Premium
The pollination of Cymbidiella flabellata (Orchidaceae) in Madagascar: A system operated by sphecid wasps
Author(s) -
Nilsson L. Anders,
Jonsson Lars,
Rason Lydia,
Randrianjohany Emile
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1986.tb00897.x
Subject(s) - biology , orchidaceae , pollinator , sphecidae , pollination , botany , hand pollination , hymenoptera , ecology , pollen
Interactions between the terrestrial endemic Cymbidiella flabellata (Thou.) Rolfe (Orchidaceae) and flower‐visiting insects were observed in a marsh on the east coast of Madagascar. The plant acted by deceit. Two large sphecid wasp species, females of Sceliphron fuscum Klug and males of Sphex torridus Sm. (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), made frequent visits to the showy, ca. 5 cm wide, nectarless and fragrant flowers. During a visit the wasps alighted on the large, hinged labellum which they depressed while forcing their heads towards the basal cavity below the column. When the wasps withdrew they pressed powerfully down on the labellum and brushed their heads backwards against the floral sexual organs removing the pollinarium with the frons or vertex – from which position pollination took place. The wasps on average visited only two flowers consecutively and about 55% of the flowers in the orchid population received visits. About six times more pollinaria were dispersed by pollen vectors than reached stigmas and a high proportion of the flowers were aborted due to lack of pollination. Data suggest that S. fuscum , a spider hunting and mud‐daubing species, is a principal pollinator. C. flabellata is interpreted as playing the role of a generalized food‐flower mimic which is specialized to moist habitats where females of S. fuscum collect mud for their nests.