Abstract
Pollinating insects utilise various sensory cues to identify and learn rewarding flower species. One such cue is floral temperature, created by captured sunlight or plant thermogenesis. Bumblebees, honeybees and stingless bees can distinguish flowers based on differences in overall temperature between flowers. We report here that floral temperature often differs between different parts of the flower creating a temperature structure or pattern. Temperature patterns are common, with 55% of 118 plant species thermographed, showing within-flower temperature differences greater than the 2ºC difference that bees are known to be able to detect. Using differential conditioning techniques, we show that bumblebees can distinguish artificial flowers differing in temperature patterns comparable to those seen in real flowers. Thus, bumblebees are able to perceive the shape of these within-flower temperature patterns. Floral temperature patterns may therefore represent a new floral cue that could assist pollinators in the recognition and learning of rewarding flowers.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e31262 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | eLife |
Volume | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 19 Dec 2017 |
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Data from: The diversity of floral temperature patterns, and their use by pollinators
Harrap, M. J. M. (Contributor), Rands, S. A. (Contributor), Hempel De Ibarra, N. (Contributor) & Whitney, H. M. (Contributor), Dryad, 18 Dec 2018
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qp244, http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.qp244
Dataset
Profiles
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Dr Sean A Rands
- School of Biological Sciences - Senior Lecturer
- Cabot Institute for the Environment
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Behaviour and Sensory Biology
Person: Academic , Member
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Dr Heather M Whitney
- School of Biological Sciences - Reader in Plant Interactions
- Cabot Institute for the Environment
- Animal Behaviour and Sensory Biology
- Plant and Agricultural Sciences
- Ecology and Environmental Change
Person: Academic , Member