<i>Petunia</i>flowers solve the defence/apparency dilemma of pollinator attraction by deploying complex floral blends

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  • Danny Kessler
    Department of Molecular Ecology Max‐Planck‐Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans‐Knöll‐Str. 8 DE‐07745 Jena Germany
  • Celia Diezel
    Department of Molecular Ecology Max‐Planck‐Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans‐Knöll‐Str. 8 DE‐07745 Jena Germany
  • David G. Clark
    Environmental Horticulture Department University of Florida 1525 Fifield Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
  • Thomas A. Colquhoun
    Environmental Horticulture Department University of Florida 1525 Fifield Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
  • Ian T. Baldwin
    Department of Molecular Ecology Max‐Planck‐Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans‐Knöll‐Str. 8 DE‐07745 Jena Germany
  • Rebecca Irwin
    editor

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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Flowers recruit floral visitors for pollination services by emitting fragrances. These scent signals can be intercepted by antagonists such as florivores to locate host plants. Hence, as a consequence of interactions with both mutualists and antagonists, floral bouquets likely consist of both attractive and defensive components. While the attractive functions of floral bouquets have been studied, their defensive function has not, and field‐based evidence for the deterrence of floral‐scent constituents is lacking. In field and glasshouse experiments with five lines of transgenic<jats:italic>Petunia x hybrida</jats:italic>plants specifically silenced in their ability to release particular components of their floral volatile bouquet, we demonstrate that the emission of single floral‐scent compounds can dramatically decrease damage from generalist florivores. While some compounds are used in host location, others prevent florivory. We conclude that the complex blends that comprise floral scents are likely sculpted by the selective pressures of both pollinators and herbivores.</jats:p>

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