Pollinator foraging tactics have divergent consequences for the mating system of a tropical plant

Resolving the consequences of pollinator foraging behaviour for plant mating systems is a fundamental challenge in evolutionary ecology. Pollinators may adopt particular foraging tactics: complete trapline foraging (repeated movements along a fixed route), sample-and-shift trapline foraging (a variable route that incorporates information from previous experiences), and territorial foraging (stochastic movements within a restricted area). Studies that integrate these pollinator foraging tactics with plant mating systems are generally lacking.
We investigate the consequences of particular pollinator foraging tactics for Heliconia tortuosa. We combine parentage and sibship inference analysis with simulation modeling to: (1) estimate mating system parameters; (2) infer the foraging tactic adopted by the pollinators; and (3) quantify the impact of pollinator foraging tactics on mating system parameters.
We found high outcrossing rates, ubiquitous multiple paternity, and a pronounced departur...