Thrips and Weevils as Dual, Specialist Pollinators of the Australian Cycad <i>Macrozamia communis</i> (Zamiaceae)

Terry, Irene

doi:10.1086/321929

Cited by 78 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…We infer that a Gymnopollisthrips-gymnosperm active pollination mutualism was present at Peñacerrada I, also based on analogous, similar pollen grains occurring in several extant Cycadothrips-Macrozamia mutualisms from Australia, and on the small size and the lack of Cycadopites in the amber-bearing sediment consistent with gymnospermous entomophilous pollen (7,8). Additionally, pollen grains identical in structure and size (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…For gnetophytes, a broad spectrum of small-sized, inconspicuous insects are pollinators, especially flies, but also moths, beetles, small wasps, thrips, and occasionally bees (2,5,6). Cycads are pollinated by equally specialized but, overall, more taxonomically circumscribed beetle lineages, especially weevils (3,4), and a lineage of thrips (7)(8)(9). Occasionally, both insect groups pollinate the same cycad species (7,8).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Cycads are pollinated by equally specialized but, overall, more taxonomically circumscribed beetle lineages, especially weevils (3,4), and a lineage of thrips (7)(8)(9). Occasionally, both insect groups pollinate the same cycad species (7,8). Even so, Mesozoic evidence for insect pollination of gymnosperms has been sparse and indirect (1,(10)(11)(12), although the remaining seed-plant group, angiosperms, has received considerable support for pollination during the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic (1,(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Historically, discussion of thrips as pollinators has been controversial, because these minute insects do not fit the general profile of an effective pollinator (9,17,18), although they now are documented as pollinators of basal angiosperms (15,20) and eudicots such as dipterocarps (18). Individuals transport from several to a few hundred pollen grains to flowers (18) or cones (Table S1); for example, Cycadothrips chadwicki can deliver up to 5,700 pollen grains per ovule to Macrozamia communis cycad cones in an afternoon (8). Several species of Cycadothrips are efficient pollinators of endemic Australian Macrozamia cycads (7,8,21).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Individuals transport from several to a few hundred pollen grains to flowers (18) or cones (Table S1); for example, Cycadothrips chadwicki can deliver up to 5,700 pollen grains per ovule to Macrozamia communis cycad cones in an afternoon (8). Several species of Cycadothrips are efficient pollinators of endemic Australian Macrozamia cycads (7,8,21). Besides pollination of gnetaleans and cycads, thrips species are collected from male cones of conifers and are implicated in pollen feeding (22) but without effective pollination.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Thrips pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms

Peñalver

Labandeira

Barrón

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Within modern gymnosperms, conifers and Ginkgo are exclusively wind pollinated whereas many gnetaleans and cycads are insect pollinated. For cycads, thrips are specialized pollinators. We report such a specialized pollination mode from Early Cretaceous amber of Spain, wherein four female thrips representing a genus and two species in the family Melanthripidae were covered by abundant Cycadopites pollen grains. These females bear unique ring setae interpreted as specialized structures for pollen grain collection, functionally equivalent to the hook-tipped sensilla and plumose setae on the bodies of bees. The most parsimonious explanation for this structure is parental food provisioning for larvae, indicating subsociality. This association provides direct evidence of specialized collection and transportation of pollen grains and likely gymnosperm pollination by 110-105 million years ago, possibly considerably earlier.paleoecology | paleoethology | coevolution | plant-insect interactions

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Thrips pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms

Peñalver

Labandeira

Barrón

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Role of Secondary Metabolites in Pollination

Shivanna

2023

Reference Series in Phytochemistry

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Cycads: An Overview

Goel

Khuraijam

2015

Plant Biology and Biotechnology

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Cycads are regarded as the "Living Fossils" and belong to a specialized group of plants having ancient lineage possessing great signifi cance from the evolutionary point of view. During excavations, the cycad fossils located and accepted as related to the similar lineage as the present-day cycads have been known from the early Permian period, ca. 280-320 Myr ago. They had been popularly known as "Plant Dinosaur" and were generally known as the most dominant plant group in the Mesozoic period. The relict group of the seed plants was worldwide in their distribution and dominant in the plant world as the dinosaurs were then at the peak in the animal world. They were eaten by some herbivorous dinosaurs, such as Stegosaurs . During that period the plant group Bennettitales or cycadeoids was in abundance which had superfi cial resemblance with cycads but was more similar and closer to the angiosperms. The Jurassic period is generally called as the "Age of Cycads" because they were very common at that time. In fact the cycads represent the basal living lineage of the presentday seed-bearing angiosperms.The taxonomic isolation and extreme antiquity of cycads have attributed them intrinsic interest and conservational importance which is disproportionate to the paucity of members because of their limited and disjunct distribution. The cycads are dioecious and very slow-growing plants; as a result they are getting extremely rare in the natural habitat. Due to their rarity, very attractive foliage and beautiful cones, cycads are considered as the prized collections in private and the public gardens leading to over exploitation from natural habitats and illegal trade in the international market. Therefore, international trade and the movement of A.

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Thrips and Weevils as Dual, Specialist Pollinators of the Australian Cycad Macrozamia communis (Zamiaceae)

Cited by 78 publications

References 18 publications

Thrips pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms

Thrips pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms

Role of Secondary Metabolites in Pollination

Cycads: An Overview

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