Specialized pollen-harvesting device in Erythrosmia

The females of all four species of the subgenus Erythrosmia are equipped with a specialized facial pilosity composed of curved bristles. As has been observed in Osmia andrenoides (Müller, 1996b), this facial pilosity serves to remove pollen from nototribic anthers of Lamiaceae and Antirrhineae. In fact, nototribic flowers are important pollen sources of all four Erythrosmia species (see species accounts for details).



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