Pollinator-prey conflicts in carnivorous plants: When flower and trap properties mean life or death.

ABSTRACT: Insect-pollinated carnivorous plants are expected to have higher fitness if they resolve pollinator-prey conflicts by sparing insects pollinating their flowers while trapping prey insects. We examined whether separation between flowers and traps of the carnivorous sundew species or pollinator preferences for colours of flowers enable these plants to spare pollinators. In addition, we collected odours from flowers and traps of each carnivorous species in order to identify volatile chemicals that are attractive or repellent to pollinators and prey insects. In Drosera spatulata and D. arcturi, no volatiles were detected from either their flowers or traps that could serve as kairomone attractants for insects. However, behavioural experiments indicated white colour and spatial separation betwee

SUBMITTER: El-Sayed AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4757879 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature