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New record of day geckos feeding on orchid nectar in Reunion Island: Can lizards pollinate orchid species?

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Jean-François Begue at Timaoul photographies
Jean-François Begue
  • Timaoul photographies
Mickael Sanchez at University of Reunion Island
Mickael Sanchez
Claire Micheneau
Claire Micheneau
Jacques Fournel at University of Reunion Island
Jacques Fournel
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Lizard pollination is common among insular oras,
often being viewed as an island phenomenon (e.g.
Withaker, 1987; Olesen and Valido, 2003; Godinez-
Alvarez, 2004). Especially, the genus Phelsuma
represents a key taxon in the reproduction of many
native plant species (Nyhagen et al., 2001; Hansen,
Beer and Muller, 2006; Hansen and Muller 2009; Le
Péchon et al., 2013). Day geckos are mainly distributed
in the southwestern region of the Indian Ocean (e.g.
Austin, Arnold and Jones, 2004). These arboreal lizards
are known to include a major component of nectar and
pollen in their diet (e.g. Nyhagen et al., 2001; Olesen,
Eskildsen and Venkatasamy, 2002; Kaiser 2006; Deso
et al., 2008; Olesen et al., 2012; Clémencet et al., 2013;
Minaar et al., 2013), and recent studies, conducted
on Mauritius’ and Reunion’s oras (Mascarene
Archipelago), have shown that lizard pollination
involves a wide range of plant families, including
Rousseaceae (Hansen and Müller 2009), Malvaceae
(Hansen, Beer and Muller, 2006; Hansen et al., 2007;
Le Péchon et al., 2013) and Araliaceae (Nyhagen et al.,
2001). In some cases, pollination by Phelsuma species is
vital to ensure sexual reproduction of native endangered
plants species (Nyhagen et al., 2001; Hansen, Beer and
Muller, 2006; Hansen and Müller 2009). To date, only
one observation of a Phelsuma visiting orchid owers
has been reported (Micheneau et al., 2010), and beside
this “single day gecko visit” in Reunion Island, only
one case of lizard feeding on orchid nectar has been
reported in Caymans Island (Burton, 2008), but on
extra-oral nectaries only without visiting the owers
of Myrmecophila thomsoniana (Rchb. f.) Rolfe. Here
we described and discussed the rst case of Phelsuma
interactions with owers from the orchid family in
Reunion Island, involving the endemic day gecko
Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966 visiting owers
of Angraecum cadetii Bosser (endemic to Reunion
and Mauritius) and Angraecum bracteosum Balf. & S.
Moore (endemic to Reunion).
The rst observation has been briey reported by
Micheneau et al. (2010) but yet no picture has been
published. During eld experiments in a Pandanus forest
in La Plaine des Palmistes (860 m a.s.l.), JF observed
an adult P. borbonica feeding on nectar in a ower of
A. cadetii (Fig. 1) on 03.03.2008 at approximately 8.00
am. The observation lasted approximately two minutes,
during which time the gecko returned twice to the same
ower, for 10 to 15s each time. No pollen removal
has been recorded, but ower’s pollinaria was already
removed before the visit of the gecko.
The second interaction was recorded by JFB during
three consecutive days, from 10.03.2014 to 12.03.2014,
in the morning between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm, in a
Pandanus forest in La Plaine des Palmistes (1100 m
a.s.l.). Three individuals of P. borbonica were observed
visiting owers of the same plant of A. bracteosum. The
rst two days, a single immature day gecko was observed
visiting at least 10 owers (Fig. 2) for approximately 6
minutes each day. The last day, three geckos (the same
immature, an adult male and another immature) were
observed during 26 minutes, probing at least 50 owers.
During these observations, some owers were visited
several times (three times as a maximum). Each single
ower visit lasted from 10 to 20s, during which time
geckos licked nectar with their tongue. One pollinium
Herpetology Notes, volume 7: 689-692 (2014) (published online on 25 November 2014)
New record of day geckos feeding on orchid nectar
in Reunion Island: can lizards pollinate orchid species?
Jean-François Bègue1, Mickaël Sanchez2, Claire Micheneau3 and Jacques Fournel4,*
1 Parc National de la Réunion, 258, Rue de la République,
97431 La Plaine des Palmistes, La Réunion, France
2 Nature Océan Indien, 6, Lotissement les Magnolias, Rivière
des Roches, 97470 Saint Benoît, La Réunion, France
3 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns
Campus, PO Box 6811, Cairns QLD 4870, Australia
4 Université de la Réunion, UMR C53 PVBMT, 15, Av René
Cassin, CS92003, 97744 Saint Denis Cedex 9, La Réunion,
France
* Corresponding author, jacques.fournel@gmail.com
removal was observed but the pollinarium was eaten by
the gecko.
These Phelsuma-Angraecum observations represent
the rst documented case of lizards as orchid nectar
consumers in the Mascarenes. Pollinators of both orchid
species are already known: A. bracteosum is pollinated
by two passerines, Zosterops borbonicus (Forster, 1781)
and Zosterops olivaceus (Linnaeus, 1766) (Micheneau et
al., 2008) and A. cadetii is pollinated by a raspy cricket,
Glomeremus orchidophilus Hugel, 2010 (Micheneau et
al., 2010). Despite many hours of video observations
of orchid owers at the same study site in la Plaine
des Palmistes (i.e. 392h34min for A. bracteosum and
171h35min for A. cadetii, see Micheneau et al, 2008;
2010), geckos were never observed probing nectar
on A. bracteosum owers, while only one visit was
observed in A. cadetii. This suggests that visits by day
geckos seem to be rare or happen only in localized
places. However, because nectar is an important part
of P. borbonica’s diet (e.g. Deso et al., 2008) and
because orchid owers seem to be morphologically
adapted to allow geckos reaching nectar into the spur,
to what extent P. borbonica is occasionally involved
in Angraecum orchids’ pollination in Reunion remains
an open question. Further observations are needed,
especially in areas where high density of P. borbonica
and Angraecum have been recorded. Although the
pollinator of A. cadetii is thought to be exclusively
nocturnal (Hugel et al., 2010; Micheneau et al., 2010), a
few potential cases of pollen removal have been reported
occurring during the day (JF pers. obs.). The two other
known daily visitor species of A. cadetti are endemic
passerines from the Zosteropidae family, namely Z.
borbonicus and Z. olivaceus, but daily video records
have never shown these birds removing or depositing
pollinaria (Micheneau et al., 2010). In A. bracteosum,
the ower opening is very narrow (see Micheneau et
al., 2008 for ower measurements) and adult geckos do
not seem to become in contact with the pollinaria with
their head but rather with their tongue, so that pollinaria
are expected to be predominantly consumed by geckos
while being removed from the owers. It is possible,
however, that younger geckos may go deeper into the
owers and thus get in contact with the pollinaria with
their head. Morphological comparisons would be useful
to determine if pollen removal and deposition by P.
borbonica are “mechanically” possible in both orchid
species.
Acknowledgements. We would like to thank Jens M. Olesen for
reviewing this manuscript. We also thank Jean Marie Pausé and
Stéphane Baret (Parc National de la Réunion).
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Figure 1. The day gecko Phelsuma borbonica and Angraecum cadetii. A: an adult male arriving at orchid owers; B: the same
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692
... Pour ce travail, nous avons synthétisé toutes les informations disponibles dans la bibliographie (Vinson & Vinson 1969, Girard 1994, Probst 1995, 1997, Bertrand 2000, Probst & Deso 2001, Probst 2002, Deso 2006, Deso et al. 2007, Martiré & Rochat 2008, Sanchez & Eisenbach 2008, Antoniama & Probst 2010, Caceres et al. 2010, Micheneau et al. 2010, Sanchez 2010, 2012, Le Péchon et al. 2013, Bègue et al. 2014, Vingadachetty et al. 2015 et traité 1 077 données issues de la base de données de l'association Nature Océan Indien (abrégée BD NOI dans la suite du texte) (voir le protocole de Sanchez & Probst 2017), de manière à en extraire les données relatives à l'éco-éthologie de P. borbonica dans son milieu naturel sur l'île de La Réunion. ...
... pers. (1) , Bègue et al. (2014) (2) , Micheneau et al. (2010) (3) , Probst & Deso (2001) (4) , Deso et al. (2008) (5) , Le Péchon et al. (2013) (6) , Sanchez & Eisenbach (2008) (7) , Vingadachetty et al. (2015) (8) , Deso (2006) (9) . Table II: List of native and exotic plant species used as food resources or breeding sites by P. borbonica in the wild. ...
... comm. (1) , Bègue et al. (2014) (2) , Micheneau et al. (2010) (3) , Probst & Deso (2001) (4) , Deso et al. (2008) (5) , Le Péchon et al. (2013) (6) , Sanchez & Eisenbach (2008) (7) , Vingadachetty et al. (2015) (8) , Deso (2006) (9) . ...
Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966 (Sauria : Gekkonidae) sur l’île de La Réunion. II. Écologie et éthologie
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Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) on “La Réunion”. II. Ecology and ethology. Informations about the eco-ethology of Phelsuma borbonica in the wild on “La Réunion” are scattered. This paper provides a review of such knowledge, from available literature information and from the database of the NGO Nature Ocean Indien. Diet, reproduction and behavior have similarities with others species of the genus Phelsuma. This gecko feeds on the nectar of many native plants and is probably involved in pollination/reproduction (pollen vector), but this contribution needs to be quantified. We hypothesize that the availability of suitable egg laying sites would be a limiting factor for this gecko, thus this parameter would have a significant impact on the conservation of the species.
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... Pour ce travail, nous avons synthétisé toutes les informations disponibles dans la bibliographie (Vinson & Vinson 1969, Girard 1994, Probst 1995, 1997, Bertrand 2000, Probst & Deso 2001, Probst 2002, Deso 2006, Deso et al. 2007, Martiré & Rochat 2008, Sanchez & Eisenbach 2008, Antoniama & Probst 2010, Caceres et al. 2010, Micheneau et al. 2010, Sanchez 2010, 2012, Le Péchon et al. 2013, Bègue et al. 2014, Vingadachetty et al. 2015 et traité 1 077 données issues de la base de données de l'association Nature Océan Indien (abrégée BD NOI dans la suite du texte) (voir le protocole de Sanchez & Probst 2017), de manière à en extraire les données relatives à l'éco-éthologie de P. borbonica dans son milieu naturel sur l'île de La Réunion. ...
... Table I: List of preys consumed by P. borbonica on La Réunion. BD NOI*, Probst & Deso (2001) (1) , Girard (1994) (2) , Martiré & Rochat (2008) Bègue et al. (2014) (2) , Micheneau et al. (2010) (3) , Probst & Deso (2001) (4) , Deso et al. (2008) (5) , Le Péchon et al. (2013) (6) , Sanchez & Eisenbach (2008) (7) , Vingadachetty et al. (2015) (8) , Deso (2006) (9) . Verbascum thapsus SCROPHULARIACEAE X * ---3. ...
... où Hansen et al. (2007b) ont démontré que la présence de Phelsuma cepediana (Milbert 1812) avait une influence positive sur le succès reproducteur d'une espèce de Malvaceae endémique, Trochetia blackburniana Bojer ex Baker.À La Réunion, LePéchon et al. (2013) ont montré que P. borbonica est probablement impliqué dans la pollinisation de Trochetia granulata Cordem., puisque le gecko peut transporter du pollen sur sa tête, après avoir visité une fleur pour son nectar. Après plusieurs observations de terrain,Bègue et al. (2014) s'interrogent également sur l'implication de ce gecko dans le processus de pollinisation de certaines orchidées du genre Angraecum.En 2008, Deso et al. listent 33 espèces végétales nectarifères autochtones qui hébergent P. borbonica et ils suspectent que ce gecko puisse contribuer à leur pollinisation. Selon nos résultats, les fleurs d'au moins 18 espèces végétales indigènes réparties dans neuf familles sont visitées de manière certaine par P. borbonica à La Réunion. ...
Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966 (Sauria : Gekkonidae) sur l’île de La Réunion. II. Ecologie et éthologie.
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2017
Résumé – Les informations relatives à l’éco-éthologie de Phelsuma borbonica en milieu naturel sur l’île de La Réunion sont dispersées. Cet article fournit une synthèse de ces connaissances, à partir de toutes les informations disponibles dans la bibliographie et de la base de données de l’association Nature Océan Indien. L’alimentation de ce gecko, sa reproduction et son comportement présentent des similitudes avec les autres espèces du genre Phelsuma. Ce gecko s’alimente en partie du nectar de nombreuses plantes indigènes et participe probablement à leur pollinisation/reproduction (vecteur de pollen), mais cette contribution reste à quantifier. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que la disponibilité des sites de ponte favorables serait un facteur limitant pour ce gecko. Ce paramètre aurait ainsi une incidence forte sur sa conservation. Summary – Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) on “La Réunion”. II. Ecology and ethology. Informations about the eco-ethology of Phelsuma borbonica in the wild on “La Réunion” are scattered. This paper provides a review of such knowledge, from available literature information and from the database of the NGO Nature Ocean Indien. Diet, reproduction and behavior have similarities with others species of the genus Phelsuma. This gecko feeds on the nectar of many native plants and is probably involved in pollination/reproduction (pollen vector), but this contribution needs to be quantified. We hypothesize that the availability of suitable egg laying sites would be a limiting factor for this gecko, thus this parameter would have a significant impact on the conservation of the species.
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... Therefore, it is not expected that these animals have relevant roles in plant reproduction through seed dispersal and pollination. This perception has changed greatly in recent decades, revealing more flexible trophic behaviors of lizards with important implications for the communities in which they are integrated [5][6][7][8][9][10]. 2 of 12 The interactions of lizards with flowers have been documented in continental environments [3,[11][12][13] but mostly on islands [1,5,9,[14][15][16]. The low richness of species and, therefore, fewer interspecific competitors, parasites and predators, may explain the high densities reached by lizards on islands, due to the density compensation phenomenon [17]. ...
... Although unprecedented, the finding is not surprising considering that visits to flowers by another congeneric species (Tarentola delandii in Euphorbia lamarckii) had already been discovered on islands in the Palearctic ecozone [66]. However, the importance of these geckos as potential pollinators should be much less relevant when compared to frequent floral visitors in the tropics such as Phelsuma sp. in Mauritius and Reunion [15,[67][68][69]. In addition, the nocturnal activity of geckos makes their absence in the censuses logical. ...
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The role of lizards as potential pollinators on islands has been documented for either one or a few plants in different parts of the world, but it has never been assessed for an entire plant community. Here, we quantified interaction rate by lizards and evaluated intraspecific differences in the use of flowers on Cabrera Gran (Cabrera archipelago, Balearic Islands) by means of visual observations, automated cameras and the analysis of pollen grain samples. Overall, we recorded interactions of the Balearic wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) with flowers of 44 plant species, 72.7% of which were unknown to date. Although florivory occurs in some of these species (35%), the majority of visits were legitimate (65%); in addition, we found intraspecific differences in the interactions related to the sex and age of lizards. Our findings support the role of Balearic wall lizards as potential pollinators across the entire plant community, and their contribution to particular plant species, for instance the endangered Cistus heterophyllus carthaginensis. This study also documents the first record of another sympatric lizard (Tarentola mauritanica) visiting flowers and contributes to the few existing records of flower interactions involving geckos in the Paleartic ecozone.
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... Les Phelsumes sont omnivores (insectes divers, micro-crustacés, araignées, escargots) et parfois en proie au cannibalisme (Hagey et al. 2015 ;Sanchez 2010). Ils ont également un rôle dans la pollinisation et la dispersion des graines sur les îles océaniques telles que La Réunion, Maurice où les îles de l'archipel des Comores par leur consommation de nectar, pollen et fruits (Bègue et al. 2014 ;Noble et al. 2011 ;Olesen & Valido 2003). Comportements sociaux. ...
... Son régime alimentaire n'est pas documenté mais il intègre des invertébrés (fourmis), des fruits, du nectar ou du pollen ; elle a été observée se nourrissant de pollen sur l'espèce indigène Drypetes comorensis [Putranjivaceae] (Fig. 3). L'implication des Phelsuma dans la pollinisation de leurs plantes hôtes a été largement discutée sur d'autres îles telle que La Réunion (Sanchez & Eisenbach 2008 ;Vingadachetty et al. 2015 ;Bègue et al. 2014). ...
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... Este representa el primer registro de consumo de néctar de las flores de G. skinneri por A. porcatus; y el segundo sobre las de C. lueddemanniana (véase Armas, 2020). A diferencia de lo argumentado para otros lagartos (Bègue et al., 2014;Rose-Smyth, 2019), A. porcatus no contribuye a la polinización de ninguna de estas orquídeas, pues se limita a consumir el néctar disponible en el exterior de las flores, sin entrar en contacto con el polen. ...
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... Thus, the surfaces of plants have likely been critical in driving the evolution of, and molding the function of, the gecko adhesive apparatus. Indeed, some geckos (especially those of the genus Phelsuma) exhibit mutualistic relationships with flowering species by consuming their nectar and acting as pollinators (Olesen and Valido 2003;Hansen et al. 2007;Bègue et al. 2014). Therefore, there is potential for coevolution between geckos and plants in the context of feeding and reproduction, but whether this translates into the evolution of plant surfaces that facilitate gecko adhesion is currently unknown. ...
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  • INTEGR COMP BIOL
The study of gecko adhesion is necessarily interdisciplinary due to the hierarchical nature of the adhesive system and the complexity of interactions between the animals and their habitats. In nature, geckos move on a wide range of surfaces including soft sand dunes, trees, and rocks, but much of the research over the past two decades has focused on their adhesive performance on artificial surfaces. Exploring the complex interactions between geckos and their natural habitats will reveal aspects of the adhesive system that can be applied to biomimetic research, such as the factors that facilitate movement on dirty and rough surfaces with varying microtopography. Additionally, contrasting suites of constraints and topographies are found on rocks and plants, likely driving differences in locomotion and morphology. Our overarching goals are to bring to light several aspects of ecology that are important for gecko-habitat interactions, and to propose a framework for how they can inspire material scientists and functional ecologists. We also present new data on surface roughness and topography of a variety of surfaces, and adhesive performance of Phelsuma geckos on surfaces of varying roughness. We address the following key questions: (1) why and how should ecology be incorporated into the study of gecko adhesion? (2) What topographical features of rocks and plants likely drive adhesive performance? (3) How can ecological studies inform material science research? Recent advances in surface replication techniques that eliminate confounding factors among surface types facilitate the ability to address some of these questions. We pinpoint gaps in our understanding and identify key initiatives that should be adopted as we move forward. Most importantly, fine details of locomotor microhabitat use of both diurnal and nocturnal geckos are needed.
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Recovery plan for Phelsuma borbonica and Phelsuma inexpectata
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AILLOUD, J. et PROBST, J.M. 2020. Analyse d’ouvrage–Book review : « La Réunion - Les clés pour bien voyager ». Bulletin Phaethon, 51 : 48-49.
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2020
Abstract : This new travel guide "Reunion island- the keys to a successful trip" captures the essence of the island through its landscape, and gives the reader the ability to discover the hidden biodiverity it shelters.
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Procédure technique pour préserver les populations de Phelsuma borbonica situées dans des aménagements à La Réunion
Technical Report
Full-text available
  • Apr 2019
Technical procedure to preserve Phelsuma borbonica populations located in forest kiosks in Reunion Island
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Invasion of pollination networks on oceanic islands: Importance of invader complexes and endemic super generalists
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2002
The structure of pollination networks is described for two oceanic islands, the Azorean Flores and the Mauritian Ile aux Aigrettes. At each island site, all interactions between endemic, non-endemic native and introduced plants and pollinators were mapped. Linkage level, i.e. number of species interactions per species, was significantly higher for endemic species than for non-endemic native and introduced species. Linkage levels of the two latter categories were similar. Nine types of interaction may be recognized among endemic, non-endemic native and introduced plants and pollinators. Similar types had similar frequencies in the two networks. Specifically, we looked for the presence of 'invader complexes' of mutualists, defined as groups of introduced species interacting more with each other than expected by chance and thus facilitating each other's establishment. On both islands, observed frequencies of interactions between native (endemic and non-endemic) and introduced pollinators and plants differed from random. Introduced pollinators and plants interacted less than expected by chance. Thus, the data did not support the exist- ence of invader complexes. Instead, our study suggested that endemic super-generalist species, i.e. pollinators or plant species with a very wide pollination niche, include new invaders in their set of food plants or pollinators and thereby improve establishment success of the invaders. Reviewing other studies, super generalists seem to be a widespread island phenomenon, i.e. island pollination networks include one or a few species with a very high generalization level compared to co-occurring species. Low density of island species may lead to low interspecific competition, high abundance and ultimately wide niches and super generalization.
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Phelsuma inexpectata Mertens, 1966 et Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1942 (Squamata : Gekkonidae) : deux geckos potentiellement pollinisateurs de l'île de La Réunion
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2008
DESO G., PROBST J.-M., SANCHEZ M. & INEICH I., 2008 - Phelsuma inexpectata Mertens, 1966 et Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1942 (Squamata : Gekkonidae) : deux geckos potentiellement pollinisateurs de l'île de La Réunion. Bulletin de la Société herpétologique de France, 126: 9-23.
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Kleptoparasitism in the endemic gecko Phelsuma inexpectata: Pollen theft from foraging honeybees on Réunion
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2013
  • J TROP ECOL
Interspecific kleptoparasitism (the stealing of already-procured items from other species) has received little attention in tropical reptiles. We report here the second case of kleptoparasitism in tropical lizards, and the first known case of pollen theft by a vertebrate species. Phelsuma inexpectata, a gekkonid lizard endemic to Réunion, was observed robbing pollen pellets from honeybees (Apis mellifera) foraging on Latania lontaroides flowers. Video-records were used to obtain reliable information on gecko-honeybee interactions occurring on L. lontaroides inflorescences. During the 19 observation periods (total duration 140 min) a total of 78 attempts were recorded, at least 40% were successful. Both males and females displayed kleptoparasitic behaviour. A high level of gecko kleptoparasitism occurred, with an average one-robbery attempt every 2 min. Behaviour of both the kleptoparasitic P. inexpectata and its host A. mellifera are described.
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Vertebrate pollination of the endemic Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae) on Réunion
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2013
  • J TROP ECOL
The pollination ecology and breeding system of Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae), an endemic tree species from Réunion were studied. In 2010–2011, compatibility studies were conducted on a total of 154 flowers from 35 different individuals using three different hand pollination treatments: (a) autofertility, (b) self-pollination and (c) cross-pollination. During the period, we also studied the pollination ecology of T. granulata. During 48 h of video recordings, we tracked flower visits to T. granulata in six different sites and studied the behaviour of the visitors. The results from the hand-cross experiments show that T. granulata is self-compatible (60.8% fruit set) but cannot produce fruit (5.4% fruit set) without the visit of a pollen vector. During surveys, four different visitors were reported: the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera), two endemic species of white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus borbonicus and Z. olivaceus) and the endemic Réunion day gecko (Phelsuma borbonica). This study documented a new case of vertebrate-pollination by lizard and birds in an insular context. These interactions might be linked to several uncommon floral traits of Trochetia species.
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Pollination and seed dispersal by lizards: A review
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2004
ABSTRACT This paper ,reviews ,the ecological ,literature published ,during ,the last 15 years on pollination ,and ,seed dispersal by lizards, in order to determine the possible effects of these animals on plant reproduction. This review,is only,limited to these,years because,articles on plant-lizard interactions during this period have used more,rigorous ,experimental ,approaches ,than ,those ,made ,previously. All compiled ,data were ,analyzed considering,the conceptual ,framework ,provided ,by the ,quantity ,and quality components ,of pollination ,and seed dispersal (i.e., effectiveness), since this information is essential to have an idea of the relative contribution of animals,to plant,fitness. Results showed,that 34 species of lizards feed on nectar,and fruits of plants. While lizards consume these plant materials, they could effectively pollinate flowers or disperse seeds tosites away from parent plants. However, more studies on particular aspects of these interactions should be conducted,in order to completely understand,the ecological and evolutionary,effects of lizards on plants. Key words:effectiveness, fruits, mutualism, nectar, pollen. RESUMEN
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Coloured and toxic nectar: feeding choices of the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2013
Coloured nectar is a rare phenomenon best known from islands and insular habitats. Islands are also known for lizard pollination, where coloured nectar potentially acts as a visual cue to attract pollinators, advertising the sweet reward. However, nectar may also contain secondary metabolites with toxic or deterrent effects. The aim of this study was to determine which factors are important as artificial nectar choice determinants to the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis, an island pollinator: artificial nectar colour, artificial nectar colour saturation, artificial nectar conspicuousness and/or the presence of the alkaloid nicotine. Coloured artificial nectar and the darkest artificial nectar colour saturation were found to be important visual cues for the geckos, while the contrast between artificial nectar and petal colour was not. Geckos were deterred only by high nicotine concentrations (1000 µM in 0.63 M sucrose) and may even prefer low nicotine concentrations to sucrose-only solutions. Given their overall fondness for sugar solutions, Madagascar giant day geckos are likely to be important pollinators of Malagasy plant species that produce enough nectar to attract them, and plants with coloured nectar and/or secondary metabolites may have evolved those traits to attract the geckos in particular.
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Natural History Miscellany Positive Indirect Interactions between Neighboring Plant Species via a Lizard Pollinator
Article
Full-text available
In natural communities, species are embedded in net- works of direct and indirect interactions. Most studies on indirect interactions have focused on how they affect predator-prey or com- petitive relationships. However, it is equally likely that indirect in- teractions play an important structuring role in mutualistic rela- tionships in a natural community. We demonstrate experimentally that on a small spatial scale, dense thickets of endemic Pandanus plants have a strong positive trait-mediated indirect effect on the reproduction of the declining endemic Mauritian plant Trochetia blackburniana. This effect is mediated by the endemic gecko Phelsuma cepediana moving between Pandanus thickets, a preferred micro- habitat, and nearby T. blackburniana plants, where it feeds on nectar and pollinates the plants. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering plant-animal interactions such as pollination at relatively small spatial scales in both basic ecological studies and applied con- servation management.
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Insular interactions between lizards and flowers: Flower visitation by an endemic Mauritian gecko
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2001
  • J TROP ECOL
Lizards mainly eat arthropods, fruit, nectar, pollen and animal scats (Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997, Whitaker 1987), using their sense of smell and good colour vision while foraging (Vinson & Vinson 1969). Although several papers have contributed to the knowledge on the relationship between lizards and floral resources, this topic is often still regarded as anecdotal. However, a few detailed ecological studies on lizard and flower interactions have been conducted, e.g. in New Zealand and the Balearic Isles (Eifler 1995, Sáez & Traveset 1995, Traveset & Sáez 1997,Whitaker 1987). Pollination by lizards was rendered likely by the following findings: first, Mediterranean lacertid lizards and New Zealand geckos have pollen adhering to their belly, throat and labium; second, they may carry pollen for several hours, and thus also transport pollen some distance away from a pollen donor plant. New Zealand geckos carry pollen up to 72 m away from donors. Good experimental evidence of lizard pollination was produced by Pérez-Mellado & Casas (1997). They showed that an umbellifer species produced less viable seeds if Podarcis lilfordi lizards were excluded from flowers.
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Functional integrity of plant-pollinator communities in restored habitats in Mauritius
Article
  • Jan 2006
Die vorliegende Dissertation befasst sich mit den Wechselbeziehungen zwischen in Mauritius eingeführten und einheimischen Tier- und Pflanzenarten und den damit verbundenen mutualistischen Pflanze-Tier-Interaktionen. Es wurden vollständig quantifizierte Besucher-Netze verwendet, um Pflanze-Tier-Interaktionen auf der Ebene der Bestäuber- und Pflanzengemeinschaft zu untersuchen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit deuten darauf hin, dass die Mechanismen der biotische Bestäubung und Samenverbreitung einheimischer Pflanzen durch die Anwesenheit eingeführter Pflanzenarten indirekt beeinträchtigt werden. Die lokale Bestäuberfauna wurde von eingeführten Insekten dominiert, was auf eine erhebliche Störung der einheimischen, co-evolvierten Pflanze-Tier-Beziehung schliessen lässt. This thesis investigates the effects of introduced plant and animal species on native mutualistic interactions in Mauritius. The Mauritian ecosystem is highly degraded by invasive alien plant species. Conservationists have established a habitat restoration scheme to conserve endemic plants. The consequences of this restoration for associated animals and the role of mutualists in fulfilling their previous ecosystem functions are largely unknown. The main results of this thesis include: 1. Bird pollination behaviour may be affected by restoration schemes, resulting in reduced pollination success of the endangered endemic S. mamillatum in restored habitat. 2. The Janzen-Connell model describes seedling establishment of S. mamillatum, and ecological analogue species may serve as seed dispersers. 3. There is little evidence for indirect competition for pollination between the invasive P. cattleianum and the endemic B. zaluzania. 4. Visitation webs of restored habitat were more complex than those of unrestored habitat, which may be critical for ecosystem stability. The dominance of introduced pollinators suggested strong competition with native pollinators, which may have resulted in the disruption of co-evolved plant-pollinator interactions. 5. Fluctuations in species diversity, connectance, degree distribution and nestedness in pollinator communities suggest that network stability may vary considerably both temporally and spatially.
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Coloured and Toxic Nectar: Feeding Choices of the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma grandis
Article
  • May 2013
  • ETHOLOGY
Coloured nectar is a rare phenomenon best known from islands and insular habitats. Islands are also known for lizard pollination, where coloured nectar potentially acts as a visual cue to attract pollinators, advertising the sweet reward. However, nectar may also contain secondary metabolites with toxic or deterrent effects. The aim of this study was to determine which factors are important as artificial nectar choice determinants to the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis, an island pollinator: artificial nectar colour, artificial nectar colour saturation, artificial nectar conspicuousness and/or the presence of the alkaloid nicotine. Coloured artificial nectar and the darkest artificial nectar colour saturation were found to be important visual cues for the geckos, while the contrast between artificial nectar and petal colour was not. Geckos were deterred only by high nicotine concentrations (1000 lM in 0.63 M sucrose) and may even prefer low nicotine concentrations to sucroseonly solutions. Given their overall fondness for sugar solutions, Madagascar giant day geckos are likely to be important pollinators of Malagasy plant species that produce enough nectar to attract them, and plants with coloured nectar and/or secondary metabolites may have evolved those traits to attract the geckos in particular.
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