ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 2058
Session = 11.9.3


BEES AND FLORAL SCENTS


H.E.M. Dobson (Dept. Biology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362, USA)


Chemical studies of floral scents reveal spatial patterns within flowers, and pollen has distinct, species-specific odors. Behavioral studies with bumble bees and solitary bees show that whole-flower and pollen odors modulate host-flower selection. While bees respond mainly to whole fragrances, individual compounds in the mixture can have widely different effects. Experiments using single volatiles show that some compounds are attractive and even used as key recognition cues by specialist bees, some are deterrent, suggesting a defensive function against herbivores and pathogens, and others play both attractive and defensive roles. Elucidation of the selective pressures underlying floral scent evolution and its significance in plant pollination requires integration of diverse experimental approaches on different organisms associated with flowers and use of both whole scents and single volatiles.


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