Insect pollinators and predators of Spalding’s catchfly (Silene spaldingii) of the Zumwalt Prairie, Oregon Final Report – January 2012 USFWS Agreement # F10AC00090 (old #13420-A-J002) Robert V. Taylor Sandra J. DeBano The Nature Conservancy Oregon State University 906 S River St Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center Enterprise, OR 97828 PO Box 105
[email protected] Hermiston, OR 97838
[email protected] Abstract Spalding’s catchfly (Silene spaldingii) is a rare, threatened, perennial wildflower which depends on insect pollinators for reproduction. We studied the pollinators insect predators, and ungulate browse rates on S. spaldingii in 2010 and 2011 on the Zumwalt Prairie. We also examined fruit and seed production to assess reproductive output and conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine seed viability. We found that Bombus fervidus and B. appositus were the principal pollinators of S. spaldingii and confirmed that bees carried S. spaldingii pollen and that 34% of muli-plant visits involved 6 or more catchfly plants. Bees were also more likely to visit dense patches of S. spaldingii and areas having high numbers of blooming forbs. We found that 70% of S. spaldingii stems were browsed or had their flowers eaten by insect predators such as the noctuid moth Heliothis oregonica. Only 10% of stems produced mature fruits with an average of 119 (±42 SD) seeds per fruit. Seed germination rates were low (9%) compared to rates found in previous research on this plant; seeds produced later in the season had slightly higher rates (16%) than those produced earlier (6%). Although S. spaldingii on the Zumwalt Prairie appears to have adequate insect pollinators available, low seed production and viability may present a threat to this population of this federally-listed, threatened plant.