Plant and animal studies

Honeybees collect pollen from the buzz-pollinated flowers of invasive Solanum elaeagnifolium in Northern Greece

This study reports honeybees visiting and extracting pollen from invasive Solanum elaeagnifolium flowers in Northern Greece, likely due to limited floral resources during summer.

Warm or bright - temperature and light microhabitat use in insect pollinators

This study examines how bumblebees select foraging niches based on temperature and light intensity in bilberry-dominated forests, finding temperature filters species presence while light intensity influences abundance.

Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment frequencies among animal-pollinated species

The paper analyzes floral pigment frequencies across three regions, finding UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids are widespread, while anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophylls are less common, with frequencies influenced by environmental and pollinator factors.

Plant-Pollinator Interactions along the Altitudinal Gradient in Berberis lycium Royle: An Endangered Medicinal Plant Species of the Himalayan Region

This study examines how pollinator composition and abundance change with altitude for Berberis lycium, finding negative correlations between altitude and pollination indices and reproductive output.

Effect of network structure and adaptive foraging on pollination services of species-rich plant-pollinator communities

This study uses model simulations to show that empirically connected networks with adaptive foraging maximize pollen deposition in plant-pollinator communities.

Flowers as fungal extended phenotypes: nectar yeasts obfuscate among-plant differences in nectar sugar concentration

The paper investigates how nectar yeasts affect among-plant variation in nectar sugar concentration, finding that yeasts reduce plant-specific differences by 79%.

Plant species and floral traits shape arthropod communities in restored prairies more than neonicotinoid contamination

This study shows that plant species and floral traits have a greater impact on arthropod communities in restored prairies than neonicotinoid contamination.

Soil sanctuaries: Experimental manipulations enhance ground-nesting bee habitat across an urban gradient

The paper tests soil surface manipulations to enhance ground-nesting bee habitats across urban gradients, finding that treatments increased colonization rates and revealed preferences for specific substrates.

Simulated climate warming scenarios lead to earlier emergence and increased weight loss but have no effect on overwintering survival in solitary bees

This study shows that simulated climate warming leads to earlier emergence and more weight loss in solitary bees but does not affect their overwintering survival.

Regional species coexistence despite local priority effects: the overlooked role of dispersal-community feedback

The paper shows dispersal-community feedback promotes regional species coexistence by linking microbe-pollinator interactions to plant-scale competition and spatial partitioning.

Equalizing Effect of Pollinator Adaptive Foraging on Plant Network Coexistence

This study shows pollinator adaptive foraging creates equalizing mechanisms that promote plant coexistence by benefiting specialists over generalists, resolving conflicting findings on pollination's role.

Spillover of managed bumble bees from Mediterranean orchards during mass flowering causes minor short-term ecological impacts

This study assesses the ecological impact of managed bumble bees spilling over from orchards to nearby habitats and finds no significant short-term effects on plant-bee communities.

No decoy effect in bees: rewardless flowers do not increase bumblebees' preference for neighbouring flowers

This study tests if rewardless flowers act as decoys for bumblebees, finding they do not increase preference for neighboring flowers but are quickly avoided.

Bumblebees do not prefer consistent floral scents over variable ones

This study tests whether bumblebees prefer flowers with consistent scents over variable ones, finding no preference for scent consistency.

Long-lasting negative effects of past forestation on grassland pollination networks and their function

This study shows that past forestation negatively affects grassland pollination networks and plant reproduction, with effects persisting for decades after restoration.

Pollen DNA reveals urban cavity-nesting bees feed primarily on weeds and frequently nest in urban farms

The paper uses pollen DNA analysis to show urban cavity-nesting bees primarily feed on weeds and nest more successfully in urban farms than pollinator plantings.

Honeybee hive density has consequences for foraging bumblebees in Irish heathlands

This study examines how honeybee hive density affects bumblebee abundance, size, and foraging activity in Irish heathlands, finding increased honeybee abundance and reduced bumblebee worker size with higher hive density.

Projected impacts of climate change on plant-frugivore interactions across the Americas

This study projects declines in plant-frugivore interaction diversity under climate change, with potential mitigation through bird dispersal and dietary flexibility.

Squash flowers as microhabitats: the effects of floral temperature and humidity on pollen viability and visitor behavior

This study examines how floral temperature and humidity in squash flowers affect pollen viability and pollinator behavior, finding that reduced humidity harms pollen and alters squash bee visitation.

Consistency in floral volatiles impacts plant-pollinator interactions in the face of environmental change in the Eastern Himalayas

The paper examines how elevation and warming affect floral scent composition and pollinator preferences in alpine meadows, finding that conspecific scents remain more similar across elevations than between species.

FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers

This paper introduces a new method to measure nectar volume in artificial flowers using electrodes and an oscillator circuit, demonstrating its accuracy in detecting nectar variations.

Landscape conservation and orchard management influence carob tree yield through changes in pollinator communities

The paper examines how landscape conservation and orchard management affect carob tree yield by altering pollinator communities.

Pollinators differentially respond to local and landscape grassland features

This study examines how local and landscape grassland features affect different pollinator groups, finding varied responses to habitat resources and spatial scales.

Internet images reveal bumblebee-mimicking hoverflies have evolved to follow flower colour preferences of their models

The paper shows bumblebee-mimicking hoverflies have shifted flower preference to blue, matching their models' choices, supporting behavioural mimicry.

Off-target drift of the herbicide dicamba disrupts plant-pollinator interactions via novel pathways

This study examines how dicamba herbicide drift affects plant-pollinator interactions in weeds, finding reduced pollinator visits and disrupted relationships between flower displays and pollinator behavior.

The convergent evolution of hummingbird pollination results in repeated floral scent loss through gene downregulation

This study shows that hummingbird-pollinated Costus species lose floral scent through gene downregulation, not pseudogenization, highlighting strong selection pressures for scent loss.

Fine-scale variation in pollen availability influences Bombus terrestris colony behaviour, development and fitness.

This study shows that small changes in pollen availability timing significantly affect Bombus terrestris colony behavior, development, and reproductive fitness.

Experimental wildflower additions increase pollination in urban agroecosystems

The paper tests the impact of adding wildflower patches in urban areas on pollinator communities and pollination services, finding benefits for social bees but not all insect taxa, and an increase in tomato seed set.

Comparing the Seasonal Diets of Buff-tailed Bumble Bees and Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a Forest Landscape: A Metabarcoding Approach

This study uses metabarcoding to compare seasonal diets of honeybees and buff-tailed bumblebees in France, finding that primer choice has a greater impact on plant segregation than pollinator species.

Do pollinators play a role in shaping the essential amino acids found in nectar?

This study investigates whether pollinators influence the essential amino acid profiles in nectar by testing bumblebee preferences and finding no direct selection pressure but post-ingestive evaluation mechanisms.