COEVOLUTION

Ramiro J. Barrera
7th Period.
October 23, 2017
 Mexican Petunia

Both moths and bees prefer plants such

as petunias with petals that form
relatively short tubes, although the
length of the tube varies depending on
the variety. Multiflora or cascade
varieties of petunia have shorter tubes
than grandiflora petunias of large
flowers. Bees also need the pollen from
the petunias they produce, which they use to feed their offspring. Other pollinators,
such as butterflies, are attracted to colorful plants, especially those of the orange /
yellow / red area, but bees can only detect ultraviolet marks, which humans cannot
see. The variety of petunias colors are not a factor in attracting bees.

Monarda
The monarda, has enjoyed a long history
among Native American tribes for its
medicinal value, but is also a favorite
among bees, in the long run, also serves
for butterflies and hummingbirds. With an
aroma like oregano, Monardason flowers
exist in a range of colors ranging from red,
pink, and purple.

Lavender

Lavender is not native to North America, but

has been here since the year 1600, thanks to
pilgrims who brought the most precious plant
in Europe. This soothing, aromatic member of
the mint family features tiny, pale purple
flower stalks, which are a favorite among
pollinators, both in the New and Old World.
 Common Milkweed
Common cotton has a unique pollination
mechanism that requires both butterflies and
bees. Named for its milky sap, common
features of the milkweed, a cluster of pale
pink flowers blooms from June to August,
leaving behind a large pod of seeds. Regarded
as a weed in some gardens, many insects,
such as the monarch butterfly, depend on this
sun-loving plant to survive.

Purple Cone Flower

The purple cone flower is perhaps best known
for its immunological stimulation properties.
The native species present pale petals of pink
flowers, but easy to grow permanently, now
come in a rainbow of hybrids, which equally
attract bees and butterflies.
 The symbiotic relationships we see today between plants and pollinators began
long ago. The first angiosperms depended on the wind for their pollination, as did their
relatives the gymnosperms (pines and related species). In them the ovary produces a sticky
exudate which traps the pollen grains that reach it. This exudate contains proteins and
sugars that served as food for beetles. The insects that depended on this form of food
began to accidentally transport pollen from one flower to another. Then the evolution of
the nectarines and the showy corollas were carried out. Originally the carpel was leaf-
shaped, but it folded over itself to keep the pollinators from feeding on the egg. 65 million
years ago, beginning the Cenozoic Era, the first butterflies, wasps, bees and moths
appeared, indicating that the evolution of the signs and rewards was very advanced, since
the adults of these insects feed almost exclusively on the floral.
The butterflies and moths constitute a diverse group, many of the butterflies are
diurnal, while many moths are nocturnal. Daytime pollinators are guided by visual cues,
while nocturnal pollinators are guided by olfactory signals. Flowers that have coevolved
with butterflies usually have nectar in the bottom of a tubular corolla (the nectar), where
only the long buccal suction apparatus (the spirits horn) of these insects can reach. The
flowers that attract the moths in general are pale and of intense smells. The presence of
these characteristics in plants is called psychphilia syndrome. Some species of moths have
developed such a close relationship with the plant from which it feeds that one reaches
the point where neither species can live without the other.
Many species of flies are important plant pollinators. Flies that are attracted by
the smell of the carrion, because they lay their eggs there, they pollinate flowers that
have developed the color, texture and even smell of decaying flesh. The presence of these
characteristics in the plants is called myofilia syndrome.
Bees and wasps are famous for their amazing visual ability, this has had an impact
on the development of pigments that reflect the ultraviolet light that can be seen by these
insects, but not by humans (can be visualized with the aid of an ultraviolet lamp). The
flowers that depend for their pollination of wasps and bees are not red. The presence of
these characteristics in plants is called the melitofilia syndrome.
Birds are another group of animals that have evolved in parallel with flowering
plants and have influenced the development of particular pollination syndromes. The
flowers that are visited by birds do not have odors since their pollinators do not have very
developed the sense of smell, instead they have vivid colors like reds, oranges or yellows.
Many flowers have long, strong and pendulous corollas (the set of petals), which are
accessible to hummingbirds that can keep the flight suspended. The walls of the corolla
of these flowers are harder than those of other plants to avoid damage by the beak of the
bird to other organs. In addition to the above, these flowers are characterized by having
large volumes of nectar per flower. The presence of these characteristics in the plants is
called "ornithophilia syndrome".