Insect pollination in the African cycad Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi Lehm

Suinyuy, Terence N.; Donaldson, John S.; Johnson, Steven D.

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2009.08.005

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Boganiidae currently comprise two subfamilies: Boganiinae (two genera) and Paracucujinae (four genera). In Paracucujinae, two closely related but geographically widely separated genera, Metacucujus and Paracucujus (tribe Paracucujini), feed on cones of the cycad tribe Encephalarteae (Zamiaceae) in southern Africa and the southwest of Western Australia [4,7,8]. This distribution suggests a Gondwanan vicariance during the Middle Jurassic resulting in the isolated distribution for these poorly dispersing beetles and their cycads [4,9].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beetle Pollination of Cycads in the Mesozoic

Cai

Escalona

et al. 2018

Current Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cycads, unlike modern wind-pollinated conifers and Ginkgo, are unusual in that they are an ancient group of gymnosperms pollinated by insects [1-3]. Although it is well documented that cycads were diverse and abundant during the mid-Mesozoic, little is known about their biogeography and pollination before the rise of angiosperms. Direct fossil evidence illuminating the evolutionary history of cycads is extremely rare [4, 5]. Here we report a specialized beetle-mediated pollination mode from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar, wherein a new boganiid beetle, Cretoparacucujus cycadophilus, with specialized pollen-feeding adaptations in its mouthparts and legs, was associated with many pollen grains of Cycadopites. Phylogenetic analyses indicate Cretoparacucujus as a sister group to the extant Australian Paracucujus, which pollinate the cycad Macrozamia riedlei. Our discovery, along with the current disjunct distribution of related beetle-herbivore (tribe Paracucujini) and cycad-host (tribe Encephalarteae) pairs in South Africa and Australia, indicate a probable ancient origin of beetle pollination of cycads at least in the Early Jurassic, long before angiosperm dominance and the radiation of flowering-plant pollinators later in the Cretaceous.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beetle Pollination of Cycads in the Mesozoic

Cai

Escalona

et al. 2018

Current Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other erotylids and Metacucujus spp. occur on E. natalensis and other Encephalartos cycads [29,66,67] that overlap with E. villosus distribution and emit different compounds [63]. These beetles contribute to pollination of various Encephalartos species [26,29,67] and may have coevolved with the genus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographical matching of volatile signals and pollinator olfactory responses in a cycad brood-site mutualism

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Brood-site mutualisms represent extreme levels of reciprocal specialization between plants and insect pollinators, raising questions about whether these mutualisms are mediated by volatile signals and whether these signals and insect responses to them covary geographically in a manner expected from coevolution. Cycads are an ancient plant lineage in which almost all extant species are pollinated through brood-site mutualisms with insects. We investigated whether volatile emissions and insect olfactory responses are matched across the distribution range of the African cycad Encephalartos villosus. This cycad species is pollinated by the same beetle species across its distribution, but cone volatile emissions are dominated by alkenes in northern populations, and by monoterpenes and a pyrazine compound in southern populations. In reciprocal choice experiments, insects chose the scent of cones from the local region over that of cones from the other region. Antennae of beetles from northern populations responded mainly to alkenes, while those of beetles from southern populations responded mainly to pyrazine. In bioassay experiments, beetles were most strongly attracted to alkenes in northern populations and to the pyrazine compound in southern populations. Geographical matching of cone volatiles and pollinator olfactory preference is consistent with coevolution in this specialized mutualism.

show abstract

“…Metacucujus species are found exclusively in cones of Encephalartos Lehm. (Zamiaceae), and there is some evidence that they pollinate these cycads in South Africa (Donaldson et al, 1995;Donaldson, 1997;Suinyuy et al, 2009). The Australian Paracucujus rostratus Sen Gupta & Crowson is commonly found in male Macrozamia inflorescences in the south-west region of Western Australia, but its role as a cycad pollinator is unconfirmed (Endrödy-Younga & Crowson, 1986;Crowson, 1990;Ornduff, 1991;Connell & Ladd, 1993;Terry et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%