Near extinct Argyreia versicolor and rare Argyreia mekongensis are dependent on carpenter bee pollinators
Issued Date
2024-02-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20412851
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85185908111
Journal Title
AoB PLANTS
Volume
16
Issue
2
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
AoB PLANTS Vol.16 No.2 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Jirabanjongjit A., Traiperm P., Rattanamanee C., Stewart A.B. Near extinct Argyreia versicolor and rare Argyreia mekongensis are dependent on carpenter bee pollinators. AoB PLANTS Vol.16 No.2 (2024). doi:10.1093/aobpla/plae001 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/97450
Title
Near extinct Argyreia versicolor and rare Argyreia mekongensis are dependent on carpenter bee pollinators
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Argyreia versicolor and Argyreia mekongensis are extremely rare plant species. The former had not been seen for nearly 100 years until two individuals were found in Thailand in 2018, and only a handful of populations are known for the latter. The aims of this study were to examine the breeding systems of A. versicolor and A. mekongensis using pollination experiments and to determine their potential pollinators via floral observations. Our controlled pollination experiments uncovered the self-incompatibility of both species. Pollinator censuses indicated that females of two carpenter bee species, Xylocopa aestuans and Xylocopa latipes, were the predominant floral visitors for both Argyreia species. Our observations confirmed a harmonious match between the floral shape of both Argyreia species and the body sizes of these pollinators, ensuring effective pollen transfer and validating their role as putative pollinators. In line with the high frequency of pollinator visits observed, our controlled pollination experiments found no evidence of pollen limitation under field conditions. The findings of this study hold significance for the conservation of these endangered species, yet the situation is dire for A. versicolor, with one of the two individuals under study recently lost. Hence, it is crucial to intensify monitoring efforts for the species, aiming to identify additional individuals for potential inclusion in an ex-situ conservation program. Simultaneously, safeguarding the habitat of these plant species and their pollinators will be critical.
