Abstract Detail

Understanding Plant Defense Strategies: Interplay Between Traditional Botanical Tools and Modern Analytical Approaches

Jogesh, Tania [1], Robert, Raguso [2], Overson, Rick [1], Fant, Jeremie [3], Skogen, Krissa [1].

Geographic variation in herbivore selection and the diversification of floral scent in evening primroses (Onagraceae).

Plants utilize chemical signals to attract mutualists and to deter antagonists. Floral scent has long been implicated in pollinator attraction but can also increase susceptibility to herbivory. Evening primroses (Onagraceae) represent the most diverse group of hawkmoth-pollinated plants in North America. While many of these species converge in floral morphology, many diverge in floral scent. Geographic and phylogenetic variation in herbivore selection may be responsible for the diversification of floral traits in evening primroses, especially if the same traits mediate interactions with both herbivores and pollinators. In 2014 and 2015, we collected data on floral scent, floral morphology and herbivory across the geographic range of 14 species in the tribe Onagreae. Preliminary analyses suggest that inter- and intraspecific variation in floral scent and morphology is pervasive and correlated with the presence of a specialist florivore, Mompha. In addition to Mompha, the chief pollinator of many species, the white-lined sphinx moth, Hyles lineata, is also a detrimental florivore, increasing the potential for conflicting selection on floral traits. Herbivore-selection can mediate plant-pollinator interactions and has direct consequences for the diversification of plants at micro- and macroevolutionary scales.

Related Links:
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1 - Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States
2 - Cornell University , Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, W355 Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
3 - Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

Keywords:
Herbivory
pollination
floral volatiles
onagraceae.

Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SY07, Understanding plant defense strategies: Interplay between traditional botanical tools and modern analytical approaches
Location: Chatham Ballroom - B/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Time: 4:45 PM
Number: SY07008
Abstract ID:482
Candidate for Awards:None