Pollination ecology

The conversion rate of flowering into fruiting stems in C. montanum at two sites over four seasons was 52-85%.  This is high for insect-pollinated, food mimics in this genus and greater than fruit sets recorded in populations of four species native to China and two species native to North America. Comparative measurements of the trap-like labellum of C. montanum showed it was intermediate in size compared to measurements of six other Cypripedium spp. found in North America and China. While visitors to flowers of C. montanum represented three insect orders, at two sites, over four seasons only small- to medium-sized, solitary bees (5-10 mm in length) carried the pollen massulae. Bee-visitation occurred at both sites and began within 24-48 hours following labellum expansion. Female bees in the genus Lasioglossum (Halictidae) were the most common carriers of massulae. However, species of visiting bees differed between sites and years. At both sites the majority of bees entered and esca...

Since 2006, significant losses of bee colonies have been recorded in many countries around the world, a phenomenon called "colony collapse disease" or "honeybee depopulation syndrome". Losses of over 50% of the bee population have been recorded. At the same time, it has been determined that wild pollinator populations have also been significantly reduced. An American study shows that during the 20th century, almost half of the known species of wild pollinators disappeared. In Europe, 9% of bee and butterfly species are threatened with extinction, and the populations of 37% of bee species and 31% of butterfly species are in decline. In countries where species are recorded in the Red Book, data show that over 40% of bee and bumblebee species are threatened with extinction.

La ecorregión del Desierto costero del Pacífico peruano es conocida por la alta biodiversidad de sus humedales y fauna marina. Sin embargo, no se han enfatizado estudios sobre la biodiversidad del desierto mismo. El proyecto "Salvemos los colibríes" en la ciudad de Pisco en el departamento de Ica estableció jardines de plantas con flores para atraer colibríes y otros polinizadores en dos colegios, entre abril del 2018 y diciembre del 2023. El objetivo fue determinar cuáles fueron las
plantas preferidas por los polinizadores, especialmente colibríes. Luego de preparar los jardines, observamos a los visitantes florales que son polinizadores potenciales, tanto en los jardines de los colegios como en áreas verdes cercanas. Las observaciones fueron hechas principalmente por L.M., alumnos y profesores de los colegios que participaron en este proyecto. Registramos cuatro colibríes: Amazilis amazilia, Thaumastura cora, Myrtis fanny y Rhodopis vesper, además, un picocono:
Conirostrum cinereum y cuatro insectos visitando las flores de diez especies de plantas. Cinco especies de plantas fueron nativas y cinco fueron exóticas. El colibrí A. amazilia fue el visitante floral más frecuente, seguido de T. cora. Los insectos solo visitaron una especie de planta, Walteria ovata. Los maestros y alumnos que participaron en este proyecto fueron capacitados en ecología de la polinización y en la necesidad de conservar áreas verdes para los colibríes y otros polinizadores.

The rise of borders’ securitization has had established effects on the societal, security, and economic relations between states worldwide. In this paper, though, we argue that the usual level of analysis regarding border spaces is insufficient, as a state-based or neo-liberal approach ignores important realities and stakeholders that must be considered in these regions’ peacebuilding and governance. Using the illustrative cases of flagship species – pollinators (Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds) at the US/Mexico border and Megafauna (wolves, bears, reindeer) at the Finnish/Russian border, we show that non-human migratory corridors must be included as part of a more complex and radical relational understanding of securitized borders. Traditional use by humans in these spaces similarly needs to be incorporated into any sustainable governance approaches. Critical, decolonial, and feminist peace and conflict studies, as well as radical relational approaches, invite us to include local and Indigenous voices in bordering policies, to fight epistemological violence, inequalities, and discrimination, and to better address the challenges that borders entail, especially within the context of climate change. Radical relational understandings (including human relations with non-human migratory actors) offer a holistic understanding of these issues, especially as climate change increases pressure on human and non-human cross-border migration around the world.

This study presents a systematic thematic literature review focused on the diversity of insect pollinators and pollination mechanisms among mangrove species, with particular emphasis on tropical and subtropical regions, including Guyana. The review aimed to synthesize current knowledge, identify research gaps, and emphasize the ecological importance of plant-pollinator interactions in mangrove ecosystems. Journal articles published between 2020 and 2025 were prioritized using Google Scholar and supplementary databases, including ResearchGate, Semantic Scholar, ScienceDirect, and others. Using a systematic thematic approach, 136 peer-reviewed journal articles were selected from an initial pool of 257, sourced through these online platforms. Older studies dating back to 1967 were included where relevant, to establish foundational context and highlight gaps in historical research. The review revealed that mangrove species employ various pollination strategies, including insect-mediated, wind, and other animal vectors. Insects such as bees, beetles, flies, and butterflies have been identified as key pollinators, attracted to unique floral traits, including morphology, scent, and nectar production. Despite these insights, the review highlights several critical research gaps. There is a pronounced geographic bias in the existing literature, with limited research conducted in mangrove-rich regions, such as Guyana. Additionally, there is a lack of species-level studies, long-term monitoring, and data on pollination efficiency. The effects of habitat degradation on pollinator communities and the underutilization of modern tools such as DNA barcoding and remote sensing further constrain ecological understanding. Addressing these gaps is crucial not only for strengthening mangrove conservation in Guyana but also for contributing to global efforts to protect coastal biodiversity. Improved research on pollination systems will support ecosystem resilience, guide restoration practices, and safeguard the ecological services mangroves provide to vulnerable coastal populations.

Este artículo explora la influencia de las cordilleras sobre el flujo génico de Exaerete smaragdina, una abeja de amplia distribución en Colombia y de gran importancia en el sostenimiento de la diversidad florística de sistemas naturales, gracias a su función como agente polinizador de orquídeas neotropicales. Se muestrearon once bosques naturales conservados en el flanco occidental de la cordillera Central, el flanco oriental de la cordillera Centro-Oriental, el piedemonte amazónico y el flanco occidental de la cordillera Occidental. En cada bosque se establecieron dos transectos de 250 m x 2,5 m. A lo largo de cada transecto, se ubicaron seis estaciones de muestreo cada 50 metros, en las cuales se instalaron trampas de olor con atrayentes aromáticos. El material biológico recolectado fue procesado en el Laboratorio de Entomología de la Universidad del Cauca y las abejas depositadas en la Colección de Referencia del Museo de Historia Natural. Se realizó la caracterización molecular mediante el gen COI. Los resultados soportan la idea de que E. smaragdina es un complejo de especies en el país. La estructura genética y la alta diferenciación molecular entre las poblaciones dispuestas en cada flanco de las cordilleras sugiere su aparición como un evento geográfico que posiblemente aisló las poblaciones, donde los requerimientos ecológicos locales han constituido una barrera influyente en el aislamiento reproductivo de la especie.

Tropical and temperate high elevation envi­ronments differ in annual thermal oscillation, and in the South American Andes, summer precipitation regimes are more common at tro­pical latitudes. However, the altitudinal thermal gradients are similar, and consequently parallel altitudinal trends in pollination mechanisms and insect-plant interactions are expected. However, pollination by endothermic groups might be more abundant at wet tropical latitu­des as compared with mid-temperate latitudes, on account of flowering season temperatures being relatively lower in the Inferior vegetation belts, where, nevertheless, floral resources are abundant. For arid tropical mountains, energe­tic considerations predict relatively more pollination by ectothermic insects and wind as a re­sult of the association of relatively low summer temperatures with very low plant cover and floral resources. High latitude temperate mountains should be closer to arid tropical mountains for pollination, due to greater similarities In floral resource levels and flowering season temperatures. Some of these predic­tions are tested by comparing pollination in the Asteraceae at an arid-subtropical site above the Atacama Desert at 18°S and a semi-arid tem­perature site at 33°SIn the Chilean Andes.

The contrast between pollination syndromes and effective pollination systems and its perspectives to the Atlantic Forest associated ecosystems Resumo Algumas flores apresentam características morfológicas que podem restringir a diversidade de seus visitantes, o que levou ao estabelecimento das síndromes de polinização baseadas nos atributos florais, onde as flores seriam supostamente adaptadas a tipos específicos de polinizadores. Entretanto, a idéia de síndrome tem sido questionada por pesquisadores com base em evidências de uma ampla generalização dos sistemas de polinização, pois espécies vegetais com flores morfologicamente complexas são visitadas por um amplo espectro de visitantes. Questões importantes podem intervir no processo de polinização e afetar, conseqüentemente, os serviços de polinização num determinado ecossistema e algumas delas serão discutidas, como a estruturação das assembléias de polinizadores, a análise comparada das síndromes e dos sistemas de polinização e os recursos florais nelas envolvidos. Palavras-chave síndromes de polinização, atributos florais, recursos florais, visitantes florais.

The net consequence of nectar robbing on reproductive success of plants is usually negative and the positive effect is rarely produced. We evaluated the influence of nectar robbing on the behaviour of pollinators and the reproductive success of Tecomella undulata (Bignoniaceae) in a natural population. Experimental pollinations showed that the trees were strictly self-incompatible. The three types of floral colour morphs of the tree viz. red, orange and yellow, lacked compatibility barriers. The pollinators (Pycnonotus cafer and Pycnonotus leucotis) and the robber (Nectarinia asiatica) showed equal preference for all the morphs, as they visited each morph with nearly equal frequency and flower-handling time. The sunbirds caused up to 60% nectar robbing, mostly (99%) by piercing through the corolla tube. Although nectar is replenished at regular intervals, insufficient amount of nectar compelled the pollinators to visit additional trees in bloom. Data of manual nectar robbing from the entire tree showed that the pollinators covered lower number of flowers per tree (5 flowers/tree) and more trees per bout (7 trees/bout) than the unrobbed ones (19 flowers/tree and 2 trees bout). The robbed trees set a significantly greater amount of fruits than the unrobbed trees. However, the number of seeds in a fruit did not differ significantly. The study shows that plant-pollinator-robber interaction may benefit the self-incompatible plant species under conditions that increases the visits of pollinators among the compatible conspecifics in a population.

Over the past decades, both wild and domesticated insect pollinators are in dramatic decline, which puts at stake the existence of species, ecosystem resilience and global food security. Globally, 87 of major food crops depend on animal pollination. Together these account for 35 % of the world food production volume. Pollinator mediated crops are indispensable for essential micronutrients in the human diet. Many ornamental plants as well as crops for fibre, fodder, biofuels, timber and phytopharmaceuticals also depend on insect pollinators. This article aims to map the current situation of pollinators worldwide, with a focus on the critical role of pollinators in the human food chain and ecosystem sustainability, their intrinsic and extrinsic value, as well as the causes of their declines and the interventions needed to conserve them, in order to develop an argument for the importance of conserving and restoring pollinator populations and diversity. The present pollinator crisis threatens global and local food security, can worsen the problems of hidden hunger, erodes ecosystem resilience, and can destabilise ecosystems that form our life support system. An integrated approach that simultaneously addresses the key drivers is needed. This includes creation and restoration of floral and nesting resources, a global phase out of prophylactic use of neonicotinoids and fipronil, improvement of test protocols in authorisation of agrochemicals, and restoration and maintenance of independence in regulatory science. The authors argue that an international treaty for global pollinator stewardship and pollinator ecosystem restoration should be initiated in order to systemically counteract the current crisis.

Se exponen observaciones básicas sobre biología floral y fructificación de tres especies de madreselvas (Lonicera arborea Boiss., L. etrusca G. Santi y L. splendida Boiss., Caprifoliaceae) en las sierras de Cazorla y Segura (Jaén). La polinización es diurna, realizada por abejorros y abejas, en L. arborea; y predominantemente crepuscular y nocturna, por esfíngidos, en L. etrusca y L. splendida. Las tres especies son muy nectaríferas; L. arborea secreta en promedio 1,7 ul por flor y día, con una concentración del 40,2 %; L. etrusca y L. splendida producen 2,8 y 4,6 ul, con concentraciones de 23,5 y 19,6 %, respectivamente. Los visitantes de las flores de la primera especie son en su mayoría Bombus terrestris y Apis mellifera (99 % de las visitas), y los esfíngidos (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) predominan en las dos últimas (76,7 y 60,4% de las visitas); en éstas, las abejas y abejorros actúan como "ladrones" de néctar, perforando la base de la corola. El porcentaje medio de flores robadas por planta fue de 34,2% [10,1-75,6] para L. etrusca y de 18,2% [3,6-48,8%] para L. splendida. En las tres especies aumentó significativamente la fructificación y la producción de semillas tras la polinización xenógama respecto a los cruces geitonógamos o al control (polinización libre). Solo en L. arborea se registró producción de frutos en ausencia de polinizadores (autogamia). En las tres especies los frutos de las polinizaciones xenógamas produjeron más semillas que los resultantes de la geitonogamia. L. arborea no mostró diferencias significativas en el peso de frutos o de semillas resultantes de estos tratamientos, pero en L. splendida y L. etrusca los frutos y semillas tras la xenogamía resultaron de mayor peso, aunque este efecto fue debido a las diferencias en número de semillas por fruto y no a un efecto directo del tratamiento.

Bees are model organisms for the study of learning and memory, yet nearly all such research to date has used a single reward, nectar. Many bees collect both nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) on a single foraging bout, sometimes from different plant species. We tested whether individual bumblebees could learn colour associations with nectar and pollen rewards simultaneously in a foraging scenario where one floral type offered only nectar and the other only pollen. We found that bees readily learned multiple reward–colour associations, and when presented with novel floral targets generalized to colours similar to those trained for each reward type. These results expand the ecological significance of work on bee learning and raise new questions regarding the cognitive ecology of pollination.

Oilseed pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a new, autumn-sown, "cash cover crop" for the Midwestern USA and elsewhere. Anthesis occurs in early spring when few other plants bloom, and its flowers attract early-emerging bees. However, the taxonomic composition of these bees was unknown. Consequently, we systematically captured and identified the genera and species of bees (Hymenoptera) visiting pennycress flowers throughout anthesis at five site-years: two in Illinois and three in Minnesota. A cumulative total of 28 bee species were found across site-years. The most common genera were Andrena (10 species), Lasioglossum (12 species), and Halictus (2 species). Rarer genera were Apis, Ceratina, Hylaeus, and Nomada. Bee abundance and diversity were related closely and in a negative exponential manner with percent land area devoted to annual cropping. The inclusion of new, early flowering crops, such as pennycress, that provide valuable food resources may enhance bee abundance and diversity, especially if even small areas of uncropped land are nearby.

En el ámbito de la biología vegetal, se ha tendido históricamente a subestimar la agencia y sensibilidad de las plantas. No obstante, investigaciones recientes han comenzado a revelar la existencia de formas de percepción no neuronal que permiten a las plantas actuar en sincronía con su entorno. Este ensayo parte del comportamiento de apertura y cierre floral de Mirabilis jalapa para argumentar que la sensibilidad de la planta actúa como un campo de presencia relacional anticipatoria, donde la relación con el polinizador no depende de su presencia física, sino de la posibilidad anticipada de su ocurrencia. De igual modo, puede pensarse que los polinizadores también operan desde esa lógica de disponibilidad relacional.

Flower-visiting insects are essential in maintaining a healthy and productive agricultural landscape through ecosystem services such as pollination. Fruits are important sources of vitamins and micronutrients, and several fruit crops depend on animal pollination, which enhances their nutritional content. Besides honey bees, apple orchards can sustain a large number of arthropod species that also aid in pollination. In this present study, we assessed the diversity and abundance of insect flower visitors in six apple orchards in Nyeri and Laikipia East. Six plots, each with more than 20 apple trees, were purposefully selected. Data were collected through timed visual searches and sweep netting. Sampling was done from 0900 hours to 1700 hours, six days a week, for five months consecutively in 2019. Diversity indices were computed using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, while abundance patterns were displayed using species abundance curves. Differences in species diversity and abundance between sites were compared using a one-way analysis of variance. A total of 1,221 insects belonging to 23 families, 82 species, and 4 orders (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera) were recorded. The order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) was the most abundant, with 1,176 individuals, and had the most species-rich taxa, with 56 species in 9 families. The order Coleoptera (beetles) was second, with 26 individuals and 12 species in 6 families. Lepidoptera were the least abundant with 10 individuals and the least species-rich taxa with 7 species in 5 families, followed closely by Diptera with 7 individuals and 7 species in 3 families. There were significant differences in flower visitors' composition among the six sites. The study provides important information on the status of key apple flower visitors, which can guide orchard management practises to increase apple yield through pollinator conservation. Conserving apple pollinators will enhance fruit production, promote the livelihoods of farmers, and contribute to the national economy.

▪   Quantifying the extent to which seed production is limited by the availability of pollen has been an area of intensive empirical study over the past few decades. Whereas theory predicts that pollen augmentation should not increase seed production, numerous empirical studies report significant and strong pollen limitation. Here, we use a variety of approaches to examine the correlates of pollen limitation in an effort to understand its occurrence and importance in plant evolutionary ecology. In particular, we examine the role of recent ecological perturbations in influencing pollen limitation and discuss the relation between pollen limitation and plant traits. We find that the magnitude of pollen limitation observed in natural populations depends on both historical constraints and contemporary ecological factors.

Las especies de Narcissus presentan una notable diversidad morfológica en cuanto a su arquitectura floral, especialmente en la forma y longitud del tubo floral y la disposición de la corona, lo que sugiere una evolución influida por presiones selectivas de distintos gremios de polinizadores. Algunas especies poseen flores adaptadas a polinizadores especializados como lepidópteros esfíngidos o himenópteros de lengua larga, mientras que otras, como N. dubius o N. eugeniae, muestran morfologías florales más abiertas y accesibles, favoreciendo interacciones con una entomofauna diversa, que incluye abejas solitarias (Andrenidae, Halictidae), abejorros (Bombus spp.), abejas domésticas (Apis mellifera), así como algunos dípteros (e.g., Bombylius major) y lepidópteros diurnos (e.g., Macroglossum stellatarum).

The potato Solanum tuberosum is one of the most important products worldwide and is cultivated under different production systems. Its greatest diversity is concentrated in the South American Andes, where it originated; however, little is known about native pollen vectors that may mediate in sexual reproduction, possibly because potato multiplication at the commercial level is carried out through its tubers. In order to understand the effects that this type of agro-ecosystem may have on the diversity of pollen vectors, particularly bees, an inventory was raised in three types of production systems of the department of Antioquia: monoculture, association with other cultivated species, and association with patches of natural vegetation or forests, which were surveyed in transects located within the crops, on the edges and in its matrix. In this work, the difference between transects, plots, and production systems was recorded.
The importance of the patch conservation of natural vegetation and the maintenance of the vegetal diversity around the crops for the preservation of wild bees was demonstrated in different production systems. Finally, it was concluded that the design of the agro-ecosystem plays an important role in the bee community structure in potato crops.

We observed the behavior of 23 species of wild bees visiting Aspilia tenella (Kunth) S .F. Blake in four different localities of the Porce II dam influence zone (Antioquia, Colombia).
We recorded number of individuals and total time spent per visit and we measured the temperature and relative humidity. The analyses of the pollen loads showed that out of the thirty pollen types, A. tenella represented the most common of all pollen types, followed by pollen types of Piper aduncum, Miconia minutiflora, Psidium guajava, Rapanea sp., Mimosa pudica y Psychotria sp., in that order. Grouping analyses for the
collected bees produced two groups: first, a group of 18 species of bees whose pollen loads had more than 77% of A. tenella pollen grains; and the second group with five species of wild bees whose pollen loads were more abundant in other types of pollen: Exomalopsis sp. 2 (90,4% of M. minutiflora); Lasioglossum sp. 1 and Coelioxys aff. mexicana (77,4% and 64,1% of P. aduncum, respectively); Exomalopsis sp. 2 (67,1% of P. guajava) and Auglochloropsis vesta (55,5% of Rapanea sp.). Trigona fulviventris and Apis mellifera showed the highest richness of pollen types in their pollen loads; this is an evidence of their broad trophic niches and overall generalist feeding habits.

To solve the issue of insufficient pollinating of insects for the oil tree peony ‘Feng Dan’ (Paeonia ostii T. Hong et J.X. Zhang) and improve its seed set and yield, we conducted observations from 2017 to 2018 to investigate the relationship between honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foraging behavior and diurnal activity. We compared the single-fruit seed set ratio among three flower types on the same plants of the oil tree peony, which flowered simultaneously, in three pollination areas (bee pollination, natural field pollination, and controlled pollination by pollinators) and in a net room under self-pollination, wind pollination and bee pollination. Apis mellifera exhibited short single visitations, long visitations to a single flower and repeated visits to flowers of the oil tree peony. The number of flower visits of A. mellifera was significantly and positively yet weakly correlated with the number of stigma visits (2017: r = 0.045, p < 0.05; 2018: r = 0.195, p < 0.01). The s...

Using synthetic pesticides to manage pests can threaten pollination services, affecting the productivity of pollination-dependent crops such as avocado. The need to mitigate this negative externality has led to the emergence of the concept of integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) to achieve both pest and pollinator management, leading to complementary or synergistic benefits for yield and quality of the harvest. This paper aims to evaluate the potential economic and welfare impact of IPPM in avocado production systems in Kenya and Tanzania. We utilize both primary and secondary data and employed the economic surplus model. On average the potential economic gain from the adoption of IPPM is US$ 66 million annually in Kenya, with a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 13:1, while in Tanzania US$ 1.4 million per year, with a BCR of 34:1. The potential benefits from IPPM intervention gains are expected to reduce the number of poor people in Kenya and Tanzania by 10,464 and 1,255 peopl...

Cooperative behaviors are common among social insects such as bees, wasps, ants, and termites, but they have not been reported from insect species that use aggressive mimicry to manipulate and exploit prey or hosts. Here we show that larval aggregations of the blister beetle Meloe franciscanus , which parasitize nests of the solitary bee Habropoda pallida , cooperate to exploit the sexual communication system of their hosts by producing a chemical cue that mimics the sex pheromone of the female bee. Male bees are lured to larval aggregations, and upon contact (pseudocopulation) the beetle larvae attach to the male bees. The larvae transfer to female bees during mating and subsequently are transported to the nests of their hosts. To mimic the chemical and visual signals of female bees effectively, the parasite larvae must cooperate, emphasizing the adaptive value of cooperation between larvae. The aggressive chemical mimicry by the beetle larvae and their subsequent transport to thei...

New Zealand, for gene constmcts and their kind support, and Sanford Scientific for some of the gene constructs. My thanks are also due to Nancy Craig, Lynne and Ed for providing the most valuable support during difficult times, and to the Sri Lankan community in Hawaii and to my friends, Anokha and Lisa, for providing a family away from home. I am also grateful to my family, my mother for giving me courage and determination to finish my studies despite many obstacles, my late father who always believed in me, and my most wonderful brother and his family, for their love and support throughout the long years of my education.

Brown’s peony, Paeonia brownii (Paeoniaceae), is one of only two peony species native to the Western Hemisphere, yet its pollination ecology and breeding system have never been documented. Using flowering individuals of an endemic colony in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, U.S., we investigated the peony’s pollination system and floral function. We also examined pollen/carpel interactions through experimental pollinations aided by fluorescence microscopy. Paeonia brownii appears to be self compatible and mostly protogynous with floral traits of a generalist pollination system. The flowers appear to attract insects by producing abundant floral nectar secreted from lobes of a perigynous disc throughout their 9-15-days of anthesis. The most common pollen vectors were wasp queens (Vespidae), the large flower fly Criorhina caudata (Syrphidae), and females of Lasioglossum spp. (Halictidae), all of which foraged exclusively for nectar. Whether collected from foraging wasps and flies, anthers,...

The pollination ecology of Persoonia (Proteaceae) in eastern Australia. Telopea 6(4): 775-804. Twenty Persoonia spp. and two interspecific hybrids (P. acerosa x P. levis, P. microphylla x P. molljs) native to eastern Australia were examined. Although these radially symmetrical flowers appear to have a tubular perianth each tepal is hinged at its base and opens outwardly when depressed by an insect at least 6 mm long. These species show an aestival-autumnal flowering peak and four, differing, floral scents were recognised. Persoonia pinifolia and P. subvelutina produce nectar that is sucrose dominant. Twenty two insect taxa were collected on the flowers but field observations and the analyses of pollen loads carried by insects suggested that Persoonia is pollinated primarily by bees. Specifically, the most consistent pollen vectors were native Leioproctus species (Colletidae; subgenus Cladocerapis) and Exoneura species (Anthophoridae). Pollen load analyses showed that both Exoneura and Leioproctus spp. also foraged on the flowers of Myrtaceae and other co-blooming taxa. The deposition of Persoonia pollen on these bees was both dorsal and ventral as their contact with anthers was both active and passive. Female bees in subgenus Cladocerapis usually carried heavier loads of pollen than males, which appeared to forage for nectar exclusively. Leioproctus (Cladocerapis) spp. observed on P. glaucescens, P. lanceolata and P. mollis showed stereotyped modes of pollen collection confirming observations first made by Rodd as cited by . At two sites, 28% of the bees collected carried the pollen of more than one Persoonia species. The high frequency of first generation hybrids between Persoonia species is explained, in part, by a combination of overlapping distributions, flowering periods and pollinators.

Schrankia nuttalii flowers through late spring on the tallgrass prairie. Although each stem produces an average of 26 capitate inflorescences only 12% of those inflorescences will open each day to disperse and receive polyads. Each inflorescence may live up to 48 hours but anthers abscise by late afternoon on the first day and the filaments change color and lose their scent. The 78 -93 florets comprising each inflorescence open synchronously before dawn or during early morning hours. First day inflorescences of S. nuttallii are herkogamous and fragrant. They are nectarless. Bombyliid flies and male bees are infrequent floral foragers so the major pollinators include female bees representing five families; Anthophoridae, Apidae,Colletidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. All foraging insects ignore second day inflorescences although stigmas are still receptive. Although 97% of all bees collected on S. nuttallii carry Schrankia polyads in their scopae or corbiculae 59% also carry the pollen/pollinaria of one or more coblooming angiosperms. At least 98% of all bees carrying mixed pollen loads incorporate the pollen/pollinaria of one or more nectariferous taxa (e.g. Asclepias spp., Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Delphinium spec., etc.). Species of halictid bees are more likely to carry pure loads of S. nuttallii polyads (70%) than bees of the four remaining families. Due to the nectarless florets and high degree of polylectic foraging bee-pollination in S. nuttallii converges more closely with the pollination systems of some Australian Acacia spp. than with most other xeric/tropical genera of mimosoids studied in the western hemisphere.

The floral ecology of Penstemon cobaea Nutt. var. cobaea, P. cobaea var. purpureus lVnnell. P. digitalis Null, ex Sims. P. grandiflonis Nutt., P. pallidas Small, and P. tubaefiorus Nutt. was studied by sampling populations at nine prairie sites in Illinois. Kansas, and Missouri. All five species show protandry. but the receptive stigma lies only 2 mm away from the two pairs of fertile stamens. Bagging experiments on three Penstemon spp. show that only P. digitalis sets seed when insect visitors are excluded. Flowers of all five species exhibit a horizontal presentation of the corolla and emit a slightly discernible scent. However, the presumed pollination systems of Penstemon spp. correlate with corolla form and the size of the floral sinus. The tubular, white flowers of P. tubaefiorus appear to be pollinated by a combination of diurnal Lepidoptera and some native bees favoring a dorsal deposition of pollen on mouthparts and upper thoraces. The four remaining species have gullet-or bell-shaped corollas ornamented with violet-purple blotches or lines. These species appear to be pollinated primarily by polylectie/polyphagic bees (including six Bombus spp.). with P. digitalis and P. cobaea visited infrequently by the rare Penstemon wasp, Pseudomasans oceidentalis. Queens of Bombus pennsylvanicus subsp. pennsylvanicus forage primarily on the large, gullet flowers of P. grandiflonis and both varieties of P. cobaea. Queens of Bombus nevadensis subsp. auricomus prefer those P. digitalis and P. pallidus showing a reduced gullet or bell form. Bee pollination in four Penstemon spp. may operate within a two-tiered system. Large-bodied Bombus spp.. Megachile breris, and anthophorids (Synhalonia hamata and Anthophora terminal is) earn dorsal depositions of Penstemon pollen because they contact anthers and stigmas while they forage exclusively for nectar. In contrast, smallbodied members of the Anthophoridae (Ceratina), Colletidae (Hylaeus spp.). Halictidae (Augochlorella, Halictus, Lasioglossum). and Megachilidae (Hoplitis and Osmia) forage actively for Penstemon pollen encouraging repeated, ventral contact with the sexual organs of the flowers. Bombus queens were more prevalent at large Penstemon populations (especially P. cobaea). Bombus workers were collected primarily on restored sites. The importance of small bees as pollinators appeared to vary indirectly with Penstemon population size.

Cauliflower is a cross-pollinated crop and honey bees play an important role in its pollination. In the current study, we studied we studied diversity and foraging behavior of floral visitors to floral visitors along with their visitation rate, frequency during 2019 and 2020. The data were collected at 0800–1000 hours (early morning foraging activity), 1000-1200 hours (late morning foraging activity), 1200-1400 hours (Noon foraging activity) and 1400-1600 hours (afternoon foraging activity). The results revealed that seven species of bees, five flies and three wasp species on the flowers of cauliflower. Apis mellifera, Apis dorsata and Apis florea were the dominant pollinator species with 162-214, 126-164, and 82-136 individuals, respectively in both years. The maximum foraging activity of the dominant pollinators was observed at 14:00 hrs followed by 12:00 hrs whereas the minimum foraging activity was recorded in the early morning hours 08:00. Floral visitors differed significantly...

Resumen: El néctar de fl ores polinizadas por colibríes es usualmente robado por animales no polinizadores, por ello se esperaría que plantas sometidas al robo de néctar presenten distintas estrategias que permitan mitigar los costos asociados. En este estudio, evaluamos la producción de néctar y fl ores como rasgos para mitigar el robo de néctar en la planta diestílica Bouvardia ternifolia (Rubiaceae) en el Parque Nacional la Malinche, Tlaxcala, México. Plantas de ambos morfos fueron sometidas a tres tratamientos: (1) tratamiento de remoción de néctar, (2) tratamiento sin remoción y (3) tratamiento control (plantas sin exclusión ni extracción de néctar). Durante el periodo de fl oración, cuantifi camos semanalmente el volumen de néctar (15 fl ores/planta) y el número de fl ores producidas por planta. Polinizamos manualmente las fl ores focales y los frutos producidos se recolectaron y sus semillas contadas. Las fl ores con y sin remoción de néctar produjeron similar recompensa; contrario a los pequeños volúmenes producidos en fl ores control. Las fl ores del morfo pin mostraron mayores volúmenes y concentraciones de néctar que las thrum. No encontramos efecto de los tratamientos sobre la producción de fl ores en ambos morfos. Las fl ores con y sin remoción de néctar produjeron más semillas que las fl ores control. Nuestros resultados sugieren que Bouvardia puede sobrecompensar el néctar robado, pero no las fl ores; sin afectar el número de semillas producidas. Palabras clave: Bouvardia ternifolia, producción de fl ores y néctar, robo de néctar, Tlaxcala.

— We compared the pollinator effectiveness of native and exotic bees on Kallstroemia gran- diflora in a tropical dry forest in Mexico. Although exotic Apis mellifera transfer 2.5 times less pollen grains on a per visit basis, they visited the flowers 2.65 times more frequently than the native bee Trigona nigra. Thus, when all measures of pollinator effectiveness are combined, exotic bees appear to be as efficient pollinators as native bees. Africanized bee / Apis mellifera / Kallstroemia / pollination efficiency / Trigona / tropical dry forest the introduction of African bees to the Americas is a large-scale experiment that permits the testing of these ideas. Roubik

Military lands and waters may be particularly valuable for migrating birds requiring stopover habitat to rest and refuel en route to very distant seasonal ranges. Recent developments in radar technology have provided powerful tools for investigating on a broad scale migrant use of military installations; thus providing an opportunity to improve both conservation and flight safety measures. In this study, spring and fall migrant use of 40 military installations across the United States were qualitatively investigated. These times of year were selected since they are the periods when BASH is of most concern. Migratory patterns on three installations (Eglin Air Force Base, FL; Ft. Polk, LA; and Yuma Proving Ground, AZ) were then closely examined and migration forecast models for those locations were developed with the goal of providing a tool for reducing the probability of collisions between birds and military aircraft. A comparison was also made between radar estimates of migrant densities aloft during exodus events and more traditional ground-based surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of estimating migrant abundance in stopover habitat with radar data. At Fort Polk, movement ecology and migrant-habitat relations of the Red-eyed Vireo were investigated during migratory stopover. Lastly, migrant use of diverse riparian habitats was compared along water courses near the Yuma Proving Ground. Results indicated that approximately half of the installations examined with radar data contained migrant stopover "hotspots," reaffirming the fact that military installations are important to migrating birds. Interestingly, migrant abundances, and species turnover as estimated by ground-based surveys, were found to poorly reflect migrant densities estimated with radar data. Migrant abundance, species richness, and community composition were all also found to be influenced by riparian vegetation composition. This information collectively suggested that radar data can be used to identify migratory hotspots on military installations and improve flight safety on installations with an aviation mission. However, radar data may not be sufficient to distinguish fine-scale differences in habitat use by migrants within an installation's boundaries. The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products. All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. DESTROY THIS REPORT WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINATOR.

With hope and effort, the author seeks to enhance understanding of pollution ecology and the dangers posed by polluting industries, which, despite their benefits to society and the economy, also contribute to the contamination of water, air, and agricultural soil through their discharges. The unfortunate fate of waterlogging, especially following the widening of the Halda River, is widely documented. Species extinction and gene alienation, exacerbated by water quality degradation, have also been observed in the neighboring wetland areas of the Chattogram hi-tech park. Despite the regulations in place at the sources of pollution, policymakers have often failed to address existing disparities and deficiencies in waste management measures. Given the pressing need for improved management models, pollution ecology must be prioritized over health ecology to tackle new risks and looming disasters (Rowland, 2000).

This field-based study investigates the diversity and activity of pollinators in cultivated gardens and uncultivated flower-rich areas. The observational data highlight comparative species richness, floral preferences, and the ecological roles of native pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. Conducted in April 2025, the survey employed visual observation and species identification via iNaturalist.

The findings suggest that uncultivated zones offer valuable habitats that support a broader pollinator community. The report is archived as a preprint on Zenodo (DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.15524762).

Resumo: Ainda não existem estudos sobre os efeitos da polinização na cultura do maxixe. Dessa forma, esta pesquisa objetivou apresentar informações preliminares sobre o sistema de polinização e dos potenciais polinizadores da cultura do maxixe em São Luiz-MA. A diversidade e abundância de visitantes florais e polinizadores foi determinada pela coleta, com rede entomológica dos espécimes que visitaram as flores na área de cultivo. A eficiência dos polinizadores de maxixe foi obtida através do ensacamento de botões florais femininos com sacos de malha, por meio dos seguintes tratamentos: Uma visita de inseto; Ausência de visita; Polinização manual; Polinização livre -Testemunha. Sua atratividade aos insetos polinizadores possui uma tendência crescente com o passar do tempo, para os polinizadores T. guiana, Augochlora sp. e A. mellifera nessa ordem. A Augochlora sp. foi o polinizador que proporcionou frutos com as melhores características com apenas uma visita. Palavras-chave: Cucumis anguria; polinização entomófila; taxa de pegamento; qualidade do fruto.

The capacity for cone‐mediated color vision varies among nocturnal primates. Some species are colorblind, having lost the functionality of their short‐wavelength‐sensitive‐1 (SWS1) opsin pigment gene. In other species, such as the aye‐aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), the SWS1 gene remains intact. Recent studies focused on aye‐ayes indicate that this gene has been maintained by natural selection and that the pigment has a peak sensitivity (λmax) of 406 nm, which is ∼20 nm closer to the ultraviolet region of the spectrum than in most primates. The functional significance behind the retention and unusual λmax of this opsin pigment is unknown, and it is perplexing given that all mammals are presumed to be colorblind in the dark. Here we comment on this puzzle and discuss recent findings on the color vision intensity thresholds of terrestrial vertebrates with comparable optics to aye‐ayes. We draw attention to the twilight activities of aye‐ayes and report that twilight is enriched in...

Conservation of biodiversity in agroecosystems is essential for the sustainability of insectpollinated crops. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of areas near the rapeseed crops containing spontaneous Brassicaceae species and to identify the insects visiting both. We assessed the impact of pollinators on rapeseed yield, its components, and seed oil content. The research was conducted in experimental plots in the southeastern Pampas region during 2017, 2018, and 2019. Each year, two rapeseed cultivars (a hybrid and a variety) were tested. The flowering period of spontaneous Brassicaceae extended beyond 90 days, approximately three times longer than the rapeseed crop. In the spontaneous Brassicaceae and the rapeseed plots, the same species of flower visitors were captured. However, in two of the three years, the number of insects was higher in the spontaneous patches. These findings highlight the importance of these plants as food resources for pollinators. When insects had access to the crop, the yield was significantly higher for all tested rapeseed cultivars, with an average increase ranging between 27% and 35%. Pollinators enhanced rapeseed production without affecting the oil percentage, resulting in an increased oil yield per hectare by positively impacting grain yield.

se realizaron observaciones directas e indirectas de la actividad diurna de las abejas al visitar las flores de M. glabra y O. cosymbephorum. Se registró la hora de visita, el número de flores visitadas y la frecuencia, y la duración de las visitas. Se registró el sistema de reproducción de las dos plantas. Se exploró una correlación entre el horario de actividad de las abejas y la hora del día. Centris lunulata presentó alta frecuencia y duración de visitas y una mayor actividad de forrajeo y polinización en ambas especies de plantas. Se discute sobre la interacción planta-animal mediante la ecología conductual de estas abejas.

During the main COVID-19 global pandemic lockdown period of 2020 an impromptu set of pollination ecologists came together via social media and personal contacts to carry out standardised surveys of the flower visits and plants in gardens. The surveys involved 67 rural, suburban and urban gardens, of various sizes, ranging from 61.18° North in Norway to 37.96° South in Australia, resulting in a data set of 25,174 rows, with each row being a unique interaction record for that date/site/plant species, and comprising almost 47,000 visits to flowers, as well as records of flowers that were not visited by pollinators, for over 1,000 species and varieties belonging to more than 460 genera and 96 plant families. The more than 650 species of flower visitors belong to 12 orders of invertebrates and four of vertebrates. In this first publication from the project, we present a brief description of the data and make it freely available for any researchers to use in the future, the only restricti...

ContextThere have been dramatic global declines in pollinating insects. A common land management intervention to support wild pollinators is to plant non-crop flowering plants (‘pollinator planting’). However, there are limited data on which species or spatial arrangement of planting provide maximum benefit to wild pollinators.ObjectivesHere we investigate which flowering species and locations are visited by free-foragingBombus terrestris(buff-tailed bumblebees) in species-rich semi-natural grassland and woodland.MethodsTwo study nests of buff-tailed bumblebees were established in Wytham Woods, UK. Pollen analogue pigments were sprayed on open flowers in the study area over a period of two months, with unique colours used to identify separate sections of the study area. Pollen load analysis was used to identify forage species and foraging locations.ResultsBumblebees showed low flower constancy, visiting five flower species per trip on average, and as a group the sampled bumblebees v...

In generalized food deception the orchid flowers implement certain strategy to attract diverse group of visitors including pollinators. Early flowering, morphological similarities, colour patterns of floral organs with other rewarding co-occurring flowers are some of the interesting strategies of deceptive orchids. The grey orchid 'Vanda tessellata' is an epiphytic photophilic orchid, distributed in Indian Subcontinent to China (Yunnan) and Indo-China and are collected for their horticultural and medicinal values. Natural reproductive success is extremely negligible due to the absence of pollinator visit. Pollination biology of this orchid was studied for several years and two Xylocopa species Viz. X. latipes (Drury 1773) and X. aestuans (Linnaeus 1758) were identified as its legitimate pollinators. The pollinaria were found attached on the occiput area of the pollinators (nototribic) and during revisit the insect pollinate the flowers. Both geitonogamic and xenogamic pollination were observed but xenogamic pollination is prevalent than geitonogamy. Flowers are self-compatible but we confirmed the total absence of natural self-pollination and autogamy through experimental procedures. 100 % pollination success was recorded when pollinated by hand for self-pollination, xenogamy and geitonogamy. Natural reproductive success was confirmed as at 2 % only.

The present study investigates the morphology of floral parts adapted towards the mode of pollination by bees in a lesser-known shrub, Crotalaria paniculata Willd of the family Fabaceae. The morphology and orientation of flowers, colour, shape, size and number of each floral part were recorded. The floral odour was assessed qualitatively at various stages of flowers manually and the quantity of nectar produced per flower was also measured. The flowering individuals were regularly monitored to observe the floral visitors and their foraging activity on a series of aged flowers. The performance of each floral visitors like visitation frequency, handling time, relative abundance, activity rate, visitation rate index and visitor activity index was calculated. The flowers of C. paniculata are typical papilionaceous and keel-blossom types that function as floral advertisement and nectar and pollen grains are served as floral rewards. The standard petal serves an advertisement whereas the wing-keel complex acts as a landing platform for floral visitors. The large-bodied bees tend to break the wing-keel complex which facilitates cross-pollination. Xylocopa latipes (Apidae) was observed as the most effective pollinator due to their higher frequency of visits, activity rate, visitation rate index and visitor activity index. Due to the pressure applied by large-bodied bees like Xylocopa latipes by landing on the wing-keel complex, the reproductive parts become exposed and the stigma brushes the pollen load in the body of the visitors and effect cross-pollination. The study concludes that large-bodied bees are effective floral visitors of C. paniculata which effect crosspollination.

This article examines the emerging technology of 'smart hives' which use sensors fitted to beehives to monitor and record multiple aspects of honey bees' activity along with various measures of the health and productivity of the colony. The data feeds analytic algorithms which can guide hive and pollination management, purportedly enabling improvements in pollination efficacy alongside reduced environmental impacts. In this way 'precision pollination' is hailed as an answer to the challenges of pollinator decline whilst ensuring food security in the context of climate change. Drawing from scholarship on capitalist orientations to nature, socio-ecological crises and fixes, and the 'real subsumption of nature under capital', this article outlines a political ecology of digital pollination, situating 'smart hives' in the context of the industrialisation of pollination. It argues not just that 'smart hives' mark a shift from the formal to the real subsumption of pollination under capital as a 'fix' for the socio-ecological crisis of commercial pollination services, but that this is underpinned by an intensification of the pollination work of bees in conjunction with the real subsumption of the labour of beekeepers. In this way it contributes to a multispecies framing of real subsumption which reckons with the role of shifting modalities of capitalist appropriation of human and nonhuman work.

Much effort has been spent on the conservation of rare, threatened, and endangered plants in the biodiversity hotspot of the California Floristic Province, however little is known about the identity of their pollinators. In this study we provide the first formal study on the identity of the invertebrate pollinators of five rare endemic island plant species from San Clemente Island, the southernmost of the California Channel Islands: Delphinium variegatum ssp kinkiense, Lithophragma maximum, Malacothamnus clementinus, Malva assurgentiflora ssp glabra, and Sibara filifolia. We surveyed plant-pollinator interactions at populations of each focal plant species using timed sweep-netting. We used pollinator capture data to compile bipartite interaction networks for each plant population, and calculated centrality indices (degree, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality) of pollinators to identify species important to network stability. We found a significant effect of pollinator taxonomic group (fly, bee, wasp, or Lepidopteran) on some indices of pollinator centrality in interaction networks, and variation in pollinator centrality between different locations. Hoverflies, moths, and butterflies were important generalists with higher network centrality across all plant populations, while bees tended to be more specialists within their networks, except for the Malva assurgentiflora ssp glabra network, where bees were on average of higher centrality than flies. We recommend targeted restoration practices for future study that could support pollination both directly and indirectly to focal rare plant species of conservation interest across plant populations. These practices could augment general pollinator conservation best practices such as reducing pesticide use and planting native plant species to provide increased pollination to endangered plants.