The Evolution and Ecology of Specialized Mutualisms Between Perfume Flowers and Male Euglossine Bees

Autor(en)
Jasen W. Liu, Florian Etl, Mauricio Fernández Otárola, Adam P. Karremans, Santiago R. Ramírez
Abstrakt

The unique mutualism between male euglossine bees and the perfume flowers they pollinate in tropical America is one of the most iconic plant–pollinator associations, with a rich body of research incorporating chemical ecology, speciation, and natural history. Male bees collect species-specific blends of compounds from the environment to subsequently use during courtship display. As bees exhibit rapidly evolving olfactory preferences, divergence in floral scent causing visitation by different sets of bee species is thought to drive speciation of the plants via pollinator isolation. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of this specialized system, reviewing the extensive literature on chemical production and diversity in these plants with implications for speciation, and discuss broader patterns from biogeographic and macroevolutionary studies in the group. We highlight gaps in knowledge and propose promising future avenues of research.

Organisation(en)
Department für Botanik und Biodiversitätsforschung
Externe Organisation(en)
University of California, Davis, Universidad de Costa Rica
Journal
Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
Band
56
Seiten
241-264
Anzahl der Seiten
24
ISSN
1543-592X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102723-064710
Publikationsdatum
2025
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
106008 Botanik, 106012 Evolutionsforschung, 106029 Pflanzenmorphologie
Schlagwörter
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/8b786e90-6682-4ee9-996b-a0850ab444e8