Pollination biology of Aristolochia bianorii Sennen & Pau: promoting cross-pollination but assuring reproductive success in island ecosystems.

Abstract

Deceptive pollination has been reported in the genus Aristolochia, but the floral biology and pollination strategy of A. bianorii, an endemic of the Balearic Islands, have not yet been studied. Here, we investigated floral anthesis, mating system, pollinators and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by its flowers. Flower buds were marked and monitored daily to define floral stages and their duration. Experimental bagging and hand-pollination were performed to test for autonomous self-pollination, induced self-pollination and cross-pollination. Flowers were collected to analyse the presence of entrapped pollinators. VOCs emitted by flowers were evaluated by means of solid phase microextraction followed by immediate GC-MS. Anthesis lasted between 63 and 96 h, and the species exhibited autonomous self-pollination with moderate inbreeding depression. Pollinators were mainly females of Oscinomorpha longirostris (Diptera; Chloropidae). The number of pollinators inside flowers was affected by floral stage and time of flowering. The most common VOCs were alkanes, oximes, esters, alkenes, cyclic unsaturated hydrocarbons, isocyanates, amides and carboxylic acids. Aristolochia bianorii can set seed by autonomous self-pollination, in contrast to other Aristolochia species, in which both protogyny and herkogamy prevent autonomous self-pollination. However, the species may encourage cross-pollination by attracting female chloropid flies though emission of floral scents that may mimic an oviposition site and, possibly, freshly killed true bugs (i.e. Heteroptera). In conclusion, A. bianorii promotes cross-pollination, but delayed autonomous self-pollination assures reproductive success in the putative absence of pollinators.