Variations in floral secondary metabolites of three flower color morphs of Lantana camara L.: possible roles in pollinators attraction

Plant secondary metabolites in the flowers mediate their interactions with pollinators. We analyzed the variations in the floral secondary metabolites (FSMs) of three different flower color morphs (FCMs) of Lantana camara in relation to pollinator attraction. FSMs were characterized by GC–MS. Data analysis revealed no significant quantitative differences between the FCMs in the chemical classes and insect semiochemicals of the FSMs. The possible influence of the FSMs acting as semiochemicals for the recorded pollinators, comprising butterflies (n = 16), bees (n = 3), and one moth species, based on the qualitative differences in the insect semiochemicals among the FCMs, was indicated. However, the correlation between the dominant pollinator abundance and the number of related semiochemicals was not found to be significant. Since the primary visual cues for butterflies are flower colors, we concluded that the insect semiochemicals of FSMs may play a secondary role in attracting butterflies. In contrast, the other FSMs may play a primary role in attracting bees and moth species. The reasons behind the conclusions are discussed based on the collected data.