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AOBPreview originally published online on March 29, 2004
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Annals of Botany 93: 755-762, 2004
© 2004 Annals of Botany Company

Sexual Mimicry in Mormolyca ringens (Lindl.) Schltr. (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae)

RODRIGO B. SINGER*,1, ADRIANA FLACH2, SAMANTHA KOEHLER1, ANITA J. MARSAIOLI2 and MARIA DO CARMO E. AMARAL1

1 Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil and 2 Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CP 6154, 13084-971 Campinas, SP, Brazil

* For correspondence. E-mail rbsinger1{at}yahoo.com

Received: 15 December 2003; Returned for revision: 21 January 2004; Accepted: 11 February 2004; Published electronically: 29 March 2004

• Background and Aims Pollination through sexual mimicry, also known as pseudocopulation, has been suggested to occur in some genera of the Neotropical orchid subtribe Maxillariinae. However, it has been demonstrated so far only for Trigonidium obtusum. This study reports and illustrates pollination through sexual mimicry in Mormolyca ringens.

• Methods A total of 70 h were dedicated to the observation of flowers and pollinator behaviour, which was photographically recorded. Flower features involved in pollinator attraction were studied using a stereomicroscope and by SEM analyses. Preliminary observations on the plant breeding system were made by manually self-pollinating flowers. The chemical composition of the fragrance volatiles was determined by GC/MS analysis.

• Key Results The flower features of M. ringens parallel those of other pseudocopulatory flowers. The labellum shape and indument are reminiscent of an insect. Sexually excited drones of Nannotrigona testaceicornis and Scaptotrigona sp. (both in the Apidae: Meliponini) attempt copulation with the labellum and pollinate the flower in the process. In both bee species, the pollinarium is attached to the scutellum. Pollinator behaviour may promote some degree of self-pollination, but preliminary observations indicate that M. ringens flowers are self-incompatible. Flowers are produced all the year round, which ties in with the production of bee males several times a year. The phylogenetic relationships of M. ringens are discussed and a number of morphological and phenological features supporting them are reported.

• Conclusions It is expected that further research could bring to light whether other Maxillariinae species are also pollinated through sexual mimicry. When a definitive and robust phylogeny of this subtribe is available, it should be possible to determine how many times pseudocopulation evolved and its possible evolutionary history.

Key words: Maxillariinae, Mormolyca, Maxillaria, Orchidaceae, pollination, pseudocopulation, sexual mimicry, Meliponini.


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