On the Function of Floral Nectar in Croton suberosus (Euphorbiaceae)

Oikos ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
César A. Domínguez ◽  
Rodolfo Dirzo ◽  
Stephen H. Bullock ◽  
Cesar A. Dominguez
Keyword(s):  
Floral Nectar

scholarly journals Nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs) do not change nectar palatability but enhance learning and memory in honey bees

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Carlesso ◽  
Stefania Smargiassi ◽  
Elisa Pasquini ◽  
Giacomo Bertelli ◽  
David Baracchi
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Feeding Preference ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Specific Memory ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Valuable Compounds

AbstractFloral nectar is a pivotal element of the intimate relationship between plants and pollinators. Nectars are composed of a plethora of nutritionally valuable compounds but also hundreds of secondary metabolites (SMs) whose function remains elusive. Here we performed a set of behavioural experiments to study whether five ubiquitous nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs: β-alanine, GABA, citrulline, ornithine and taurine) interact with gustation, feeding preference, and learning and memory in Apis mellifera. We showed that foragers were unable to discriminate NPAAs from water when only accessing antennal chemo-tactile information and that freely moving bees did not exhibit innate feeding preferences for NPAAs. Also, NPAAs did not alter food consumption or longevity in caged bees over 10 days. Taken together our data suggest that natural concentrations of NPAAs did not alter nectar palatability to bees. Olfactory conditioning assays showed that honey bees were more likely to learn a scent when it signalled a sucrose reward containing either β-alanine or GABA, and that GABA enhanced specific memory retention. Conversely, when ingested two hours prior to conditioning, GABA, β-alanine, and taurine weakened bees’ acquisition performances but not specific memory retention, which was enhanced in the case of β-alanine and taurine. Neither citrulline nor ornithine affected learning and memory. NPAAs in nectars may represent a cooperative strategy adopted by plants to attract beneficial pollinators.

scholarly journals Identification and cloning of class II and III chitinases from alkaline floral nectar of Rhododendron irroratum, Ericaceae

Planta ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 244 (4) ◽  
pp. 805-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Guang Zha ◽  
Richard I. Milne ◽  
Hong-Xia Zhou ◽  
Xiang-Yang Chen ◽  
Hang Sun
Keyword(s):  
Class Ii ◽  
Floral Nectar

scholarly journals Floral nectar chitinase is a potential marker for monofloral honey botanical origin authentication: A case study from loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue-Qin Song ◽  
Richard I. Milne ◽  
Hong-Xia Zhou ◽  
Xue-Long Ma ◽  
Jiang-Yu Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eriobotrya Japonica ◽  
Botanical Origin ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Potential Marker

scholarly journals Floral Resources for Trissolcus japonicus, a Parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Hanna R. McIntosh ◽  
Victoria P. Skillman ◽  
Gracie Galindo ◽  
Jana C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Halyomorpha Halys ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Classical Biocontrol ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Trissolcus Japonicus ◽  
The Impact

The egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus is the main candidate for classical biocontrol of the invasive agricultural pest Halyomorpha halys. The efficacy of classical biocontrol depends on the parasitoid’s survival and conservation in the agroecosystem. Most parasitoid species rely on floral nectar as a food source, thus identifying nectar sources for T. japonicus is critical. We evaluated the impact of eight flowering plant species on T. japonicus survival in the lab by exposing unfed wasps to flowers inside vials. We also measured the wasps’ nutrient levels to confirm feeding and energy storage using anthrone and vanillin assays adapted for T. japonicus. Buckwheat, cilantro, and dill provided the best nectar sources for T. japonicus by improving median survival by 15, 3.5, and 17.5 days compared to water. These three nectar sources increased wasps’ sugar levels, and cilantro and dill also increased glycogen levels. Sweet alyssum, marigold, crimson clover, yellow mustard, and phacelia did not improve wasp survival or nutrient reserves. Further research is needed to determine if these flowers maintain their benefits in the field and whether they will increase the parasitism rate of H. halys.

scholarly journals Salvage of floral resources through re-absorption before flower abscission

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham H. Pyke ◽  
Zong-Xin Ren ◽  
Judith Trunschke ◽  
Klaus Lunau ◽  
Hong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Floral Resources ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Nectar Volume ◽  
Flower Colours ◽  
Nectar Concentration ◽  
Nectar Sugar ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Plants invest floral resources, including nectar and pigment, with likely consequent reproductive costs. We hypothesized that plants, whose flowers abscise with age, reabsorb nectar and pigment before abscission. This was tested with flowers of Rhododendron decorum, which has large, conspicuous white flowers that increasingly abscise corollas as flowers age. As this species is pollinated by bees, we also hypothesized that nectar concentration would be relatively high (i.e., > 30% wt/vol) and petals would contain UV-absorbing pigment. Floral nectar volume and concentration were sampled on successive days until abscission (up to ten days old, peak at five days) and for sub-sample of four-day-old flowers. Flowers just abscised were similarly sampled. Flower colours were measured using a modified camera, with recordings of spectral reflectance for abscised and open non-abscised flowers. Pigment content was summed values of red, green, blue channels of false color photos. As expected, flowers reabsorbed almost all nectar before abscission, separately reabsorbing nectar-sugar and nectar-water, and petals contained UV-absorbing pigment. However, flowers did not reabsorb pigment and nectar-concentration was < 30% wt/vol. That flowers reabsorb nectar, not pigment, remains unexplained, though possibly pigment reabsorption is uneconomical. Understanding floral resource reabsorption therefore requires determination of biochemical mechanisms, plus costs/benefits for individual plants.

scholarly journals Diversity of nectar amino acids in the Fritillaria (Liliaceae) genus: ecological and evolutionary implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Roguz ◽  
Andrzej Bajguz ◽  
Magdalena Chmur ◽  
Agnieszka Gołębiewska ◽  
Agata Roguz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Pollen Vectors ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
First Time ◽  
Nectar Amino Acids

Abstract Nectar is considered to be a primary food reward for most pollinators. It mostly contains sugars, but also has amino acids. The significance of the concentration and composition of amino acids in nectar is often less understood than that of its volume, sugar concentration and composition. However, there is a trend towards a broader approach in ecological research, which helps to understand nectar properties in an ecological context. The genus Fritillaria, exhibiting great diversity in flower morphology, nectar composition, and dominant pollinators, allows for the possibility to study some of the above. We studied the concentration and composition of amino acids in the nectar of 38 Fritillaria species attracting different groups of pollen vectors (bees, flies, passerines, and hummingbirds). The flowers of fritillaries produced nectar with a varying composition and concentration of amino acids. These differences were mostly associated with the pollinator type. The nectar of passerine bird-pollinated species was rich in amino acids, whereas humming bird-pollinated produced low amino acid nectar. Contrary to previous reports nectar of the insect-pollinated species did not contain a higher amount of proline. Two non-protein amino acids, sarcosine and norvaline, were detected in the floral nectar for the first time.

scholarly journals High activity enables life on a high-sugar diet: blood glucose regulation in nectar-feeding bats

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1724) ◽  
pp. 3490-3496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Detlev H. Kelm ◽  
Ralph Simon ◽  
Doreen Kuhlow ◽  
Christian C. Voigt ◽  
Michael Ristow
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
High Activity ◽  
Flight Time ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
High Blood Glucose ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Normal Feeding

High blood glucose levels caused by excessive sugar consumption are detrimental to mammalian health and life expectancy. Despite consuming vast quantities of sugar-rich floral nectar, nectar-feeding bats are long-lived, provoking the question of how they regulate blood glucose. We investigated blood glucose levels in nectar-feeding bats ( Glossophaga soricina ) in experiments in which we varied the amount of dietary sugar or flight time. Blood glucose levels increased with the quantity of glucose ingested and exceeded 25 mmol l −1 blood in resting bats, which is among the highest values ever recorded in mammals fed sugar quantities similar to their natural diet. During normal feeding, blood glucose values decreased with increasing flight time, but only fell to expected values when bats spent 75 per cent of their time airborne. Either nectar-feeding bats have evolved mechanisms to avoid negative health effects of hyperglycaemia, or high activity is key to balancing blood glucose levels during foraging. We suggest that the coevolutionary specialization of bats towards a nectar diet was supported by the high activity and elevated metabolic rates of these bats. High activity may have conferred benefits to the bats in terms of behavioural interactions and foraging success, and is simultaneously likely to have increased their efficiency as plant pollinators.

scholarly journals Nicotine in floral nectar pharmacologically influences bumblebee learning of floral features

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Baracchi ◽  
A. Marples ◽  
A. J. Jenkins ◽  
A. R. Leitch ◽  
L. Chittka
Keyword(s):  
Floral Nectar

scholarly journals Microbial diversity in the floral nectar of seven Epipactis (Orchidaceae) species

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 644-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Jacquemyn ◽  
Marijke Lenaerts ◽  
Daniel Tyteca ◽  
Bart Lievens
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Floral Nectar
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