Nighttime atmospheric oxidation of floral scent impacts the ability of hawkmoths to locate a floral scent source


SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING (VAM)
January 3 – Febuary 28, 2021

Meeting Abstract


90-11  Sat Jan 2  Nighttime atmospheric oxidation of floral scent impacts the ability of hawkmoths to locate a floral scent source Chan, JK*; Thornton, JA; Riffell, JA; University of Washington, department of Biology; University of Washington, department of Atmospheric Sciences; University of Washington, department of Biology jkchan@uw.edu

Floral scent is important to pollinators for locating flowers as it relays information to pollinators regarding the quality of floral food resources. Pollinators need to track floral scent in a dynamic chemical environment, and these scent signals are vulnerable to interference by degradation in the atmosphere. Nitrate radicals are a dominant atmospheric oxidant at night in human polluted environments, and here we simulate oxidation conditions at 120 ppb ozone and 60 ppb nitrogen dioxide corresponding to a highly polluted industrial environment. We investigate the impact of nighttime nitrate radical atmospheric oxidation on floral scent composition, and how this impacts pollination behavior by the hawkmoths Hyles lineata and Manduca sexta. Using gas chromatograph mass spectrometry and electroantennographic detection we created an artificial floral scent blend of the primrose Oenothera pallida which is pollinated by these hawkmoths in the field. No-choice wind tunnel behavior assays indicate that Manduca sexta is attracted to the floral scent blend at a high rate both before and after nitrate radical oxidation, however the time taken to locate the scent source was significantly longer with the oxidized scent due to a delay in the initiation of “cast and surge” scent tracking behavior. Chemical analysis of the atmospheric oxidation of the floral scent blend by nitrate radicals suggests significant changes to floral scent composition after 90 seconds of atmospheric oxidation. Together, these suggest that conditions generated by human air pollution can significantly disrupt pollinator odor navigation, which may impact pollinator services.

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