The Size of it: Scant Evidence That Flower Size Variation Affects Deception in Intersexual Floral Mimicry

Mutualisms involve cooperation, but also frequently conflict. Plant-pollinator mutualisms are no exception. To facilitate animal pollination, flowering plants often offer pollen (their male gametes) as a food reward. Since benefit by maximizing export to conspecific flowers, we might expect cheat on rewards. In intersexual floral mimicry, rewarding pollen-bearing flowers (models) mimicked rewardless female (mimics) the same plant. Pollinators should therefore learn avoid unrewarding mimics. Plants impede such learning producing phenotypically variable that cause bees generalize among models and mimics during learning. this laboratory study, used partially artificial (artificial petals, live reproductive parts) modeled after Begonia odorata test whether variation in size of affected how quickly learned both recognize reject Live have 33% longer petals 31% greater surface area than which easily discriminate. Yet while rapidly reduce foraging effort mimics, was not significantly degree flower varied. Additionally, found scant evidence result altering response speed maintain decision accuracy. Our study failed provide mimicry systems exploits pollinator cognition, though cannot rule out other traits may be important. Furthermore, propose contrary expectation, phenotypic variability Batesian system necessarily significant effects receivers effectively discriminate