Feeding friend and foe: ample pollen mitigates the effects of pollen theft for a gynodioecious plant, Polemonium foliosissimum (Polemoniaceae).

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Most angiosperms rely on pollinators to transport pollen and effect fertilization. While some floral visitors are effective pollinators, others act as thieves, consuming pollen but effecting little pollination in return. The importance of pollen theft in male and female reproductive success has received little attention. Here, we examined if pollen consumption by flies altered pollen receipt and exacerbated pollen limitation for a bumblebee-pollinated plant, Polemonium foliosissimum (Polemoniaceae).

Methods

To examine the effect of pollen-thieving flies, we took a three-pronged approach. First, we used single-visit observations to quantify pollen removal and pollen deposition by flies and bumblebees. Second, we manipulated pollen in the neighbourhood arou

SUBMITTER: Brody AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8318250 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature