Faecal mimicry by seeds ensures dispersal by dung beetles
- 5 October 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Nature Plants
- Vol. 1 (10) , 1-3
Abstract
The large brown, round, strongly scented seeds of Ceratocaryum argenteum (Restionaceae) emit many volatiles found to be present in herbivore dung. These seeds attract dung beetles that roll and bury them. As the seeds are hard and offer no reward to the dung beetles, this is a remarkable example of deception in plant seed dispersal.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- The volatile organic compounds of introduced and native dung and carrion and their role in dung beetle foraging behaviourEcological Entomology, 2014
- Signals Can Trump Rewards in Attracting Seed-Dispersing AntsPLOS ONE, 2013
- Chemical mimicry of insect oviposition sites: a global analysis of convergence in angiospermsEcology Letters, 2013
- Physical dormancy in seeds: a game of hide and seek?New Phytologist, 2013
- Olfactory Detection of Caches Containing Wildland Versus Cultivated Seeds by Granivorous RodentsWestern North American Naturalist, 2012
- Strontium isotope analyses of large herbivore habitat use in the Cape Fynbos region of South AfricaOecologia, 2010
- Myrmecochorous plants use chemical mimicry to cheat seed‐dispersing antsFunctional Ecology, 2010
- Deception in plants: mimicry or perceptual exploitation?Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2009
- Two New Species of Ceratocaryum (Restionaceae)Kew Bulletin, 2001
- Seasonal dung beetle activity and dung dispersal in selected South African habitats: implications for pasture improvement in AustraliaAgriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 1996