Investigation of the relationship between pollinator and plant of the perfume flowers in Peru. Start of a florula project at Panguana in the Ucayali lowland

• Applicant: Dr. Günter Gerlach
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2009 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 112271075

Large expanses of the big country of Peru remain still unexplored. Studies on the pollination biology of perfume orchids and their pollinators, perfume gathering male euglossine bees, would be carried out in the following areas: the Machu Picchu reserve, the surroundings of Iquitos, and at Panguana field station. Perfume gathering bees are easy to attract and trap with chemical baits. Baiting experiments with new, untested substances, found in the fragrance composition of orchids cultivated in the Botanical Garden Munich will throw some light on the specificity of the respective male euglossine bees. From the hymenoptera carrying orchid pollinaria it is possible to study orchid pollination and distribution without any orchids. Thus, indirectly the presence of the orchid species hidden in the jungle or growing in unreachable heights will be confirmed alone by the pollinaria attached to the bee. The goal of the expedition is to fill gaps in the floristic data of Peru and to enhance the knowledge concerning Peru’s orchid flora and the role of its pollinators. Finally a floristic assessment of the field station Panguana would be initiated. The flora of this area remains still unexplored. Over a period of 3 weeks a first step in the botanical investigation of the station would be achieved.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants