Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Philodendron acutatum (Araceae) is a hemiepiphyte common to the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. In two localities, we studied the species’ breeding system and associations with flower-visiting insects, along with an analysis of its floral scent composition. The fruit set of self-incompatible P. acutatum was high, more than 90%, and inflorescences were exclusively pollinated by one species of scarab beetle, Cyclocephala celata (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae). Pollinators are drawn toward the inflorescences at dusk by strong floral fragrancesgiven off during the female phase of anthesis, along with endogenous heating of the spadix, whose temperatures were recorded at more than 11C above ambient air. Two other species of flower-visiting Cyclocephala were also consistently recovered in blacklight trappings during the flowering period of P. acutatum. The fact that only C. celata was found in association with P. acutatum suggests a local reproductivedependence of the plant to this scarab beetle species. Dihydro-b-ionone and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-hexanone, a rare volatile molecule so far unreported as a floral compound, together accounted for more than 97% of the unique scent composition of P. acutatum and might be involved in specific attraction of C. celata.
International Journal of Plant Sciences

hal-01094225
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01094225
DOI : 10.1086/654846

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD National Research Council Canada
Résumé : International audience
In French Guiana, inflorescences of Philodendron squamiferum Poepp. (Araceae) were regularly visited by the scarab beetle Cyclocephala simulatrix Hölne and (Scarabaeidae, Coleoptera) occasionally by Cyclocephala tylifera Hölne. The flowering cycle lasted 2 days, and the protogynous inflorescence exhibited features typical of beetle pollination (floral chamber, food rewards, flower heating). The spadix temperature was measured during the entire flowering cycle in French Guiana and at the Montreal Botanical Garden. Both sets of measurements gave a similar temperature pattern. The spadix warmed up twice at the beginning of each evening with no notable heat production between the two peaks. These two temperature peaks were well synchronized with the arrival and departure of beetles
ISSN: 0008-4026

hal-01202724
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01202724

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
The pollination of Philodendron solimoesense (subgenus Meconostigma) was studied in four populations of French Guiana. Flowering is asynchronous within each population during July, and the flowering cycle is a 2-d process. Numerous insects visit Philodendron inflorescences, but the main pollinator seems to be Cyclocephala colasi (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae). The pollination process displays aspects typical of beetle pollination: the production of heat and of a strong odor, the presence of a food reward (stigmatic secretion and sterile male flowers), and the presence of a copulation chamber. Flower heat production is important (ca. 117C above the ambient air) and may help to volatilize the fragrance. Attraction and choice-test experiments showed that C. colasi is not likely to depend on chemical information (such as pheromone) to localize conspecifics but may rely instead on stimuli produced by the inflorescences in order to meet mating partners
International Journal of Plant Sciences

hal-01202475
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01202475