Olfactory and Visual Floral Signals of Hedera helix and Heracleum sphondylium Involved in Host Finding by Nectar-Foraging Social Wasps
Journal: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Year: 2020

Social vespid wasps regularly forage on flowers with a generalist pollination system. However, little is known about communication between wasps and their host plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of olfactory and visual floral signals of Hedera helix and Heracleum sphondylium, both frequently visited by Vespula and Dolichovespula wasps for the collection of nectar. A combination of chemical, electrophysiological and spectral analyses and behavioral experiments was used to i