Floral integration has been deemed an adaptation to increase the benefits of animal pollination, yet no attempts have made estimate its adaptive value under natural conditions. Here, variation in magnitude and pattern phenotypic floral variance-covariance structure traits four species Rosaceae were examined. The intensity selection acting on was also estimated available evidence regarding reviewed. studied had similar degrees integration, although significant differences observed their...

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are devastating agricultural pests worldwide but studies on their long-term population dynamics sparse. Our aim was to determine the mechanisms driving as a prerequisite for ecologically based areawide pest management. The density of three pestiferous Anastrepha species [Anastrepha ludens (Loew), obliqua (Macquart), and serpentina (Wiedemann)] determined in grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi Macfad.), mango (Mangifera indica L.), sapodilla [Manilkara zapota (L.)...

We tested whether phylogeny, flower size and/or altitude were significant predictors of interspecific variation in nectar production hummingbird-visited plants an assembled database (289 species, 22 orders, 56 families and 131 genera). Although the study is focused on hummingbird-pollinated (241 plant species), with different pollinator syndromes (48 species) are also included analyses. Nectar volume secreted a given time period (usually 24 h) by flower, its sugar concentration corolla...

Despite of the economic importance olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) and large amount biological ecological studies on insect, factors driving its population dynamics (i.e., persistence regulation) had not been analytically investigated until present study. Specifically, our study autoregressive process populations, joint role intrinsic extrinsic molding insect. Accounting for endogenous influences exogenous such as grove temperature, North Atlantic Oscillation presence potential host fruit, we...

Because pollinators are unable to directly assess the amount of rewards offered by flowers, they rely on information provided advertising floral traits. Thus, having a lower intra-individual correlation between signal and reward (signal accuracy) than other plants in population provides opportunity reduce investment cheat pollinators. However, pollinators' cognitive capacities can impose limit evolution this plant cheating strategy if punish those with low accuracy. In study, we examined for...

Animal-pollinated angiosperm plants that replenish removed nectar invest energy can entail a reproductive cost. Here we investigated whether or not seed production is affected by replenishing in hummingbird-pollinated Tillandsia multicaulis and T. deppeana (Bromeliaceae) montane cloud forest eastern Mexico. These epiphytic respond strongly positively to repeated removal. The female cost was assessed manually, cross-pollinated flowers with without Seed from experimental then contrasted those...

U tetes anastrephae (Viereck) and D oryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) are common, native, N eotropical braconid parasitoids of tephritid fruit flies that sympatric often found attacking the same host. The coexistence two species may be due in part to longer ovipositor . permits it attack larvae larger than can This increases its potential host range provides ‘competitor‐free space’. capacity persist smaller fruit, exploitable by , suggested was a superior competitor multiparasitised hosts....

Bird foraging behaviour is a major factor involved in mutualistic interactions of fleshy-fruited plants. Despite much research, we still lack quantified demonstrations how fruit display traits affect removal behaviour. Although the crop size hypothesis proposes general mechanism for trait selection, it overlooks fact that distinctive bird behaviours assemblage would have different effects on size. Here, show relevance consumption driven by two basic components behaviour: handling and...

In seed-dispersal mutualisms, the number of fruit a plant displays is key trait, as it acts signal for seed dispersers that entails removal and exportation reproductive units (fruit crop size hypothesis). Although this hypothesis has gained general acceptance, forces driving shape strength natural selection exerted by birds on remains an unresolved matter. Here, we propose ecological filters promoting high functional equivalence interacting partners (similar roles) translate into similar...

Summary In visually driven seed dispersal mutualisms, natural selection should promote plant strategies that maximize fruit visibility to dispersers. Plants might increase profitability by increasing conspicuousness of display, understood as a strategy detectability The role different traits in choice and consumption dispersers has been broadly studied. However, there is no clear evidence about the importance display. Because display are diverse, usually expected be costly, we would expect...

Abstract According to diet‐regulation hypotheses, animals select food regulate the intake of macronutrients or maximise energy feeding efficiency. Specifically, nutrient balance model proposes that foraging is primarily a process balancing multiple nutrients achieve nutritional target, while maximisation aims energy. Here, we evaluate adjustment fruit diets (the fruit‐derived component diets) and targets, characterising strategies across fruit‐eating bird species with different...

Abstract Every organism on Earth must cope with a multitude of species interactions both directly and indirectly throughout its life cycle. However, how selection from multiple occupying different trophic levels affects diffuse mutualisms has received little attention. As result, given amalgamates the combined effects mutualists antagonists to enhance own fitness remains understood. We investigated multispecies (frugivorous birds, ants, fruit flies parasitoid wasps) generate traits in seed...

Biological control through the augmentative release of parasitoids is an important complementary tool that may be incorporated into other strategies for eradication/eco-friendly pest fruit flies. However, not much information available on effectiveness fly as biocontrol agents in semi-arid and temperate fruit-growing regions. Therefore, this study evaluated effect releases larval parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (medfly) populations over two...

Animals in search of fleshy fruits forage mostly according to the number available and then select individual based on reward quality or advertised subtle traits. This hierarchical pattern fruit choice would be translated into patterns selection strength mediated by frugivores display Thus, exert higher pressures crop size lower within-plant variation phenotypic traits (infructescence, seed size). However, no attempt link this behavioral mechanism trait natural has been made. Therefore, we...

Abstract We analyzed immature‐to‐mother social distance (juveniles and non‐nursing infants) in two Mexican mantled howler monkey ( Alouatta palliata ) troops inhabiting a tropical rainforest fragment (40 ha) at Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. During July August of 2000 2001 we applied an instantaneous sampling method (317 hr) to record the behaviors immatures their mothers, as well distances (ordinal scale) between mothers (IMD), nonmother individuals (INMD). Immatures were generally less...

Planococcus ficus is a principal mealybug pest of vineyards worldwide. Minthostachys verticillata and Eucalyptus globulus essential oils (EO) were evaluated as insecticidal products on P. , the main components M. E. EO also tested compounds against vine females under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that was more toxic than E. globulus EO, while pulegone (LC50 39.60 µL/L) other constituents studied. Menthofuran, an oxidation product by cytochrome P450 enzymes, showed LC50 value...