Floral Scent Chemistry and Pollinators of a Sexually Dimorphic Neotropical Orchid.

ABSTRACT: Catasetum is a speciose Neotropical orchid genus of which male and female flowers emit scents acting both as attractant and reward for their exclusive pollinators, male orchid bees (Euglossini: Apidae). In Catasetum, it is well known that flowers display a remarkably morphological sexual dimorphism. However, it remains poorly investigated whether this is also true for floral scents. Here, we investigated the pollination ecology and floral scent traits (chemistry and total emission) of C. maranhense, a species endemic to the Brazilian N/NE region. Males of Euglossa securigera are the only pollinators of C. maranhense. The floral scent of C. maranhense is composed of 29 volatile compounds, with eucalyptol, indole, (E)-Methyl p-methoxycinnamate

SUBMITTER: Milet-Pinheiro P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9824664 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature