[Pollinator] Contributions of Stefan Vogel

[Peter Bernhardt]

Let us thank Dr Neff for informing us of the death of Stefan Vogel at 88.
Much of his research changed the way we look at flowers and their
pollinators.  In his early career he studied pollination systems in South
Africa and made some of the earliest association between long tongue
tangle-vein flies (nemestrinids) and long tongue horse flies to their
nectar sources in members of the iris family like Gladiolus and
Lapeirousia.  That also explains his life-long interest in oil-collecting
bees like Redviva species.

Vogel's real interest was in tiny structures on the epidermis of flowers.
He was convinced they contributed to the attraction and faithfulness of
pollinators.  Dr Neff told us about his work on oil and scent glands but,
did you know that, he also predicted that the sculpturing on the petals and
bracts of a number of plants mimicked the gills of mushrooms?  Today we
know that mycetophilid flies, and other fungus gnats, are important
pollinators in some parts of the world.  He also noted that, while some
rather primitive flowering plants lacked true, organized nectar glands the
surfaces of the flowers often had a number of microscopic pores that gushed
nectar giving the flower a sticky-wet appearance.  He named them
nectarioles.

Yes, much of his work was in German but you might consider an English
translation of his most famous little book.  It may still be available and
is worth reading.

Vogel S. 1990. The Role of Scent Glands in Pollination; On the Structure
and Function of Osmophores.  Smithsonian Institution Libraries and The
National Science Foundation, Washington D.C.

Pages vi - ix list Vogel's publications from 1950 - 1988 and  look. -  in
1985 he published a paper (in English) on oil-collecting South African bees
with Dr C.D. Michener.  We remain poorer for the loss of both men.

Peter
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