Abstract
1. Insect herbivory directed at flowers can decrease fruit and seed production by decreasing the attractiveness of a damaged flower to potential pollinators, by disrupting the transfer of pollen between pollinators and stigmas, or both.
2. Effects of petal herbivory by a chrysomelid beetle ( Phyllotreta sp.) on pollination and seed production in Lepidium papilliferum (Brassicaceae) were examined.
3. Under natural conditions, flowers with a hole chewed in a petal produced fruit and seed at a significantly lower rate than undamaged flowers (44% vs. 80% respectively). However, when damaged and undamaged flowers were hand pollinated, there was no significant difference in fruit or seed set (84% vs. 80% respectively).
4. Petal herbivory in L. papilliferum disrupts the effectiveness of insect-mediated pollination, but it does not physically inhibit pollination or seed production.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 657-660 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Ecological Entomology |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Dec 2006 |
Keywords
- Lepidium papilliferum
- chrysomelidae
- florivory
- herbivory
- pollination
EGS Disciplines
- Biology