Download PDF
Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2002; 4(3): 352-359
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32325
Original Paper
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ·New York

Pollination of Angelonia cornigera Hook. (Scrophulariaceae) by Long-Legged, Oil-Collecting Bees in NE Brazil

I. C. Machado 1 , S. Vogel 2 , A. V. Lopes 1
  • 1 Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Nelson Chaves, 50.372-970 Recife, PE, Brazil
  • 2 Institut für Botanik der Universität Wien, Rennweg 14, 1030 Wien, Austria
Further Information

Publication History

June 1, 2001

January 4, 2002

Publication Date:
20 June 2002 (online)

   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The pollination of Angelonia cornigera Hook. (Scrophulariaceae) was studied in Caatinga vegetation, in the municipality of Buíque, Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil. The plant is a perennial of open areas. Up to 60 flowers are produced in terminal, leafy racemes. The flowers are violet, strongly zygomorphic, of gullet type, with a pair of posterior pockets. Each pocket contains a patch of oil-producing glandular hairs (elaiophore). The flowers were only visited, and pollinated, by oil-collecting female bees of the Apidae-Apinae: Centris hyptidis and Tapinotaspis spec. nov. 1. These two bees differ considerably in size but they share the peculiarity of possessing one pair of disproportionately elongate legs suitable to gain access to the concealed elaiophores. In C. hyptidis, it is the front pair, whereas in T. spec. nov. 1 the mid pair of legs is elongated. T. spec. nov. 1 exhibited two modes of visiting behaviour. Angelonia cornigera is self-incompatible; it does not set fruits from spontaneous or manual self-pollination. This is the fifth observed species of the genus Angelonia whose flowers are adapted to oil-collecting bees in the Caatinga formation. Its flowers deviate in several aspects from the other studied Angelonia spp. regarding pollination relationships. New data on A. hirta and A. tomentosa are appended.

Key words

Melittophily - oil flowers - elaiophores - long-legged bees - Apidae-Apinae - Centridini - Tapinotaspidini - Caatinga

References

  • 01 Ayala,  R. B.. (1998) Sistematica de los taxa supraespecificos de las abejas de la tribu Centridini (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae). D. F. México; Doctoral thesis Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 02 Bentham,  G.. (1846) Scrophulariaceae. In De Candolle, A. ed. Prodromus Syst. nat. reg. veget. tom 10. Paris, Masson
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 03 Buchmann,  S. L.. (1987);  The ecology of oil flowers and their bees.  Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst.. 18 343-369
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 04 Cocucci,  A. A.. (1984);  Polinización en Nierembergia hippomanica (Solanaceae).  Kurtziana. 17 31-47
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 05 Cocucci,  A. A.. (1991);  Pollination biology of Nierembergia (Solanaceae).  Pl. Syst. Evol.. 174 17-35
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 06 Cocucci,  A. A.,, Sérsic,  A.,, and Roig-Alsina,  A.. (2000);  Oil-collecting structures in Tapinotaspidini: their diversity, function and probable origin.  Mitt. Münch. Ent. Ges.. 90 51-74
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 07 Hooker,  W. J.. (1841) Angelonia cornigera. . In Curtis's Botan. Magaz. Tab. 3848
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 08 von Martius,  C. P.. (1857) Flora Brasiliensis 8. Leipzig; Fleischer
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 09 Michener,  C. D.. (2000) Bees of the world. Baltimore and London; Johns Hopkins University Press
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 10 Neff,  J. L., and Simpson,  B. B.. (1981);  Oil-collecting structures in the Anthophoridae (Hymenoptera): Morphology, function, and use in systematics.  J. Kansas Entom. Soc.. 54 (1) 95-123
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Rodal,  M. J. N.,, Andrade,  K. V. A.,, Sales,  M. F.,, and Gomes,  A. P. S.. (1998);  Fitosociologia do componente lenhoso de um refúgio vegetacional no Município de Buíque, Pernambuco.  Rev. Brasil. Biol.. 58 517-526
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Roig-Alsina,  A.. (1997);  A generic study of the bees of the tribe Tapinotaspidini, with notes on the evolution of their oil-collecting structures.  Mitt. Münch. Ent. Ges.. 87 3-21
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Roig-Alsina,  A.. (1999);  Revisión de las abejas colectoras de aceites del género Chalepogenus Holmberg (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Tapinotaspidini).  Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat. n.s.. 1 (1) 67-101
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Roig-Alsina,  A.. (2000);  Claves para las especies argentinas de Centris (Hymenoptera, Apidae), descripción ne nuevas especies y notas sobre distribución.  Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat. n.s.. 2 (2) 171-193
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Sampaio,  E. V. S.,, Mayo,  S. J.,, and Barbosa,  M. R.. (1996) Pesquisa botânica nordestina: progresso e perspectivas. Ed. by Soc. Bot. Bras. Secc. Pernambuco; Recife
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 16 Sérsic,  A. N., and Cocucci,  A. A.. (1999);  An unusual kind of nectary in the oil flowers of Monttea: its structure and function.  Flora. 194 393-404
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Simpson,  B. B., and Neff,  J. L.. (1981);  Floral rewards: Alternatives to pollen and nectar.  A. Missouri Bot. Gard.. 68 301-322
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Simpson,  B. B.,, Neff,  J. L.,, and Dieringer,  G.. (1990);  The production of floral oils by Monttea (Scrophulariaceae) and the function of tarsal pads in Centris bees.  Pl. Syst. Evol.. 173 209-222
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Souza,  V. C., and Giulietti,  A. M.. (1990);  Scrophulariaceae de Pernambuco.  Bolm. Botânica, Univ. São Paulo. 12 185-209
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Vogel,  S.. (1974) Ölblumen und ölsammelnde Bienen. Trop. Subtrop. Pflanzenwelt 7. Wiesbaden; Steiner
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 21 Vogel,  S.. (1988);  Die Ölblumen-Symbiosen - Parallelismus und andere Aspekte ihrer Entwicklung in Raum und Zeit.  Z. zool. Syst. Evolut.-forschg.. 26 341-362
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Vogel,  S., and Cocucci,  A. A.. (1995);  Pollination of Basistemon (Scrophulariaceae) by oil-collecting bees in Argentina.  Flora. 190 353-363
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Vogel,  S., and Machado,  I. C.. (1991);  Pollination of four sympatric species of Angelonia (Scrophulariaceae) by oil-collecting bees in NE-Brazil.  Pl. Syst. Evol.. 178 153-178
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Zanella,  F. C. V.. (1999) Apifauna da Caatinga (NE do Brasil): Biogeografia histórica, incluindo um estudo sobre a sistemática, filogenia e distribuição das espécies de Caenonomada Ashmead, 1899 e Centris (Paracentris) Cameron, 1903 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Apidae). Ribeirão Preto-SP; Doctoral thesis, Universidade de São Paulo pp. 162

I. C. Machado

Departamento de Botânica
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Av. Prof. Nelson Chaves
50.372-970 Recife
PE, Brazil

Email: imachado@npd.ufpe.br

Section Editor: G. Gottsberger