Abstract
South Florida is home to many species of flowers, such as Tradescantia ohiensis (also known as Spiderwort) and Bidens alba (also known as Spanish needle). Spanish Needle is a common weed that has a small flower with white petals and a yellow center while Spiderwort is a wildflower with bluish-purple petals and yellow anthers. Flowers have adapted their physical traits to attract pollinators through their colorful petals and the aromas they emit. Bees are known to use visual cues to identify flowers over long distances and use odor cues for short distances. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether petal color or aromas specifically influence bee preference for flowers such as Spiderwort and Spanish Needle. In this work, the odor profile, also known as biological volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), was determined for Spanish Needle and Spiderwort using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Extracted BVOCs were identified by comparing their mass spectral profiles to those in the NIST database. Once the odor profiles of both flowers were established, bees were observed to determine their preference for the two flowers. The results showed that bees visit flowers more frequently when they emit particular aromas.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Jessica Brown
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-2-2025 2:15 PM
End Date
4-3-2025 12:00 AM
Buzz and Bloom: Attractiveness of Odor and Petal Color in South Florida Native Flowers
Alvin Sherman Library
South Florida is home to many species of flowers, such as Tradescantia ohiensis (also known as Spiderwort) and Bidens alba (also known as Spanish needle). Spanish Needle is a common weed that has a small flower with white petals and a yellow center while Spiderwort is a wildflower with bluish-purple petals and yellow anthers. Flowers have adapted their physical traits to attract pollinators through their colorful petals and the aromas they emit. Bees are known to use visual cues to identify flowers over long distances and use odor cues for short distances. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether petal color or aromas specifically influence bee preference for flowers such as Spiderwort and Spanish Needle. In this work, the odor profile, also known as biological volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), was determined for Spanish Needle and Spiderwort using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Extracted BVOCs were identified by comparing their mass spectral profiles to those in the NIST database. Once the odor profiles of both flowers were established, bees were observed to determine their preference for the two flowers. The results showed that bees visit flowers more frequently when they emit particular aromas.
Comments
TED-Style Talk