On the function of pea flower feeding by Bruchus pisorum

Pea flower feeding by adult pea weevils, Bruchus pisorum (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), with special emphasis on nectar feeding, was investigated in a series of laboratory experiments. Male and female adults robbed nectar from flowers of the garden and field pea, Pisum sativum L., and females which fed on the nectar, petals, and female organs of pea flowers lived significantly longer than those denied food and water and those that fed on water only. The results of other experiments suggested that pea flower qualities other than pollen influenced the reproductive success of female B. pisorum. It is hypothesized that pollen seeking B. pisorum effected cross‐pollination in the wild progenitor of the modern‐day autogamous pea, and adult pea weevils of both sexes rob pea nectar to obtain a readily available source of energy to sustain flight.