Interações entre predadores e polinizadores e as consequências para a produção de frutos em Byrsonima microphylla A. Juss.
Keywords:
pollination, behavior, tritrophic interaction, Synaemops rubropunctatusAbstract
Predators that use flowers as a site of food may interrupt plant-pollinator mutualism. In this study it was tested the hypothesis that the presence of spiders on flowers can reflect negatively on the fruit set. Synaemops rubropunctatus Mello-Leitão 1929 the spider was more frequent in flowers of Byrsonima microphylla, A.Juss. The Wilcoxon test for paired samples showed that the presence of predators alter the behavior of pollinators, reducing the duration of visits. The qui-square test showed that the amount of fruit set in flowers without spiders was higher than those who harbored predators. However, as B.microphylla presents a large number of flowers and the abundance of spiders associated with these flowers is low, the impact of the reduction in the number of fruit set does not seem to be limiting factor for the productivity of the individuals.
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