Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 42 in total

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  1. Cockroach pollination and breeding system of Uvaria elmeri (Annonaceae) in a lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest in Sarawak
    Nagamitsu T, Inoue T
    Am J Bot, 1997 Feb;84(2):208.
    PMID: 21712200
    Tropical forest plants are known to be pollinated by a diverse array of animals. Here we report on the pollination of a woody climber species, Uvaria elmeri (Annonaceae), by cockroaches in a lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pollination by cockroaches. The cauliflorous flowers in the understory are protogynous and bloomed for 50 h. An odor similar to decayed wood or a mushroom was secreted by flowers and was stronger during the male stage. Pollinators were cockroaches (Blattellidae) and drosophilid flies (Drosophilidae). Cockroaches, the main pollinators, visited flowers during both female and male stages at night, feeding on stigmatic exudate and pollen. Drosophilids, the secondary pollinators. mainly visited female-stage flowers during daytime, fed on stigmatic exudate. and laid eggs on stigmas. Neither autogamy nor self-compatibility was observed. Fruit production appeared to be pollen-limited. The fruit set, which was 2% of flowers in natural condition, was significantly lower than the 30% fruit set obtained by artificial cross-pollination. We discuss the traits of cockroaches as pollinators and the breeding system of U. elmeri.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  2. Fulltext Hybrid flower pollination algorithm strategies for t-way test suite generation
    Nasser AB, Zamli KZ, Alsewari AA, Ahmed BS
    PLoS One, 2018;13(5):e0195187.
    PMID: 29718918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195187
    The application of meta-heuristic algorithms for t-way testing has recently become prevalent. Consequently, many useful meta-heuristic algorithms have been developed on the basis of the implementation of t-way strategies (where t indicates the interaction strength). Mixed results have been reported in the literature to highlight the fact that no single strategy appears to be superior compared with other configurations. The hybridization of two or more algorithms can enhance the overall search capabilities, that is, by compensating the limitation of one algorithm with the strength of others. Thus, hybrid variants of the flower pollination algorithm (FPA) are proposed in the current work. Four hybrid variants of FPA are considered by combining FPA with other algorithmic components. The experimental results demonstrate that FPA hybrids overcome the problems of slow convergence in the original FPA and offers statistically superior performance compared with existing t-way strategies in terms of test suite size.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination*
  3. Fulltext Effect of residual toxicity of selected insecticides to the Malaysian stingless bee Heterotrigona Itama
    Noor Albannia Natasya Jabi, Hazmi Awang Damit
    Borneo Akademika, 2019;3(1):1-9.
    MyJurnal
    Heterotrigona itama is a Malaysian stingless bee species that actively reared for meliponiculture. This stingless bee is cultivated in a commercial scale for its honey production, propolis and among the greatest commercial potential as crop pollinators. However, this species has been potentially exposed to agronomic practices, among which the use of synthetic insecticides against pests.The indirect toxicity effect of the post-insecticide had affected the mortalities of H. itama especially, to the foragers. Due to that, a study has been conducted to determine the lethal concentration of 50% (LC50) and 95% (LC95) of the selected insecticides against stingless bee forager workers through residual exposure. The bioassay test was conducted to the local stingless bee H. itama at Agricultural Research Station, Tenom. Four commonly used insecticides in crop protection; Deltamethrin, Chlorpyrifos, Cypermethrin and Malathion were tested at five concentrations that diluted with 500 ml of distilled water in three replications for each insecticide. Lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC95) were obtained from probit analysis after 1-hour dry residues exposure and 24-hour mortality observation. The result shows that; all four tested insecticides were harmful to H. itama through dry residue. Deltamethrin shows the higher value of LC50 (1.256 ml) and LC95 (3.582ml) that make it less toxic to the H. itama than cypermethrin, malathion, and chlorpyrifos, however, as the concentration gets higher it becomes more toxic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  4. Prediction of tea theanine content using near-infrared spectroscopy and flower pollination algorithm
    Ong P, Chen S, Tsai CY, Chuang YK
    Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2021 Jul 05;255:119657.
    PMID: 33744842 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.119657
    In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was exploited for non-destructive determination of theanine content of oolong tea. The NIR spectral data (400-2500 nm) were correlated with the theanine level of 161 tea samples using partial least squares regression (PLSR) with different wavelengths selection methods, including the regression coefficient-based selection, uninformative variable elimination, variable importance in projection, selectivity ratio and flower pollination algorithm (FPA). The potential of using the FPA to select the discriminative wavelengths for PLSR was examined for the first time. The analysis showed that the PLSR with FPA method achieved better predictive results than the PLSR with full spectrum (PLSR-full). The developed simplified model using on FPA based on 12 latent variables and 89 selected wavelengths produced R-squared (R2) value and root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.9542, 0.8794 and 0.2045, 0.3219 for calibration and prediction, respectively. For PLSR-full, the R2 values of 0.9068, 0.8412 and RMSEs of 0.2916, 0.3693, were achieved for calibration and prediction. Also, the optimized model using FPA outperformed other wavelengths selection methods considered in this study. The obtained results indicated the feasibility of FPA to improve the predictability of the PLSR and reduce the model complexity. The nonlinear regression models of support vector machine regression and Gaussian process regression (GPR) were further utilized to evaluate the superiority of using the FPA in the wavelength selection. The results demonstrated that utilizing the wavelength selection method of FPA and nonlinear regression model of GPR could improve the predictive performance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination*
  5. Review on flower-visiting behaviour of orthopterans and setting priorities for further studies
    Rácz IA, Szanyi S, Nagy A
    Biol Futur, 2023 Dec;74(4):393-400.
    PMID: 38349457 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-024-00203-9
    The importance of pollination and pollinators is easy to underestimate and impossible to overstate, since its importance goes far beyond the crop production and even the maintenance of plant populations. Most terrestrial ecosystems ultimately depend on the plant-pollinator interactions formed by million years coevolution. This is essential for both the daily functioning of the ecosystems and the long-term development of biodiversity. At the same time, the loss of biodiversity caused by climate change and human activities will soon lead to an ecological crisis, a catastrophe, which could endanger our life: For example, through the decline and loss of various ecosystem services. Such may be the pollination crisis, resulted from a significant loss of pollinating insects' diversity and abundance. The discovery of a pollinator Orthoptera species has encouraged researchers in the densely populated region of Indo-Malaysia to explore the potential role of orthopterans as pollinators. Although the flower visitation of some species has been already known, the role of orthopterans in pollination is scarcely revealed. Here, we collected and reviewed the available data in order to point out some factors of their importance and set priorities that may serve as a basis for further investigations regarding ecological, evolutionary and practical points of view.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  6. Artocarpus (Moraceae)-gall midge pollination mutualism mediated by a male-flower parasitic fungus
    Sakai S, Kato M, Nagamasu H
    Am J Bot, 2000 Mar;87(3):440-5.
    PMID: 10719005
    A previously undescribed pollination system involving a monoecious tree species, Artocarpus integer (Moraceae), pollinator gall midges, and fungi is reported from a mixed dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Borneo. The fungus Choanephora sp. (Choanephoraceae, Mucorales, Zygomycetes) infects male inflorescences of A. integer, and gall midges (Contarinia spp., Cecidomyiinae, Diptera) feed on the fungal mycelia and oviposit on the inflorescence. Their larvae also feed on the mycelia and pupate in the inflorescence. The gall midges are also attracted by female inflorescences lacking mycelia, probably due to a floral fragrance similar to that of male inflorescences. Because of the sticky pollen, dominance of Contarinia spp. in flower visitors, and pollen load observed on Contarinia spp. collected on both male and female inflorescences, Artocarpus integer is thought to be pollinated by the gall midges. Although several pathogenic fungi have been reported to have interactions with pollinators, this is the first report on a pollination mutualism in which a fungus plays an indispensable role. The pollination system described here suggests that we should be more aware of the roles fungi can play in pollinations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  7. Plant reproductive phenology over four years including an episode of general flowering in a lowland dipterocarp forest,Sarawak, Malaysia
    Sakai S, Momose K, Yumoto T, Nagamitsu T, Nagamasu H, Hamid AA, et al.
    Am J Bot, 1999 Oct;86(10):1414-36.
    PMID: 10523283
    The first systematic observation of a general flowering, a phenomenon unique to lowland mixed-dipterocarp forests in Southeast Asia, is presented. During general flowering, which occurs at irregular intervals of 3-10 yr, nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families come heavily into flower. We monitored reproductive phenology of 576 individual plants representing 305 species in 56 families in Sarawak, Malaysia. Observations continued for 53 mo from August 1992 and covered one episode of a general flowering cycle. Among 527 effective reproductive events during 43 mo, 57% were concentrated in the general flowering period (GFP) of 10 mo in 1996. We classified 257 species into flowering types based on timing and frequency of flowering. The most abundant type was "general flowering" (35%), which flowered only during GFP. The others were "supra-annual" (19%), "annual" (13%), and "sub-annual" (5%) types. General flowering type and temporal aggregation in reproductive events were commonly found among species in various categories of taxonomic groups, life forms, pollination systems, and fruit types. Possible causes for general flowering, such as promotion of pollination brought about by interspecific synchronization and paucity of climatic cues suitable for flowering trigger, are proposed, in addition to the predator satiation hypothesis of Janzen (1974).
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  8. Three pollination guilds and variation in floral characteristics of Bornean gingers (Zingiberaceae and Costaceae)
    Sakai S, Kato M, Inoue T
    Am J Bot, 1999 May;86(5):646-58.
    PMID: 10330067
    The pollinators of 29 ginger species representing 11 genera in relation to certain floral morphological characteristics in a mixed-dipterocarp forest in Borneo were investigated. Among the 29 species studied, eight were pollinated by spiderhunters (Nectariniidae), 11 by medium-sized Amegilla bees (Anthophoridae), and ten by small halictid bees. These pollination guilds found in gingers in Sarawak are comparable to the pollination guilds of neotropical Zingiberales, i.e., hummingbird-, and euglossine-bee-pollinated guilds. Canonical discriminant analysis revealed that there were significant correlations between floral morphology and pollination guilds and suggests the importance of plant-pollinator interactions in the evolution of floral morphology. Most species in the three guilds were separated on the plot by the first and second canonical variables. Spiderhunter-pollinated flowers had longer floral tubes, while Amegilla-pollinated flowers had wider lips than the others, which function as a platform for the pollinators. Pistils and stamens of halictid-pollinated flowers were smaller than the others. The fact that gingers with diverse morphologies in a forest with high species diversity were grouped into only three pollination guilds and that the pollinators themselves showed low species diversity suggests that many species of rare understory plants have evolved without segregating pollinators in each pollination guild.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  9. A new pollination system: dung-beetle pollination discovered in Orchidantha inouei (Lowiaceae, Zingiberales) in Sarawak, Malaysia
    Sakai S, Inoue T
    Am J Bot, 1999 Jan;86(1):56-61.
    PMID: 21680345
    Lowiaceae, a family of the Zingiberales, comprise 11 species in the single genus Orchidantha. Here we present the first report on the pollination of Lowiaceae and describe a new system of dung-beetle pollination from Sarawak, Borneo. Orchidantha inouei has a zygomorphic flower located just above the ground. Observations revealed that the plant is visited frequently and is pollinated by scarabaeid dung beetles, mainly members of the genus Onthophagus. All four species of Onthophagus collected on O. inouei have also been caught using traps baited with dung or carrion in Borneo. Onthophagus was presumably attracted to the dung-like odor of the flower. Pollination of O. inouei is different from other examples of beetle pollination in that its flower provides neither reward nor protected space. Dung beetles are excellent at following a particular dung scent. Orchidantha is the only genus that includes species lacking floral nectar. It is interesting that this deception pollination using dung beetles was found in Zingiberales, in which all known species have mutual and specialized relationships with their long-distance, but costly, pollinators-bees, birds, and bats.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  10. Beetle pollination of Shorea parvifolia (section Mutica, Dipterocarpaceae) in a general flowering period in Sarawak, Malaysia
    Sakai S, Momose K, Yumoto T, Kato M, Inoue T
    Am J Bot, 1999 Jan;86(1):62-9.
    PMID: 21680346
    Pollination ecology of an emergent tree species, Shorea (section Mutica) parvifolia (Dipterocarpaceae), was studied using the canopy observation system in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, during a general flowering period in 1996. Although the species has been reported to be pollinated by thrips in Peninsular Malaysia, our observations of flower visitors and pollination experiments indicated that beetles (Chrysomelidae and Curculionidae, Coleoptera) contributed to pollination of S. parvifolia in Sarawak. Beetles accounted for 74% of the flower visitors collected by net-sweeping, and 30% of the beetles carried pollen, while thrips accounted for 16% of the visitors, and 12% of the thrips carried pollen. The apical parts of the petals and pollen served as a reward for the beetles. Thrips stayed inside the flower almost continuously after arrival, and movements among flowers were rare. Fruit set was significantly increased by introduction of beetles to bagged flowers, but not by introduction of thrips. Hand-pollination experiments and comparison of fruit set in untreated, bagged, and open flowers suggested that S. parvifolia was mainly outbreeding.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  11. Fulltext Studies on homalomeneae (araceae) of borneo v: a new species and new supergroup record, of homalomena from sabah, malaysian borneo
    Sulaiman B, Boyce PC
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2010 Dec;21(2):85-90.
    PMID: 24575201 MyJurnal
    Homalomena galbana Baharuddin S. & P.C. Boyce is described from the Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, representing the first species of the Homalomena Supergroup to be recorded from Sabah, and the first mesophytic species of the Supergroup to be described from Borneo. The species is illustrated and a brief discussion on the pollination role of interpistillar staminodes is presented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  12. Fulltext Assessment of Oil Palm Pollinating Weevil (Elaeidobius kamerunicus) Population Density in Biparental dura × pisifera Hybrids on Deep Peat-Soil in Perak State, Malaysia
    Swaray S, Y Rafii M, Din Amiruddin M, Firdaus Ismail M, Jamian S, Jalloh M, et al.
    Insects, 2021 Mar 04;12(3).
    PMID: 33806613 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030221
    This study was conducted to assess the Elaeidobius kamerunicus (EK) population density among the biparental dura × pisifera hybrids' palms on deep peat-soil. Twenty-four hybrids derived from 10 genetic sources were used. Variance analysis showed that the EK population density varies between different oil palm hybrids, with a more noticeable variation of a low population mean in the male weevil across the hybrids. The highest weevil population mean/spikelet was attained on the third day of anthesis. The maximum monthly population of EK/spikelet (12.81 ± 0.23) and population density of EK (1846.49 ± 60.69) were recorded in January. Accordingly, 41.67% of the hybrids recorded an EK population density greater than the trial means of 973.68 weevils. Hybrid ECPHP550 had the highest mean of EK/spikelet (10.25 ± 0.11) and the highest population density of EK/palm (1241.39 ± 73.74). The parental mean population was 963.24 weevils and parent Deli-Banting × AVROS recorded the highest EK population density (1173.01). The overall results showed a notable disparity in the EK population among the biparental hybrids. Parental Deli-Banting × AVROS and hybrid ECPHP550 could be more useful to optimize the weevil population for pollination improvements in palm plantations. However, we suggest that volatile production should be included as a desirable trait in oil palm selective breeding.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  13. Fulltext Pollination mutualism between Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) and two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Sabah, Borneo
    Takano KT, Repin R, Mohamed MB, Toda MJ
    Plant Biol (Stuttg), 2012 Jul;14(4):555-64.
    PMID: 22289145 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00541.x
    Two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species were discovered from inflorescences of Alocasia macrorrhizos in Kota Kinabalu City, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. The aims of this study were to investigate the reproductive ecology of the flies and the plant, ascertain the importance of the flies as pollinators and examine the intimate association between flowering events and life history of the flies. We conducted sampling, observations and field pollination experiments. The flies were attracted by the odour of female-phase inflorescences in the early morning on the first day of anthesis. They fed, mated and oviposited in the inflorescences for 1 day. On the second day, the flies, covered with pollen grains, left the male-phase inflorescences for the next female-phase inflorescences. The immature forms of both fly species hatched, developed and pupated within the infructescences without damaging the fruits, and developed adults emerged when the mature infructescences dehisced. The flowering events and fly behaviours were well synchronized. In field pollination experiments, inflorescences bagged with a fine mesh (insect exclusion) produced almost no fruits, whereas those bagged with a coarse mesh (bee exclusion) produced as many fruits as the open-pollinated controls. These results indicate that these flies are the most efficient and specialised pollinators for their host, A. macrorrhizos. These flies, in return, depend on A. macrorrhizos for food and habitat through most of their life cycle. This study provides a deeper insight into the less recognised, highly intimate pollination mutualism between Araceae plants and Colocasiomyia flies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination*
  14. Fulltext Paternity analysis-based inference of pollen dispersal patterns, male fecundity variation, and influence of flowering tree density and general flowering magnitude in two dipterocarp species
    Tani N, Tsumura Y, Kado T, Taguchi Y, Lee SL, Muhammad N, et al.
    Ann Bot, 2009 Dec;104(7):1421-34.
    PMID: 19808773 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp252
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Knowledge of pollen dispersal patterns and variation of fecundity is essential to understanding plant evolutionary processes and to formulating strategies to conserve forest genetic resources. Nevertheless, the pollen dispersal pattern of dipterocarp, main canopy tree species in palaeo-tropical forest remains unclear, and flowering intensity variation in the field suggests heterogeneity of fecundity.

    METHODS: Pollen dispersal patterns and male fecundity variation of Shorea leprosula and Shorea parvifolia ssp. parvifolia on Peninsular Malaysian were investigated during two general flowering seasons (2001 and 2002), using a neighbourhood model modified by including terms accounting for variation in male fecundity among individual trees to express heterogeneity in flowering.

    KEY RESULTS: The pollen dispersal patterns of the two dipterocarp species were affected by differences in conspecific tree flowering density, and reductions in conspecific tree flowering density led to an increased selfing rate. Active pollen dispersal and a larger number of effective paternal parents were observed for both species in the season of greater magnitude of general flowering (2002).

    CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of general flowering, male fecundity variation, and distance between pollen donors and mother trees should be taken into account when attempting to predict the effects of management practices on the self-fertilization and genetic structure of key tree species in tropical forest, and also the sustainability of possible management strategies, especially selective logging regimes.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination*
  15. Pollen structure and development in Nymphaeales: insights into character evolution in an ancient angiosperm lineage
    Taylor ML, Cooper RL, Schneider EL, Osborn JM
    Am J Bot, 2015 Oct;102(10):1685-702.
    PMID: 26419810 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500249
    A knowledge of pollen characters in early-diverging angiosperm lineages is essential for understanding pollen evolution and the role of pollen in angiosperm diversification. In this paper, we report and synthesize data on mature pollen and pollen ontogeny from all genera of Nymphaeales within a comparative, phylogenetic context and consider pollen evolution in this early-diverging angiosperm lineage. We describe mature pollen characters for Euryale, Barclaya, and Nymphaea ondinea, taxa for which little to no structural data exist.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  16. Hormones, polyamines, and cell wall metabolism during oil palm fruit mesocarp development and ripening
    Teh HF, Neoh BK, Wong YC, Kwong QB, Ooi TE, Ng TL, et al.
    J Agric Food Chem, 2014 Aug 13;62(32):8143-52.
    PMID: 25032485 DOI: 10.1021/jf500975h
    Oil palm is one of the most productive oil-producing crops and can store up to 90% oil in its fruit mesocarp. Oil palm fruit is a sessile drupe consisting of a fleshy mesocarp from which palm oil is extracted. Biochemical changes in the mesocarp cell walls, polyamines, and hormones at different ripening stages of oil palm fruits were studied, and the relationship between the structural and the biochemical metabolism of oil palm fruits during ripening is discussed. Time-course analysis of the changes in expression of polyamines, hormones, and cell-wall-related genes and metabolites provided insights into the complex processes and interactions involved in fruit development. Overall, a strong reduction in auxin-responsive gene expression was observed from 18 to 22 weeks after pollination. High polyamine concentrations coincided with fruit enlargement during lipid accumulation and latter stages of maturation. The trend of abscisic acid (ABA) concentration was concordant with GA₄ but opposite to the GA₃ profile such that as ABA levels increase the resulting elevated ABA/GA₃ ratio clearly coincides with maturation. Polygalacturonase, expansin, and actin gene expressions were also observed to increase during fruit maturation. The identification of the master regulators of these coordinated processes may allow screening for oil palm variants with altered ripening profiles.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  17. Morpho-molecular analysis as a prognostic model for repulsive feedback of the medicinal plant "Andrographis paniculata" to allogamy
    Valdiani A, Talei D, Javanmard A, Tan SG, Kadir MA, Maziah M
    Gene, 2014 Jun 1;542(2):156-67.
    PMID: 24680780 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.03.039
    Andrographis paniculata Nees. (AP) is a self-pollinated medicinal herb with a wide range of pharmaceutical properties, facing a low diversity in Malaysia. Cross-pollination of AP accessions leads to considerable rates of heterosis in the agro-morphological characteristics and anticancer phytochemicals of this eminent medicinal herb. However, the poor crossability of the plant at the interpopulation or intraspecific levels is an obstacle from the evolutionary and breeding points of view as an average of 4.56% crossability was recorded for AP in this study. Hence, this research aimed to elicit the impact of parental genetic distances (GDs) on the rate of crossability of AP using seven accessions in 21 possible cross combinations. To this end, a set of 55 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and a total of 13 agro-morphological markers were employed to test the hypothesis. Twenty-two out of the 55 RAPD primers amplified a total of 257 bands of which 107 bands were found to be polymorphic. The principal component analysis (PCA) based on the RAPD markers revealed that the studied AP accessions were distributed to three distinct groups. Furthermore, it was noticed that even a minor increase in GD between two parents can cause a decline in their crossability. Unlike, the morphological-based GDs acted neutrally to crossability. This finding suggests that, despite the low genetic diversity among the Malaysian APs, a population prescreening using RAPD markers would be useful to enhance the rate of fruit set through selecting the genetically adjacent parents.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  18. Importance of carpenter bee, xylocopa varipuncta (hymenoptera: apidae) as pollination agent for mangrove community of Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu, Malaysia
    Wahizatul Afzan Azmi, Roziah Ghazi, Nor Zalipah Mohamed
    Sains Malaysiana, 2012;41:1057-1062.
    A study on the importance of Xylocopa varipuncta (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as pollination agent was conducted at the Setiu Mangrove Forest, Terengganu from September to December 2010. The objective of this study was to identify the pollens collected by carpenter bees (X. varipuncta) in the mangrove community of Setiu Wetlands. A total of 35 types of pollens were collected from the body of X. varipuncta and only 10 types of the pollens were successfully identified. The identified pollens were of Avicennia alba, Lumnitzera racemosa, Sonneratia caseolaris, S. ovata and Rhizophora apiculata from exclusive mangroves, while Suregada multiflora, Melaleuca cajuputi, Derris trifoliata, Acacia auriculiformis and Hibiscus tiliaceus were from non-exclusive mangroves. Melaleuca cajuputi was the highest number of pollen carried by X. varipuncta. This study showed that X. varipuncta is an important pollen carrier in the mangrove community of Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination
  19. Pollinator specialization in the enigmatic Rafflesia cantleyi: A true carrion flower with species-specific and sex-biased blow fly pollinators
    Wee SL, Tan SB, Jürgens A
    Phytochemistry, 2018 Sep;153:120-128.
    PMID: 29906658 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.06.005
    The plants of the enigmatic genus Rafflesia are well known for their gigantic flowers and their floral features such as pungent floral scent and vivid dark color, which mimics the food/brood sites of carrion. However, information on the pollination biology of this plant group remains limited and mostly anecdotal. In the present paper, we studied the floral volatiles of R. cantleyi Solms-Laubach and their role in pollinator attraction. To achieve these aims, the floral scent was collected in situ in the field using a dynamic headspace method followed by chemical analysis via GC-MS. The olfactory preferences of pollinators to the identified chemical compounds, were tested singly and in blends, in flight tunnel bioassays and compared with responses to headspace floral extracts. In addition, flower-visiting calliphorid flies and the local carrion fly community were sampled and identified. Five species of calliphorid flies (subfamilies of Chrysomyinae and Calliphorinae), all females, were found on the flowers, whereas nine species were found in the traps that were baited with tainted meat in the surrounding habitat. However, only flower visitors of one blow fly species, Chrysomya chani Kurahashi, were observed to carry R. cantleyi pollen after visiting male flowers. The floral volatiles emitted by male flowers in full bloom were dominated by two sulphur-containing compounds, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS). These were accompanied by other minor compounds such as benzenoids (4), monoterpenoids (4), trace amounts of aliphatic compounds (1), and sesquiterpenes (1). In flight-tunnel bioassays, a female-specific positive response of C. chani flies to individual DMDS, DMTS, and a blend of DMDS and DMTS was evident. Our findings suggest that R. cantleyi biochemically mimics carrion and that relative ratio of oligosulfides in the floral scent play a key role in sex-biased pollinator specialization, attracting only female C. chani carrion flies to the flowers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination*
  20. DNA barcoding implicates 23 species and four orders as potential pollinators of Chinese knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) in Peninsular Malaysia
    Wong MM, Lim CL, Wilson JJ
    Bull. Entomol. Res., 2015 Aug;105(4):515-20.
    PMID: 25913190 DOI: 10.1017/S0007485315000358
    Chinese knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) is of ecological and economic importance as a high-risk invasive species and a traditional medicinal herb. However, the insects associated with P. chinensis pollination have received scant attention. As a widespread invasive plant we would expect P. chinensis to be associated with a diverse group of insect pollinators, but lack of taxonomic identification capacity is an impediment to confirm this expectation. In the present study we aimed to elucidate the insect pollinators of P. chinensis in peninsular Malaysia using DNA barcoding. Forty flower visitors, representing the range of morphological diversity observed, were captured at flowers at Ulu Kali, Pahang, Malaysia. Using Automated Barcode Gap Discovery, 17 morphospecies were assigned to 23 species representing at least ten families and four orders. Using the DNA barcode library (BOLD) 30% of the species could be assigned a species name, and 70% could be assigned a genus name. The insects visiting P. chinensis were broadly similar to those previously reported as visiting Persicaria japonica, including honey bees (Apis), droneflies (Eristalis), blowflies (Lucilia) and potter wasps (Eumedes), but also included thrips and ants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pollination/physiology*
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