Nectar feeding by the Cape rock elephant-shrew Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea) — A primarily insectivorous mammal pollinates the parasite Hyobanche atropurpurea (Orobanchaceae)

Scent chemistry is key in the evolutionary transition between insect and mammal pollination in African pineapple lilies

“…The species also differ from their insect-or bird-pollinated congeners in their scent (Kleizen et al, 2008;Wester et al, 2009. The mice species observed here are well known to feed on nectar of other geoflorous plant species (Wiens & Rourke, 1978;Kleizen et al, 2008;Biccard & Midgley, 2009;Wester et al, 2009;Melidonis & Peter, 2015). By contrast, the nectarivory of elephant-shrews has only been shown recently (Wester, 2010(Wester, , 2011(Wester, , 2015Johnson et al, 2011;Flasch et al, 2016;K€ uhn et al, 2017). Elephant-shrews (Macroscelidea) are not related to mice…”

“…The mice species observed here are well known to feed on nectar of other geoflorous plant species (Wiens & Rourke, ; Kleizen et al ., ; Biccard & Midgley, ; Wester et al ., ; Melidonis & Peter, ). By contrast, the nectarivory of elephant‐shrews has only been shown recently (Wester, , , ; Johnson et al ., ; Flasch et al ., ; Kühn et al ., ). Elephant‐shrews (Macroscelidea) are not related to mice (Rodentia) and have long been interpreted as purely insectivorous (Perrin, ).…”

“…Flowers pollinated by mammals often have relatively open morphology owing to the lack of specialised mouthparts of these animals. They are mostly pollinated at night and have drab coloration (Rourke & Wiens, 1977;Johnson et al, 2001;Wester et al, 2009;Wester, 2010Wester, , 2011Zoeller et al, 2017; but see Johnson & Pauw, 2014;Johnson et al, 2011;Melidonis & Peter, 2015;Hobbhahn et al, 2017). It has been suggested that these plants rely mainly on deployment of scent cues to attract pollinators (Wester et al, 2009;Johnson et al, 2011).…”

“…There is still limited evidence for a role of scent in pollination systems involving ground‐dwelling mammals. These pollination systems are particularly well developed in Australia (involving mainly marsupials) and South Africa (involving mainly rodents and elephant‐shrews) (Rourke & Wiens, ; Carthew & Goldingay, ; Letten & Midgley, ; Wester et al ., ; Wester, , ). In a study of the African parasitic plant Cytinus visseri (Cytinaceae) it was shown that a volatile ketone (3‐hexanone) plays an important role in attraction of mice to the flowers (Johnson et al ., ), but no comparisons were made among related species to establish if this compound is uniquely associated with mammal pollination.…”

Hyobanche hanekomii (Orobanchaceae), a New Species from the Western Cape of South Africa.

“…Pollination studies have indicated sunbird pollination for H. sanguinea (Turner and Midgley 2016), and elephant shrew pollination for H. atropurpurea (Wester 2011). Given the intermediate morphology of H. hanekomii compared to these other species (Fig.…”