Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean

J. Martínez-Harms; M. Vorobyev; J. Schorn; A. Shmida; T. Keasar; U. Homberg; F. Schmeling; R. Menzel

doi:10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5

Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean

J. Martínez-Harms, M. Vorobyev, J. Schorn, A. Shmida, T. Keasar, U. Homberg, F. Schmeling, R. Menzel

Department of Biology and Environment (Oranim Campus)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A very well-documented case of flower-beetle interaction is the association in the Mediterranean region between red bowl-shaped flowers and beetles of the family Glaphyridae. The present study examines the visual mechanisms by which Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Scarabaeoidea: Coleoptera) would perceive the colors of flowers they visit by characterizing the spectral sensitivity of its photoreceptors. Our measurements revealed the presence of three types of photoreceptors, maximally sensitive in the UV, green and red areas of the spectrum. Using color vision space diagrams, we calculated the distribution of beetle-visited flower colors in the glaphyrid and honeybee color space and evaluated whether chromatic discrimination differs between the two types of pollinators. Respective color loci in the beetle color space are located on one side of the locus for green foliage background, whereas in the honeybee the flower color loci surround the locus occupied by green foliage. Our results represent the first evidence of a red sensitive photoreceptor in a flower-visiting coleopteran species, highlighting Glaphyridae as an interesting model group to study the role of pollinators in flower color evolution.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	451-463
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
Volume	198
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5
State	Published - Jun 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We are grateful to Miriam Kishinevsky and Hanna Zwaka for their support during the course of our study. We thank Natalia Marquez and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. Funding for this project was provided by a Grant from the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft (HO 950/20-1) to U.H. and (ME 365/40-1) to R.M., Oranim research Grant to T.K., University of Auckland Faculty Research Development Grant to M.V. and a scholarship grant provided jointly by the DAAD and CONYCIT to J.M.-H.

Keywords

Coleoptera
Color space
Color vision
Flower colors
Pollination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Physiology
Animal Science and Zoology
Behavioral Neuroscience

Access to Document

10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5

Cite this

Martínez-Harms, J., Vorobyev, M., Schorn, J., Shmida, A., Keasar, T., Homberg, U., Schmeling, F., & Menzel, R. (2012). Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, 198(6), 451-463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5

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title = "Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean",

abstract = "A very well-documented case of flower-beetle interaction is the association in the Mediterranean region between red bowl-shaped flowers and beetles of the family Glaphyridae. The present study examines the visual mechanisms by which Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Scarabaeoidea: Coleoptera) would perceive the colors of flowers they visit by characterizing the spectral sensitivity of its photoreceptors. Our measurements revealed the presence of three types of photoreceptors, maximally sensitive in the UV, green and red areas of the spectrum. Using color vision space diagrams, we calculated the distribution of beetle-visited flower colors in the glaphyrid and honeybee color space and evaluated whether chromatic discrimination differs between the two types of pollinators. Respective color loci in the beetle color space are located on one side of the locus for green foliage background, whereas in the honeybee the flower color loci surround the locus occupied by green foliage. Our results represent the first evidence of a red sensitive photoreceptor in a flower-visiting coleopteran species, highlighting Glaphyridae as an interesting model group to study the role of pollinators in flower color evolution.",

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note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments We are grateful to Miriam Kishinevsky and Hanna Zwaka for their support during the course of our study. We thank Natalia Marquez and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. Funding for this project was provided by a Grant from the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft (HO 950/20-1) to U.H. and (ME 365/40-1) to R.M., Oranim research Grant to T.K., University of Auckland Faculty Research Development Grant to M.V. and a scholarship grant provided jointly by the DAAD and CONYCIT to J.M.-H.",

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Martínez-Harms, J, Vorobyev, M, Schorn, J, Shmida, A, Keasar, T, Homberg, U, Schmeling, F & Menzel, R 2012, 'Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean', Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, vol. 198, no. 6, pp. 451-463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5

Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean. / Martínez-Harms, J.; Vorobyev, M.; Schorn, J. et al.
In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, Vol. 198, No. 6, 06.2012, p. 451-463.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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AU - Schmeling, F.

AU - Menzel, R.

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Martínez-Harms J, Vorobyev M, Schorn J, Shmida A, Keasar T, Homberg U et al. Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 2012 Jun;198(6):451-463. doi: 10.1007/s00359-012-0722-5

Evidence of red sensitive photoreceptors in Pygopleurus israelitus (Glaphyridae: Coleoptera) and its implications for beetle pollination in the southeast Mediterranean

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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