Cockroach pollination ensures sexual reproduction in the non‐photosynthetic plant Balanophora tobiracola

Plant Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Янв. 24, 2025

Abstract While Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera have traditionally been recognized as key pollinators, recent studies suggest that other insect groups, such Blattodea (cockroaches), may also play a significant role. However, direct evidence of fruit set resulting from cockroach pollination remains limited, even in plants presumed to rely on this mode pollination. This study investigated the breeding system non‐photosynthetic plant Balanophora tobiracola Yakushima Island, Japan, with particular focus potential occurrence agamospermy. Additionally, research rigorously evaluates effectiveness cockroaches ants B. by assessing reproductive success exclusively through their visits. Pollination experiments revealed high under emasculation, indicating agamospermy ensures seed production. still relies heavily pollinator activity for sexual reproduction. Ants were identified effective whereas contributions pyralid moths, crane flies, nitidulid beetles—whose larvae consume infructescences—were negligible. Notably, single visit certain species significantly enhanced The above findings demonstrate is effectively pollinated ants. Combining unusual pollinators likely facilitates dense forest understories where typical like bees, are scarce. Our results underscore need reassess role assurance significance particularly shaded understory habitats.

Язык: Английский

Evolutionary implications of a deep‐time perspective on insect pollination

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Март 11, 2025

Plant pollination by insects represents one of the most transformative and iconic ecological relationships in natural world. Despite tens thousands papers, as well numerous books, on biology published over past 200 years, studies focused fossil record pollinating have only been last few decades, this field is still undergoing major developments. Current palaeontological evidence indicates that were diverse participated reproduction different gymnosperm lineages long before their association with flowering plants (angiosperms). However, since much literature remains unfamiliar to many scientists working extant plant-pollinator interactions, wider public, notion insect began origin angiosperms widespread. Herein we highlight how all known orders and/or extinct pollinator representatives radiated evolution plants. We also illustrate changing composition fauna through time, reflecting nature these communities compared those existing today. Addressing plant from a perspective skewed towards present-day biological groups, patterns, processes risks missing an important deep-time evolutionary component. Our conclusions show fundamental elucidating pollination, informing interactions.

Язык: Английский