Partial predispersal seed predation in Lotus corniculatus L. (Fabaceae)

Predispersal seed predation may have implications for plant population dynamics and the evolution of plant traits, but assessing the level of seed predation for an individual plant is not always straightforward. Seeds of Lotus corniculatus (Fabaceae) are often only partially eaten by a weevil seed predator, Apion loti. Samples of these seeds were tested for viability and subsequent seedling vigour. A large proportion of these damaged seeds were viable, and the resulting seedlings almost as vigorous as those from undamaged seeds. The ubiquity of these findings, and their ecological significance, is discussed.