L-Tryptophan in the pollen of the Welsh onion (<i>Allium fistulosum</i> L.) as an attractant for the fiery-tailed bumblebee (<i>Bombus ignitus</i> Smith)

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  • ネギ花粉に含まれるL-トリプトファンはクロマルハナバチを誘引する
  • [L]-Tryptophan in the pollen of the Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) as an attractant for the fiery-tailed bumblebee (Bombus ignitus Smith)

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<p>In addition to the primary rewards of pollen and nectar, flowering plants attract pollinators via a suite of visual, olfactory, structural, and/or tactile cues. One of these, blue fluorescence is often displayed by anthers and pollen grains under UV irradiation, and has been suggested as a visual cue for pollinating bees. In this study, the author isolated the major blue fluorescent compound responsible for the UV-induced fluorescence exhibited by the anthers and pollen of the mellitophilous plant species, the Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.), and identified it as l-tryptophan, one of essential amino acids for bees. The emission spectrum of l-tryptophan has its maximum at λEm 350 nm (UV region) extending beyond 400 nm (blue region). Its fluorescence appears blue to humans who can sense its emission only above 400 nm; but bees, whose visual range is 300–650 nm, perceive it as UV. In a two-choice behavioral assay, the fiery-tailed bumblebee (Bombus ignitus Smith) showed a statistically significant preference for a sucrose solution supplemented with l-tryptophan over non-supplemented one. The l-tryptophan in pollen may act as a visual cue in addition to being a nutrient.</p>

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