Increased divergence in floral morphology strongly reduces gene flow in sympatric sexually deceptive orchids with the same pollinator

Abstract

In sexually deceptive orchids, pollinator specificity is the main factor responsible for species isolation. The two sexually deceptive orchids Ophrys chestermanii and Ophrys normanii occur sympatrically on Sardinia and attract the same pollinator, males of Bombus vestalis, by producing the same odour bouquets. Since gene flow between these two species has been shown to be almost absent, their genetic distinctness seems to be preserved by other forms of reproductive barrier than pollinator specificity. The aim of this study is to investigate the nature and strength of these isolation barriers which apparently halt gene flow between these two orchids that share the same pollinator. Morphological measurements, combined with observations of cross-pseudocopulations, revealed that, in sympatry, the longer caudicles of O. normanii and the smaller and differently shaped stigmatic cavity in O. chestermanii are the main factors preventing gene flow between these two sympatric species. In contrast, other pre- or post-mating barriers seem to be weak or absent, as the two species have overlapping flowering time and we were able to rear hybrid offspring from interspecific manual crosses. At the same time, genetic analysis of orchid plantlets collected at sympatric sites detected the presence of only two putative hybrid individuals. Thus, the probability of natural cross-pollination between O. normanii and O. chestermanii seems to be strongly limited by divergence in their floral morphology. For some traits, this divergence was found increased between sympatric populations.