蘭花因?yàn)樗鼈兊脑幱?jì)而聞名,。大多數(shù)不向它們的傳粉者提供有價(jià)值的東西的蘭花反而用更具回報(bào)的花或者潛在配偶的氣味引誘這些傳粉者,。如今,，8月6日發(fā)表在細(xì)胞出版社出版的《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》雜志網(wǎng)站上的一份報(bào)告首次揭示了一種生活在中國海南島上的蘭花通過發(fā)出一種蜜蜂用于發(fā)出警報(bào)的化學(xué)物質(zhì)從而欺騙了它的傳粉者胡蜂,。
這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)解釋了為何人們觀察到了把蜜蜂作為食物提供給幼蟲的胡蜂確實(shí)猛撲向了毫無回報(bào)的華石斛（Dendrobium sinense）的花朵,。
德國烏爾姆大學(xué)的研究人員Manfred Ayasse 和Jennifer Brodmann說,，這種蘭花制造的化合物稱為Z-11-eicosen-1-ol,，它在昆蟲世界也是很稀有的,。此前從未在任何植物中間發(fā)現(xiàn)它,。
“當(dāng)然，我們知道蘭花如何吸引它們的傳粉者的其他一些有趣的例子,，”Ayasse說,。“然而，我們沒料到發(fā)現(xiàn)這樣一種新型的詭計(jì),。”
這組科學(xué)家早先從他們的中國合作者的研究中得知,，華石斛和黑盾胡蜂（Vespa bicolor）之間發(fā)生了一些事情。迄今為止,，胡蜂是這些蘭花的最頻繁的訪問者,。但是這些胡蜂并沒有在這些花上著陸并停頓，而是猛撲向這種花的紅色中心,，仿佛它們正在攻擊獵物,。
在如今的這項(xiàng)研究中，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了胡蜂更傾向于接近有自然氣味的蘭花或者充滿了這種花的氣味的假蜜蜂,，而不是沒有氣味的假蜜蜂,。
對(duì)于這種花的萃取物的檢查表明Z-11-eicosen-1-ol是少數(shù)可能被胡蜂工蜂的觸角探測(cè)到的化合物之一。其他一些研究表明,，這種化學(xué)物質(zhì)是蜜蜂的警報(bào)信息素的主要成分之一,，而且是狩獵的胡蜂辨識(shí)獵物的主要成分,。在實(shí)驗(yàn)室對(duì)胡蜂的行為實(shí)驗(yàn)證實(shí)了這種捕食昆蟲被這種蘭花的氣味以及Z-11-eicosen-1-ol本身所吸引,。
這組科學(xué)家說，人們可能從這些蘭花中學(xué)會(huì)如何為了自身的目的而操縱胡蜂,。
“各種胡蜂對(duì)于養(yǎng)蜂人是一個(gè)問題,，因?yàn)樗鼈儞尳俜涑玻?rdquo;Ayasse說。“除了這個(gè)問題,，它們破壞水果作物,，這讓胡蜂成為了人類面臨的一種嚴(yán)重的害蟲。我們的研究結(jié)果可能用于開發(fā)對(duì)環(huán)境負(fù)責(zé)的捕捉害蟲胡蜂的陷阱,。”（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Current Biology, 06 August 2009 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.06.067
Orchid Mimics Honey Bee Alarm Pheromone in Order to Attract Hornets for Pollination
Jennifer Brodmann1,Robert Twele2,Wittko Francke2,Luo Yi-bo3,Song Xi-qiang4andManfred Ayasse1,,
1 Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, 89069Ulm, Germany
2 Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Hamburg, 20146Hamburg, Germany
3 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100093, China
4 Key Laboratory of Tropical Horticultural Plant Resources andGenetic Improvement, Hainan University, Haikou570228,China
Approximately one-third of the world's estimated 30,000 orchid species are deceptive and do not reward their pollinators with nectar or pollen [1]. Most of these deceptive orchids imitate the scent of rewarding flowers or potential mates [2,3]. In this study, we investigated the floral scent involved in pollinator attraction to the rewardless orchid Dendrobium sinense, a species endemic to the Chinese island Hainan that is pollinated by the hornet Vespa bicolor. Via chemical analyses and electrophysiological methods, we demonstrate that the flowers of D. sinense produce (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol and that the pollinator can smell this compound. This is a major compound in the alarm pheromones of both Asian (Apis cerana) and European (Apis mellifera) honey bees [4,5] and is also exploited by the European beewolf (Philanthus triangulum) to locate its prey [6]. This is the first time that (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol has been identified as a floral volatile. In behavioral experiments, we demonstrate that the floral scent of D. sinense and synthetic (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol are both attractive to hornets. Because hornets frequently capture honey bees to feed to their larvae, we suggest that the flowers of D. sinense mimic the alarm pheromone of honey bees in order to attract prey-hunting hornets for pollination.
