Pollination ecology of the red Anemone coronaria (Ranunculaceae): honeybees may select for early flowering

Large red bowl-shaped flowers characterize the Mediterranean “poppy guild” plants, and were suggested to reflect convergence for beetle pollination. However, the earliest-blooming species in this guild, Anemone coronaria (L.), starts flowering about a month before beetle emergence. Early flowering can be adaptive if the plant receives sufficient pollination by other means during this period. We investigated A. coronaria’s pollination prospects throughout its flowering season by monitoring its flowering phenology, the composition of the surrounding insect community, and insect visitors. Clear protogyny precluded self pollination, and anthesis occurred gradually over several days. Released pollen was quickly collected by insects, suggesting no major role for wind pollination. Beetles, flies and bees were trapped at the study site throughout the flowering period. Honeybees were the main anemone visitors during the first seven weeks of flowering, and were joined by Glaphyrid beetles in the remaining three weeks. Early- and late-blooming flowers had similar female reproductive success. We propose that effective pollination by honeybees may allow anemones to bloom in early spring and thereby reduce competition for pollinators with later-blooming species. Our results support previous evidence for pollination of red flowers by bees, and for the importance of generalization in pollination interactions in heterogeneous environments.