The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush

The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush

Flower colors are frequently used by pollinators as indirect signals of reward status. However, flower visitors are often UV-perceptive, a nonvisible chromatic spectrum for the human eye. Cytisus scoparius (scotch broom) is an abundant shrub of NW Patagonia that shows intra-specific variation in the color of their flowers. We evaluated whether the previously documented higher visitation rate of pollinators towards yellow flowers is consequence of a more attractive UV pattern in this floral morph. We counted the visitation rate every 4 days along 3 weeks in yellow and red flowers with sunscreens in their petals (which cancel the UV spectrum), control flowers (without sunscreen), and with sunscreen in their pedicels (to control undesirable sunscreen effects like odor). The addition of sunscreen in the petals reduced the visitation rate in the yellow floral morph since the first sampling day. At the last sampling day, yellow flowers with sunscreen in their petals were visited 7 times less than control ones. However, the effect of sunscreen in the petals of red flowers was only evident at the last sampling day, reducing the visitation rate at the end of sampling solely 3 times. These results suggest that both floral morphs show UV patterns and that these patterns attract pollinators, but also that UV patterns are particularly relevant for pollinators in yellow flowers. This may be an effect of a more contrasting UV pattern in yellow than in red background color. Finally, both flower color morphs with sunscreen in their petals showed similar visitation rate, suggesting that pollinators are attracted towards yellow flowers because of the existence of UV patterns rather than being attracted by the yellow color per se. This work emphasizes the importance of analyzing the chromatic patterns invisible to the human eye to better understand the relationship between flower signals and the visitation rate of pollinators.https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.20.30.1.0.911

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Main Authors: Vidal, Varinia B., Farji-Brener, Alejandro
Format: Digital revista
Language:spa
Published: Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2020
Online Access:https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/911
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id rev-ecoaus-article-911
record_format ojs
institution AUSTRAL
collection OJS
country Argentina
countrycode AR
component Revista
access En linea
databasecode rev-ecoaus
tag revista
region America del Sur
libraryname Asociación Argentina de Ecología
language spa
format Digital
author Vidal, Varinia B.
Farji-Brener, Alejandro
spellingShingle Vidal, Varinia B.
Farji-Brener, Alejandro
The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
author_facet Vidal, Varinia B.
Farji-Brener, Alejandro
author_sort Vidal, Varinia B.
title The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
title_short The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
title_full The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
title_fullStr The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
title_full_unstemmed The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush
title_sort essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: uv patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the cytisus scoparius bush
description Flower colors are frequently used by pollinators as indirect signals of reward status. However, flower visitors are often UV-perceptive, a nonvisible chromatic spectrum for the human eye. Cytisus scoparius (scotch broom) is an abundant shrub of NW Patagonia that shows intra-specific variation in the color of their flowers. We evaluated whether the previously documented higher visitation rate of pollinators towards yellow flowers is consequence of a more attractive UV pattern in this floral morph. We counted the visitation rate every 4 days along 3 weeks in yellow and red flowers with sunscreens in their petals (which cancel the UV spectrum), control flowers (without sunscreen), and with sunscreen in their pedicels (to control undesirable sunscreen effects like odor). The addition of sunscreen in the petals reduced the visitation rate in the yellow floral morph since the first sampling day. At the last sampling day, yellow flowers with sunscreen in their petals were visited 7 times less than control ones. However, the effect of sunscreen in the petals of red flowers was only evident at the last sampling day, reducing the visitation rate at the end of sampling solely 3 times. These results suggest that both floral morphs show UV patterns and that these patterns attract pollinators, but also that UV patterns are particularly relevant for pollinators in yellow flowers. This may be an effect of a more contrasting UV pattern in yellow than in red background color. Finally, both flower color morphs with sunscreen in their petals showed similar visitation rate, suggesting that pollinators are attracted towards yellow flowers because of the existence of UV patterns rather than being attracted by the yellow color per se. This work emphasizes the importance of analyzing the chromatic patterns invisible to the human eye to better understand the relationship between flower signals and the visitation rate of pollinators.https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.20.30.1.0.911
publisher Asociación Argentina de Ecología
publishDate 2020
url https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/911
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spelling rev-ecoaus-article-9112023-11-03T01:50:41Z The essential is invisible to the (human) eyes: UV patterns explain the increased visit rate of pollinators to the yellow flowers of the Cytisus scoparius bush Lo esencial es invisible a los ojos (humanos): patrones UV explican la mayor tasa de visita de los polinizadores a las flores amarillas del arbusto Cytisus scoparius Vidal, Varinia B. Farji-Brener, Alejandro Flower colors are frequently used by pollinators as indirect signals of reward status. However, flower visitors are often UV-perceptive, a nonvisible chromatic spectrum for the human eye. Cytisus scoparius (scotch broom) is an abundant shrub of NW Patagonia that shows intra-specific variation in the color of their flowers. We evaluated whether the previously documented higher visitation rate of pollinators towards yellow flowers is consequence of a more attractive UV pattern in this floral morph. We counted the visitation rate every 4 days along 3 weeks in yellow and red flowers with sunscreens in their petals (which cancel the UV spectrum), control flowers (without sunscreen), and with sunscreen in their pedicels (to control undesirable sunscreen effects like odor). The addition of sunscreen in the petals reduced the visitation rate in the yellow floral morph since the first sampling day. At the last sampling day, yellow flowers with sunscreen in their petals were visited 7 times less than control ones. However, the effect of sunscreen in the petals of red flowers was only evident at the last sampling day, reducing the visitation rate at the end of sampling solely 3 times. These results suggest that both floral morphs show UV patterns and that these patterns attract pollinators, but also that UV patterns are particularly relevant for pollinators in yellow flowers. This may be an effect of a more contrasting UV pattern in yellow than in red background color. Finally, both flower color morphs with sunscreen in their petals showed similar visitation rate, suggesting that pollinators are attracted towards yellow flowers because of the existence of UV patterns rather than being attracted by the yellow color per se. This work emphasizes the importance of analyzing the chromatic patterns invisible to the human eye to better understand the relationship between flower signals and the visitation rate of pollinators.https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.20.30.1.0.911 A menudo, los polinizadores emplean los colores de las flores como señales indirectas del status de la recompensa. Sin embargo, los visitantes florales pueden percibir patrones del espectro cromático invisibles para el ojo humano. Cytisus scoparius (retama) es un arbusto abundante en bosques perturbados del NO de la Patagonia que presenta variación intra-específica en el color de sus flores. Nosotros evaluamos si la mayor tasa de visita de los polinizadores a las flores amarillas, previamente documentada, es consecuencia de un patrón UV más atractivo en este morfo. Contamos cada 4 días a lo largo de tres semanas el número de visitas a flores amarillas y rojas rociadas con bloqueador solar (bloqueando el espectro UV), flores sin bloqueador (control) y flores con bloqueador en su pedicelo (para controlar posibles efectos indeseados del bloqueador, como el olor). El efecto del bloqueador solar en los pétalos de las flores amarillas redujo la tasa de visita desde la primera medición. Al final del muestreo, las flores amarillas con bloqueador en sus pétalos fueron visitadas 7 veces menos que las flores control. Sin embargo, el efecto del bloqueador sobre los pétalos de las flores rojas recién fue evidente al final del muestreo, reduciendo la tasa de visita sólo 3 veces. Estos resultados sugieren que ambos morfos florales poseen patrones UV y que estos patrones atraen polinizadores, pero que su presencia estimula más visitas en las flores amarillas que en las rojas. Esto puede deberse a que el espectro UV es más contrastante en fondos amarillos que rojos. Finalmente, las flores amarillas y rojas con bloqueador solar en sus pétalos tuvieron una tasa de visita similar, sugiriendo que los polinizadores se ven más atraídos hacia las flores amarillas debido a la existencia de patrones UV y no por el color amarillo per se. Este trabajo resalta la importancia de analizar los patrones cromáticos invisibles al ojo humano para comprender mejor la relación entre las señales florales y las tasas de visita de los polinizadores.https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.20.30.1.0.911 Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2020-03-25 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Articles Artículos application/pdf https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/911 10.25260/EA.20.30.1.0.911 Ecología Austral; Vol. 30 No. 1 (2020): April 2020. Pages 001-165; 012-018 Ecología Austral; Vol. 30 Núm. 1 (2020): April 2020. Pages 001-165; 012-018 1667-782X 0327-5477 spa https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/911/428 Derechos de autor 2020 Varinia B. Vidal, Alejandro Farji-Brener https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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