Inflorescence-visiting insects of a functionally dioecious wild grapevine

Abstract

The wild grapevine [Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi] is the Eurasian dioecious ancestral form of mostly monoecious domesticated cultivars (Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera). There are different hypotheses about grapevine pollination, varying from insect to wind pollination to spontaneous self-pollination. The aim of this paper is to update our knowledge on the biology of the wild grapevine by studying the insects visiting their inflorescences. During the fieldworks, floral visitors were observed, captured and identified. The most frequent insects visiting both sexes of wild grapevine were beetles (55%) followed by bees (45%). The present study shows that although in vineyards the wind may play a role in the cross-pollination, insects can contribute to the reproductive success of the wild grapevine. The knowledge of inflorescence-visiting insects, which potentially can act as pollinators may represent an important contribution to the conservation perspective of wild grapevine.