On the roles of colour and scent in a specialized floral mimicry system.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Sexually deceptive orchids achieve cross-pollination by mimicking the mating signals of female insects, generally hymenopterans. This pollination mechanism is often highly specific as it is based primarily on the mimicry of mating signals, especially the female sex pheromones of the targeted pollinator. Like many deceptive orchids, the Mediterranean species Ophrys arachnitiformis shows high levels of floral trait variation, especially in the colour of the perianth, which is either green or white/pinkinsh within populations. The adaptive significance of perianth colour polymorphism and its influence on pollinator visitation rates in sexually deceptive orchids remain obscure.

Methods

The relative importance of floral scent versus perianth colour in pollinat

SUBMITTER: Vereecken NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2766200 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature