Pollination in the Anthropocene: a Moth Can Learn Ozone-Altered Floral Blends.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Ecology

Background:

• Insect pollination is vital for agriculture and food production.
• Floral scents are key cues for pollinators, but atmospheric oxidants can alter them.
• Ozone pollution may reduce pollinator attraction and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of tropospheric ozone on insect-flower scent interactions.
• To determine if pollinators can overcome ozone-induced scent disruption.
• To assess the role of learning and visual cues in pollinator foraging.

Main Methods:

• Exposure of the tobacco hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) to ozone-altered floral scents of Nicotiana alata.
• Observation of moth behavior in response to altered scents and visual cues.
• Assessment of associative learning by pairing altered scents with nectar rewards.

Main Results:

• Tropospheric ozone levels disrupted the innate attraction of Manduca sexta to Nicotiana alata scent.
• Visual navigation and associative learning compensated for scent disruption.
• Moths learned to associate ozone-altered floral blends with nectar rewards.

Conclusions:

• Pollinators can adapt to ozone-altered floral odors through learning and visual cues.
• This adaptive ability may preserve plant-pollinator interactions under elevated oxidant conditions.
• Anthropogenic oxidants pose a threat to plant-pollinator systems, but learning offers a potential mitigation strategy.