• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2020

Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium is an orchid species solely pollinated by the male bee Megachile yasumatsui. Although C. scolopendrifolium is an endangered species in Korea, little is known about its pollination mechanisms or the profiles of its chemical attractants. This study provides evidence that the Cleisostoma orchid attracts male bees as pollinators by mimicking female mating signals. We found 13 hydrocarbons in the Cleisostoma orchid flower presumed to be involved in sex pheromone mimicry: five alkanes (tricosane, pentacosane, heptacosane, nonacosane, and hentriacontane), compounds of cuticular hydrocarbons which function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates and species in social insects; and eight alkenes ((z)-9-tricosene, (z)-9-pentacosene, (z)-11-pentacosene, (z)-9-heptacosene, (z)-11-heptacosene, (z)-9-nonacosene, (z)-11-nonacosene, and (z)-11-hentriacontene) which serve as sex pheromones in several insects. We suggest that these hydrocarbons play a key role in the pollination mechanism between Cleisostoma orchids and Megachile bees.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2019

We investigated the pollinators of Centipede's foot orchid (Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium) at five locations in southern Korea. Only one species of megachilid bee (Megachile yasumatsui) was observed at three of the sites (Mokpo, Haenam, and Wando). We assumed that the megachilid bee worked as a sole pollinator of C. scolopendrifolium based on the visiting behavior of the bees the attached pollinia. Fruits were observed at the three locations that bees visited: 74% fruit set at Mokpo, 59% at Wando, and 31% at Haenam. By contrast, at two of the locations where megachilid bees did not visit the plants (Naju and Jindo), there were no fruits set. The differences in fruit set rates at the three orchid populations where bees were observed appear to be related to bee abundance and flower visitation rate rather than to differences in flower abundance. The pollination interaction between C. scolopendrifolium and megachilid bees appears to involve sexual deception since only male bees were attracted to the flowers. The underlying mechanism involved in this interaction needs investigation.