Pollinators do not avoid or prefer a locally rare pollen colour morph in Erythronium americanum (Liliaceae)

2024/07/15 by Jada A Ripley, Gwenyth A Deadman-Wylie, Amanda L Traylor +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant Reproductive Biology #Plant and animal studies

paper · doi:10.17912/micropub.biology.001286

openalex publication_date 2024/07/15 · openalex created_date 2025/03/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01

Abstract

As was previously observed when pollinator preference was tested in a pollen-colour polymorphic population, pollinators accustomed to the monomorphic red-pollen population in this study exhibited no pollen colour preference among flowers cut from a polymorphic population. The lack of pollinator colour preference against either a polymorphic or red-monomorphic background suggests that pollinators do not impose frequency-dependent selection. It is possible, however, that results would differ against a monomorphic yellow-pollen background.

Related

• OPPOSING NATURAL SELECTION FROM HERBIVORES AND PATHOGENS MAY MAINTAIN FLORAL-COLOR VARIATION IN CLAYTONIA VIRGINICA (PORTULACACEAE)
• Selection of flower color phenotype by contrasting pollinator visual perception in a hybrid zone between two Calceolaria species
• Are pollinators the agents of selection on flower colour and size in irises?
• The role of secondary pollinators in the evolution of complex colour signals in a bimodal pollination system
• Pollinator response to yellow UV‐patterned versus white UV‐patternless flower dimorphism in Anemone palmata