We also measured flower color based on bee color vision (15 flower species), nectar volume (nine species) and nectar concentration (eight species). Flowers colored white, pink, red, purple and cream were classified as bee‐blue‐green, and yellow was classified as bee‐green. Apis cerana visited 14 plant species and A. mellifera visited 11. Although the two Apis species are similar in morphology, they visited different plants: in particular, A. cerana visited native plant species more often than did A. mellifera. Both A. mellifera and A. cerana visited not only nectariferous flowers but also those with no nectar. We also found different visitation patterns between A. cerana and A. mellifera: Apis cerana more often visited flowers with smaller color angle (bee‐blue‐green), lower chroma and higher brightness, and flowers secreting nectars of higher concentration and smaller volume than did A. mellifera.     

Micro-organisms behind the pollination scenes: microbial imprint on floral nectar sugar variation in a tropical plant community

Background and Aims

Variation in the composition of floral nectar reflects intrinsic plant characteristics as well as the action of extrinsic factors. Micro-organisms, particularly yeasts, represent one extrinsic factor that inhabit the nectar of animal-pollinated flowers worldwide. In this study a ‘microbial imprint hypothesis’ is formulated and tested, in which it is proposed that natural community-wide variation in nectar sugar composition will partly depend on the presence of yeasts in flowers.

Methods

Occurrence and density of yeasts were studied microscopically in single-flower nectar samples of 22 animal-pollinated species from coastal xeric and sub-humid tropical habitats of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Nectar sugar concentration and composition were concurrently determined on the same samples using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods.

Key Results

Microscopical examination of nectar samples revealed the presence of yeasts in nearly all plant species (21 out of 22 species) and in about half of the samples examined (51·8 % of total, all species combined). Plant species and individuals differed significantly in nectar sugar concentration and composition, and also in the incidence of nectar yeasts. After statistically controlling for differences between plant species and individuals, nectar yeasts still accounted for a significant fraction of community-wide variance in all nectar sugar parameters considered. Significant yeast × species interactions on sugar parameters revealed that plant species differed in the nectar sugar correlates of variation in yeast incidence.

Conclusions

The results support the hypothesis that nectar yeasts impose a detectable imprint on community-wide variation in nectar sugar composition and concentration. Since nectar sugar features influence pollinator attraction and plant reproduction, future nectar studies should control for yeast presence and examine the extent to which microbial signatures on nectar characteristics ultimately have some influence on pollination services in plant communities.     

Breeding system features and a novel method for locating floral nectar secretion in a South American nightshade (Jaltomata quipuscoae)

Abstract

The location of nectar secretion in flowers of Jaltomata has not been identified with certainty until now: removal of the corolla and androecium from one side of living flowers allowed us to see, in progress, nectar secretion by the ovarian nectary. We studied Jaltomata quipuscoae, a wild plant that grows in southern Peru and produces copious, red floral nectar. Unmanipulated flowers do not set fruit in a pollinator-free greenhouse, demonstrating lack of autogamy, but self-compatibility was demonstrated by manual self-pollinations leading to fruit-set. Anther dehiscence is staggered with the anthers of a flower dehiscing over hours on the same day. The corolla and nectar are UV-absorptive. Flowers last 4–10 days, are usually protogynous during the first day the corolla is open, and do not close for the night.     

Windows of opportunity and the temporal structuring of foraging activity in a desert solitary bee

1. Females of the desert solitary bee Anthophora pauperata collect nectar and pollen almost exclusively from Alkanna orientalis (Boraginaceae). The bee and plant are found together in the early spring, living in the bottom of steep-sided wadis (dry river valleys) at an altitude of 1500 m in Egyptian Sinai. 2. Female A. pauperata showed clear morning and afternoon peaks in foraging activity, separated by a 2–3 h midday period spent in their underground nests. This study analyses the following in order to identify the factors structuring this daily pattern: thermal aspects of the bee and its environment, temporal patterns of resource provision by the plant, and female nectar and pollen foraging behaviour. 3. Although A. pauperata can generate substantial heat endothermically, morning and evening ambient temperatures well below 10 °C defined a thermal window within which foraging occurred. Maximum air temperatures were moderate (25–30 °C), and examination of the physiology and behaviour of A. pauperata suggests that the midday reduction in flight activity was not due to thermal constraints. 4. Alkanna orientalis produces protandrous hermaphroditic flowers. Female A. pauperata collected pollen from male-phase flowers and harvested nectar preferentially from female-phase flowers. Although the nectar standing crop was relatively constant throughout the day, pollen availability peaked strongly in the early afternoon. 5. Female A. pauperata visited young male-phase flowers as soon as they opened, generating an early afternoon peak in pollen foraging activity and depleting the pollen standing crop rapidly. A morning peak in pollen foraging occurred when females gleaned remnant pollen from flowers that had opened the previous day. Pollen availability in the morning was far lower than in the early afternoon, and the time taken to collect a full pollen load in the morning was significantly longer. Collection of pollen in the morning despite very low resource availability suggests that pollen may be a limiting resource for A. pauperata. 6. In contrast to many existing examples of bimodal activity patterns in highly endothermic bees, the bimodal activity patterns of female A. pauperata appear to be driven not by thermal considerations but by daily patterns of pollen release from its principal food source.