Zhong Jin-Ru, Jin Xiao-Fang, Orr Michael C, Li Xiao-Qing, He Yong-Deng, Wang Sheng-Wei, Wang Qing-Feng, Yang Chun-Feng, Ye Zhong-Ming
College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Entomologie, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Stuttgart 70191, Germany.
Plant Divers. 2024 Dec 20;47(1):148-158. doi: 10.1016/j.pld.2024.12.004. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Plants and their interaction partners offer unparalleled views of evolutionary ecology. Nectar larceny, entailing nectar extraction without pollinating, is thought to be an example of a harmful, antagonistic behavior, but the precise consequences of floral larceny on plant reproductive success remain contentious. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 153 studies across 120 plant species, using 14 moderators to assess the effects of floral larceny on plant reproductive success and examine the key moderators. We found that floral larceny negatively impacts flower traits, pollinator visitation, pollen deposition, and fruit set, while having a neutral effect on critical female fitness indicators, such as seed set and seed quality, as well as on male fitness. By altering pollinator behavior, floral larceny may reduce geitonogamy, potentially enhancing genetic diversity. Additionally, factors such as pollinator type, plant mating system, and pollen limitation were identified as key moderators of these effects. Our analysis reveals an ultimately neutral effect of floral larceny on plant reproductive success, with potential benefits in certain contexts. These findings suggest that floral larceny plays a complex and multifaceted role within plant-pollinator interactions, facilitating the evolutionary stability and coexistence of floral larcenists and host plants.
植物及其相互作用伙伴为进化生态学提供了无与伦比的视角。花蜜盗窃行为，即不进行授粉而窃取花蜜，被认为是一种有害的、对抗性的行为，但花蜜盗窃对植物繁殖成功的确切影响仍存在争议。我们对涉及120种植物的153项研究进行了全面的荟萃分析，使用14个调节变量来评估花蜜盗窃对植物繁殖成功的影响，并检验关键调节变量。我们发现，花蜜盗窃对花朵性状、传粉者访花、花粉沉积和坐果有负面影响，而对关键的雌性适合度指标（如结实率和种子质量）以及雄性适合度有中性影响。通过改变传粉者行为，花蜜盗窃可能会减少同株异花授粉，从而潜在地提高遗传多样性。此外，传粉者类型、植物交配系统和花粉限制等因素被确定为这些影响的关键调节变量。我们的分析揭示了花蜜盗窃对植物繁殖成功最终具有中性影响，在某些情况下具有潜在益处。这些发现表明，花蜜盗窃在植物 - 传粉者相互作用中扮演着复杂而多面的角色，促进了花蜜盗窃者和寄主植物的进化稳定性与共存。
