TY - JOUR
T1 - A dual function for 4-methoxybenzaldehyde in Petasites fragrans?
T2 - Pollinator-attractant and ant-repellent
AU - Pattrick, Jonathan Gilson
AU - Shepherd, Tom
AU - Hoppitt, Will
AU - Plowman, Nichola S.
AU - Willmer, Pat
N1 - JGP was jointly funded by a Natural Environment Research Council studentship, Grant number NE/H524930/1, and the University of St Andrews. Part of this work was funded by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government.
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - Ant-repellent floral volatiles offer one method through which plants can mediate the detrimental effects of ants on flowers. Although the repellence itself is well-documented, the volatiles involved are less well explored. Here we investigated the floral bouquet of ant-repellent male flowers of Petasites fragrans, identifying 4-methoxybenzaldehyde as the main component. 4-methoxybenzaldehyde significantly repelled ants when presented in isolation in an olfactometer and thus is the likely source of the repellent effect. As 4-methoxybenzaldehyde has previously been shown to attract pollinators, it may therefore have a dual function in P. fragrans, pollinator-attractant and ant-repellent. Additionally, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde is particularly interesting as an ant-repellent as it has been observed in the bouquets of other plant species with specific ant interactions.
AB - Ant-repellent floral volatiles offer one method through which plants can mediate the detrimental effects of ants on flowers. Although the repellence itself is well-documented, the volatiles involved are less well explored. Here we investigated the floral bouquet of ant-repellent male flowers of Petasites fragrans, identifying 4-methoxybenzaldehyde as the main component. 4-methoxybenzaldehyde significantly repelled ants when presented in isolation in an olfactometer and thus is the likely source of the repellent effect. As 4-methoxybenzaldehyde has previously been shown to attract pollinators, it may therefore have a dual function in P. fragrans, pollinator-attractant and ant-repellent. Additionally, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde is particularly interesting as an ant-repellent as it has been observed in the bouquets of other plant species with specific ant interactions.
KW - Petasites fragrans
KW - Ant-repellent floral volatiles
KW - 4-methoxybenzaldehyde
KW - p-anisaldehyde
U2 - 10.1007/s11829-017-9519-3
DO - 10.1007/s11829-017-9519-3
M3 - Article
SN - 1872-8855
VL - 11
SP - 623
EP - 627
JO - Arthropod-Plant Interactions
JF - Arthropod-Plant Interactions
IS - 5
ER -