Do pollinators determine hybridization patterns in sympatricSatyrium (Orchidaceae) species?

Abstract

The breakdown of species integrity was studied in three sympatricSatyrium (Orchidaceae) species at a site in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Hybrids with intermediate morphology were identified using multivariate analysis.Satyrium erectum ×S. bicorne andS. erectum ×S. coriifolium hybrids were common, while only oneS. bicorne ×S. coriifolium hybrid was found (a new record). Reciprocal artificial crossing experiments confirmed that genetic compatibility exists between all three species. However, the species have different pollinators: moths inS. bicorne, bees inS. erectum and sunbirds inS. coriifolium. Pollinators, rather than genetic factors, therefore, appear to be responsible for reproductive isolation between these species. Breakdown in pollinator specificity results in interspecific pollen transfer and the formation of hybrids. Overlap in floral signals, including nocturnal scent in bothS. erectum andS. bicorne, and bright coloration in bothS. erectum andS. coriifolium, facilitates the formation of hybrids between these species pairs. The brown, scented flowers ofS. bicorne, on the other hand, share no obvious floral signals with the bright orange, unscented flowers ofS. coriifolium, accounting for the rarity of hybrids between this species pair. Differences in floral morphology also result in mechanical isolation between these two species. Since the three species are sympatric in a very small part of their geographic ranges, it is unlikely that avoidance of hybridization has been an important selective factor in the evolution of specialized pollination systems.