Abstract
Plant-pollinator interactions constitute one of the most widely recognized mutualisms, yet most investigations focus on single species or specialized pollinators. We used multiple measures to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of a diverse assemblage of pollinators on three co-flowering species: Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L. Hymenopterans exceeded other insects in their prevalence as major pollinators, but most did not vary significantly among plant species in the number of flowers visited or in visit duration per plant, except for native Bombus griseocollis. Significant variation in visit duration was also uncommon among insects foraging on a single taxon, except for Apis mellifera, which foraged longer on plants of A. syriaca than native hymenopterans and lepidopterans. Among the hymenoptera, bumblebees, carpenter bees, and wasps visited more plants per foraging bout, respectively, on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata. Insect fidelity also varied seasonally and among plant species. Thus, honeybees, lepidopterans, and sphecid wasps foraged with greater relative constancy on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata, respectively. All bees and wasps carried more pollinaria of A. incarnata and A. verticillata than of the larger-flowered A. syriaca, but most insects had higher inferred pollinium transfer rates on A. syriaca than on its congeners, especially sphecid wasps. Overall, the actions of pollinators were individualistic and indices of pollinator effectiveness based on pre-contact foraging versus vector pollinium loads were not strongly congruent. Our results highlight the need for new and creative approaches to studying the role of generalized pollination systems in the origin and maintenance of sympatrically flowering species.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Hymenopterans predominated among major pollinators.
- Taxon
- Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.
Asclepias syriaca_-_Guelph%2C_Ontario.jpg?width=60)
Asclepias incarnata.jpg?width=60)
Asclepias verticillatae1 - Interactor
- HymenopteransHymenopterae0pollinator
- Outcome
- prevalence as major pollinatorse0
- Direction
- exceedede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_-_Guelph%2C_Ontario.jpg?width=500)
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Hymenopterans exceeded other insects in their prevalence as major pollinators”
e1“Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Most pollinators did not differ significantly among plant species in flower visits or visit duration, except Bombus griseocollis.
- Taxon
- Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.Asclepias syriacaAsclepias incarnataAsclepias verticillatae1
- Interactor
- Bombus griseocollis
Bombus griseocollise0pollinator - Outcome
- number of flowers visited or in visit duration per plante0
- Direction
- did not varye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“most did not vary significantly among plant species in the number of flowers visited or in visit duration per plant, except for native Bombus griseocollis”
e1“Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Apis mellifera spent longer on A. syriaca than native hymenopterans and lepidopterans.
- Taxon
- A. syriacaAsclepias syriacae0
- Interactor
- Apis mellifera
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=60)
Apis melliferae0pollinator - Outcome
- foraged longere0
- Direction
- longere0
- Comparator
- native hymenopterans and lepidopteranse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Apis mellifera, which foraged longer on plants of A. syriaca than native hymenopterans and lepidopterans”
Claim · model-written summary
Bumblebees visited more A. syriaca plants per bout.
- Taxon
- A. syriacaAsclepias syriacae0
- Outcome
- plants per foraging boute0
- Direction
- moree0
BombusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“bumblebees, carpenter bees, and wasps visited more plants per foraging bout, respectively, on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata”
Claim · model-written summary
Carpenter bees visited more A. incarnata plants per bout.
- Taxon
- A. incarnataAsclepias incarnatae0
- Interactor
- carpenter beesXylocopinaee0pollinator
- Outcome
- plants per foraging boute0
- Direction
- moree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“bumblebees, carpenter bees, and wasps visited more plants per foraging bout, respectively, on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata”
Claim · model-written summary
Wasps visited more A. verticillata plants per bout.
- Taxon
- A. verticillataAsclepias verticillatae0
- Outcome
- plants per foraging boute0
- Direction
- moree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“bumblebees, carpenter bees, and wasps visited more plants per foraging bout, respectively, on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata”
Claim · model-written summary
Insect fidelity varied by season and plant species.
- Taxon
- Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.Asclepias syriacaAsclepias incarnataAsclepias verticillatae1
- Outcome
- Insect fidelitye0
- Qualifier
- seasonally and among plant speciese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Insect fidelity also varied seasonally and among plant species”
e1“Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Honeybees foraged with greater relative constancy on A. syriaca.
- Taxon
- A. syriacaAsclepias syriacae0
- Interactor
- honeybeesApis melliferae0pollinator
- Outcome
- relative constancye0
- Direction
- greatere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“honeybees, lepidopterans, and sphecid wasps foraged with greater relative constancy on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Lepidopterans foraged with greater relative constancy on A. incarnata.
- Taxon
- A. incarnataAsclepias incarnatae0
- Interactor
- lepidopteranse0pollinator
- Outcome
- relative constancye0
- Direction
- greatere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“honeybees, lepidopterans, and sphecid wasps foraged with greater relative constancy on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Sphecid wasps foraged with greater relative constancy on A. verticillata.
- Taxon
- A. verticillataAsclepias verticillatae0
- Interactor
- sphecid waspse0pollinator
- Outcome
- relative constancye0
- Direction
- greatere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“honeybees, lepidopterans, and sphecid wasps foraged with greater relative constancy on A. syriaca, A. incarnata, and A. verticillata, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Bees and wasps carried more A. incarnata pollinaria than A. syriaca pollinaria.
- Taxon
- A. incarnataAsclepias incarnatae0
- Interactor
- bees and waspsVespidaeAnthophilae0pollinator
- Outcome
- pollinariae0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- A. syriacae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All bees and wasps carried more pollinaria of A. incarnata and A. verticillata than of the larger-flowered A. syriaca”
Claim · model-written summary
Bees and wasps carried more A. verticillata pollinaria than A. syriaca pollinaria.
- Taxon
- A. verticillataAsclepias verticillatae0
- Interactor
- bees and waspsVespidaeAnthophilae0pollinator
- Outcome
- pollinariae0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- A. syriacae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All bees and wasps carried more pollinaria of A. incarnata and A. verticillata than of the larger-flowered A. syriaca”
Claim · model-written summary
Most insects had higher inferred pollinium transfer rates on A. syriaca than its congeners, particularly sphecid wasps.
- Taxon
- A. syriacaAsclepias syriacae0
- Interactor
- sphecid waspse0pollinator
- Outcome
- inferred pollinium transfer ratese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- its congenerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“most insects had higher inferred pollinium transfer rates on A. syriaca than on its congeners, especially sphecid wasps”
Claim · model-written summary
Indices from pre-contact foraging and pollinium loads were poorly congruent.
- Taxon
- Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.Asclepias syriacaAsclepias incarnataAsclepias verticillatae1
- Outcome
- indices of pollinator effectivenesse0
- Comparator
- vector pollinium loadse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“indices of pollinator effectiveness based on pre-contact foraging versus vector pollinium loads were not strongly congruent”
e1“Asclepias syriaca L., A. incarnata L., and A. verticillata L.”