The benefits of bathing buds: water calyces protect flowers from a microlepidopteran herbivore
Protective floral structures may evolve in response to the negative effects of floral herbivores. For example, water calyces-liquid-filled, cup-like structures resulting from the fusion of sepals-may reduce floral herbivory by submerging buds during their development. Our observations of a water-cal...
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Published in | Biology letters (2005) Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 405 - 407 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
The Royal Society
22.08.2007
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Protective floral structures may evolve in response to the negative effects of floral herbivores. For example, water calyces-liquid-filled, cup-like structures resulting from the fusion of sepals-may reduce floral herbivory by submerging buds during their development. Our observations of a water-calyx plant, Chrysothemis friedrichsthaliana (Gesneriaceae), revealed that buds were frequently attacked by ovipositing moths (Alucitidae), whose larvae consumed anthers and stigmas before corollas opened. Almost 25% of per-plant flower production was destroyed by alucitid larvae over two seasons, far exceeding the losses to all other floral herbivores combined. Experimental manipulation of water levels in calyces showed that a liquid barrier over buds halved per-flower alucitid egg deposition and subsequent herbivory, relative to buds in calyces without water. Thus, C. friedrichsthaliana's water calyx helps protect buds from a highly detrimental floral herbivore. Our findings support claims that sepal morphology is largely influenced by selection to reduce floral herbivory, and that these pressures can result in novel morphological adaptations. |
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Bibliography: | ArticleID:rsbl20070095 istex:9F54A46EB0F338B7866D5C773E0D4037764DA34D href:405.pdf ark:/67375/V84-PRZ8MCVZ-H ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1744-9561 1744-957X |
DOI: | 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0095 |