Why are there red anemones alongside purple, pink, and white anemones? Is this a random whim of nature, or perhaps colors that help the flowers evade hungry caterpillars? New research aims to solve the mystery
By: Guy Britzman, Zavit – Science and Environmental News Agency
In most plants in the world, flower color is used to attract pollinators. Pollinators are insects such as bees, flies, beetles and butterflies, which visit a flower, enjoy its nectar and in return spread the pollen in the flower and thus help the reproductive process of the flowers. Sound harmonious? Studies show that there are insects that are not satisfied with a friendly visit – they eat the flowers themselves. This phenomenon, called floriburia, refers to plant eaters, such as butterfly and beetle larvae, that feed on the petals and other parts of the flowers. So, could it be that the colors of flowers attract pollinators and also try to keep them away at the same time?
Flower colors: beauty or survival mechanism?
"I was interested in testing whether there are colors that are more attractive to insects that eat anemone flowers, and how this affects the success of the anemones in reproducing," explains doctoral student Nora Saabna, who carried out the Research on anemones as part of her master’s thesis at the School of Plant Sciences in the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. “Flower colors affect pollinator visits, but it was unclear whether they also affect herbivores – which is exactly what I wanted to test,” she says.
To test the effect of flower colors on their eating by insects and other plant eaters, Saabana went out into the field and observed populations of Common anemones (Anemone coronaria) She documented feeding incidents on flowers and leaves, classified the creatures that ate them, and examined whether there was a relationship between flower color and the frequency of feeding incidents.
The results of the study show that red-bellied toads are the main victims of insect predation. Most of the damage recorded was by beetles. Galfiries –Beetles that are considered pollinators of the flower. That is, the same beetles that eat the flower also spread its pollen. Lighter-colored anemones, such as white and purple, were more likely to be eaten by other insects, such as caterpillars and grasshoppers.
In addition, since not only the flowers themselves but also the leaves are sometimes on the menu of the herbivores in the study, we tested whether there was a relationship between the color of the anemone petals and the extent to which the green leaves were eaten, and no clear relationship was found. This suggests that the leaf eaters do not necessarily associate flower colors with leaf quality.
Red anemones are the main victims of insect feeding. Photo: Tzil and Ella Nature is colorful
The study findings raise an interesting question: If red anemones are more damaged by flower eating, how come they are still more common than white and purple anemones? "It could be that the beetles that eat the red anemones compensate by also being their pollinators. That is, even though they cause damage to the flower, they also help it spread the pollen and reproduce," suggests Saabana.
To test this explanation, the effect of feeding on the reproductive efficiency of the anemone was examined. From research Another study, which surveyed 68 plant species, found that damage to flowers could impair pollinator attraction to the plant and thus affect its reproductive success. However, the findings in the anemone study showed that even after eating the flower, the anemone was able to produce seeds in sufficient quantities. This raises another possibility that the anemone itself may have developed compensatory mechanisms to cope with flower eating, such as another mechanism to attract pollinators despite damage to the petals.
If one color had a clear advantage over the others, we would expect to see a homogeneous population, in which all the flowers are the same color. But the variety of colors in anemones indicates that different forces are acting on the population – some in favor of one color, and some against it. Saabna explains that color variation is probably maintained by a combination of several factors: (1) a balance between pollinators and plant eaters – each color may attract different types of insects, some beneficial to the plant, such as pollinators, and others harmful, such as flower eaters; (2) selection that varies in time and place – a color that “works” well in a particular year or area may be less successful in another year and in other places, so that variation is maintained; (3) additional environmental influences – factors such as soil type, water availability or climatic conditions may also affect the success of different colors.
A turbulent world on the surface
Anemones, which appear to us as pastoral splashes of color in flower beds, actually grow in a competitive and challenging world. Each color represents a different survival strategy – some strategies focus on attracting pollinators, others struggle to avoid being eaten. The study reveals that this struggle is a significant factor in maintaining color variation in natural populations, and provides a fascinating glimpse into the complex interactions between plants and insects. The results of the study may contribute not only to understanding the evolution of flower colors, but also For the conservation of plant species in nature"If we better understand how flowers survive and what threatens them, we can think of ways to preserve their biodiversity in the wild," concludes Saabana.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
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interesting
Only the "beetles" in the pictures are cricket nymphs.
Crickets are not "beetles" there is a difference...
The only interesting thing is that in the picture there are crickets (young) on the anemone.
Crickets are not "beetles", there is a difference...