Floral-oil-producing Plantaginaceae species: geographical distribution, pollinator rewards and interactions with oil-collecting bees

Authors

  • Aline Cristina Martins Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Pós-graduação em Entomologia
  • Isabel Alves-dos-Santos Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia

Keywords:

plant-insect interactions, oil-collecting bees, oil-flowers, Plantaginaceae, Apidae

Abstract

Floral oils as reward to pollinators occur in eleven plant families and appeared at least 28 times in the evolutionary history of flowering plants. They are produced in epithelial or tricomatic glands and collected by oil bee visitors. The present paper focuses on floral-oil-producing species of Plantaginaceae, a Neotropical group namely Angelonia clade. This group comprises around 40 described species in the genera Angelonia, Basistemon, Monttea, Monopera and the oil-less Melosperma. We present a revision of all species of the Angelonia clade, their geographical distribution, resources offered to pollinators and records of flower visitors, especially oil-collecting bees. These plants rely only on oil-collecting species in the tribe Centridini and Tapinotaspidini for a successful pollination, being the interaction between both partners an especial case of bee/flower adaptation in Neotropical region. Some bee species depend only on the oil of Plantaginaceae flowers to survive, while others can collect on several floral oil sources. The pollinating bees explore the oil glands located in sacs using specialized hairs in the forelegs. With this study, we hope to inspire further research relating to this fascinating group of plants, in which most species are rare and occur in highly endangered habitats in South American open vegetation biomes.

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Published

2013-12-01

How to Cite

Martins, A. C., & Alves-dos-Santos, I. (2013). Floral-oil-producing Plantaginaceae species: geographical distribution, pollinator rewards and interactions with oil-collecting bees. Biota Neotropica, 13(4). Retrieved from //www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BN/article/view/1212

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