Articles tagged with Pollinators
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A comprehensive study found that global warming is shrinking the habitat range of bumblebees, leading to a continental-scale decline. The research suggests that climate change is not the only threat, but rather a key factor in the rapid losses of terrain from the south and lagging expansion in the warming north.
A team of University of Washington biologists has identified a key mechanism plants use to decide when to release their floral scents. They found that the petunia's LHY gene controls when the plant releases its fragrance, connecting it to the innate circadian rhythms that pulse through all life on Earth.
A new Cornell study reveals that pesticides harm wild bees and indirectly threaten native pollinators, particularly in orchards with limited natural areas. The research highlights the importance of protecting these vital pollinators for food production, as they contribute to 35% of global food production.
A new study by U.S. Forest Service scientists shows that changes in forest structure may be contributing to declines in native bee populations. Bees prefer open forests with diverse herbaceous communities, which require prescribed fire to maintain. Managing for open forests can also help sustain other species and pollination.
Researchers used 3D printing to create artificial flowers, one curved and one flat, to investigate how flower shape affects foraging behavior in hawkmoths. The study found that hawkmoths fed more successfully from the curved flowers, suggesting they use touch rather than sight to find nectar.
Researchers found that bumblebees can distinguish between two visually clearly different feeder types when arranged horizontally but failed to do so when they were distributed vertically. The bees' decision-making is influenced by their natural foraging environment, where rewarding and unrewarding flowers often grow side-by-side.
Researchers have discovered a network of viruses that pose a threat to multiple species of bumblebees and managed honeybees, highlighting the urgent need for disease management strategies. The study found five viruses, including deformed wing virus, in wild bees across Great Britain.
Researchers at Oregon State University found that tropical plants like Heliconia tortuosa recognize specific hummingbird species by their nectar-sipping behavior. The plants respond by allowing high-quality pollen germination, increasing the chances of successful seed formation.
Pollinator decline threatens European food security and ecosystem diversity. The STEP project has mapped the climatic risk of European bumblebees, revealing that many species are at high risk under climate change scenarios.
A study from San Francisco State University found that native bees can provide sufficient pollination for tomatoes in urban gardens, with floral resource density being the key factor. This research challenges conventional wisdom and offers good news for farmers in space-starved cities.
A new study finds that pollinator declines could lead to severe nutritional deficiencies in some populations, particularly vitamin A deficiencies. The research examines the connection between crop-pollinating animals and human nutritional health, revealing alarming effects in certain countries.
A new study found that viruses carried by commercial bees can jump to wild pollinators with potentially devastating effects. The researchers are calling for measures to prevent the introduction of diseased pollinators into natural environments.
Aristolochia rotunda uses mimicked insect compounds to lure flies that feed on insect secretions, a unique pollination strategy discovered by researchers. This system challenges the long-held assumption that these plants mimic egg-laying sites of fly pollinators.
New research from The Ohio State University found that a combination of shredded newspaper and grass clippings is an effective mulch material, allowing squash bees to nest without negative impacts. This eco-friendly practice also improves plant growth and fruit production.
Researchers discovered a specialized bird pollination system in Axinaea flowers, where birds consume male reproductive organs to receive pollen and nutrients. This complex mechanism involves the 'bellows' organ, which blasts pollen onto the birds' beaks as they forage.
Researchers found that natural plant odors and human sources of pollution can conceal the scent of sought-after flowers, leading to energy and time losses for pollinators. The study used a chemical detection device to track flower odors in the wild and showed remarkable similar results in a lab wind tunnel test.
A recent study discovered how the bloodsucking parasitic mite Varroa destructor transforms Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) into a major threat to UK honeybees. DWV is usually harmless, but when transmitted by Varroa, it amplifies a virulent form of the virus associated with disease.
Researchers found that bumblebees can differentiate between rewarding and aversive artificial flowers based on their polarization patterns. The bees' ability to recognize these patterns helps them identify suitable flowers for obtaining a food reward.
Researchers discovered horn-like structures on milkweed pollinia sacs, believed to prevent entanglement with rival plant pollinia. These findings suggest that physical contact can influence mating success and promote the evolution of defensive and attack weaponry in plants.
A new study reveals that UK gardens with diverse global plant species support a range of pollinating insects, including threatened bumblebees. The research found that long-tongued bees prefer plants from the UK and Europe, while other species visit plants in proportion to flower availability.
A team of scientists has identified the transport protein SWEET9 as a key player in three diverse flowering plant species, demonstrating its essential role in nectar production. By analyzing specially engineered plants lacking this transporter, they found that sugars accumulate in stems instead of being secreted into nectaries.
A team of scientists has identified the key player in plant nectar production, revealing that plants rely on SWEET9 to transport sugars into extracellular areas where nectar is secreted. The discovery suggests that this process evolved early in the formation of flowering plants and may have increased genetic diversity.
A study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers found that flowers are ideal venues for the transmission of microbes among plants and animals. The authors identified eight major groups of animal pathogens potentially transmitted at flowers, including fungi, bacteria, and RNA viruses.
Research on drifting herbicides reveals mixed effects, including positive, neutral, and negative impacts on neighboring fields and farms. Grasses dominated field edge test sites, while herbicide drift was associated with declines in three species of herbivores.
Research found that EU policies have increased the demand for pollination services at a rate five times faster than the number of available honeybee colonies. Many countries, including the UK and Italy, rely on wild pollinators to meet demands due to insufficient honeybee stocks.
A new set of guidelines assesses pollinator performance using four metrics: single-visit efficiency, abundance, inclement weather behavior, and visitation rate. Small native bees are found to be highly efficient pollinators despite low abundance.
Researchers from Monash University and RMIT University found that Himalayan flowers evolved to attract bees as pollinators in response to bee colour vision. The study reveals the impact of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions in mountainous environments.
Researchers studied bird's eye primrose populations in alvar grasslands on Öland Island to investigate how grazing and pollinators impact plant characteristics. Grazing pressure and pollination intensity determine the reproductive success of short vs. tall morphs, leading to changes in genetic composition over time.
Research found that pesticides can subtly impact individual bees, leading to colony failure. The study provides an important breakthrough in understanding the causes of declining bee populations and offers insights for policymakers.
Research found that removing even one bumblebee species from an ecosystem significantly reduces pollination effectiveness and plant seed production. The study showed that reduced competition among pollinators disrupts floral fidelity, leading to less successful plant reproduction.
The study found that removing one bumblebee species from an ecosystem reduces floral fidelity among remaining bees, leading to fewer seeds produced by larkspur wildflowers. This suggests global declines in pollinators could have a significant impact on food crops and flowering plants.
A meta-analysis of 71 studies found that agri-environment schemes, such as sowing wild-flowers and organic farming, enhance the diversity and abundance of wild bees, hoverflies, and butterflies. The results suggest that increasing flower abundance in field margins and roadsides can boost pollinator populations, especially common species.
A new study by researchers at the University of Leeds and Naturalis Biodiversity Centre found evidence of slowing declines in bee biodiversity between the 1950s and 1980s. The study suggests that conservation efforts, such as agri-environment programs, may be having an impact on reducing biodiversity losses among bees and wild plants.
A new study reveals that ants alter the sugar-chemistry of flowers they visit by transmitting yeast to the nectar. This change affects subsequent pollinator visitations and may impact plant fitness. The research suggests a complex interaction between plants, yeasts, and pollinators.
A global review reveals a cocktail of pressures contributing to declining pollinator populations, impacting crop yields and wild plant reproduction. Effective habitat networks, pesticide risk assessments, and innovative disease therapies are proposed solutions.
Researchers found that exposure to combined pesticides interferes with the learning circuits in bees' brains, causing slower learning or forgetting important associations. This has profound implications for honeybee colony survival as bees unable to learn will not be able to find food.
A new study reveals slight declines in bee species in the northeastern US over a 140-year period, with only three species of bumble bees experiencing rapid population collapse. Other bee species, such as the oil bee, show more gradual declines or increases in proportion.
Certain Australian native flowers have shifted from using insects as pollinators and evolved flower colour to the red hues favoured by birds. The study found that bird-pollinated flowers have spectral signatures that are best discriminated by those birds.
Researchers at the University of Bristol discovered that flowers produce electric signals to attract pollinators like bumblebees. These signals can convey information about nectar and pollen reserves, improving flower-pollinator communication.
Researchers create mathematical model of plant petals to understand iridescence and its role in attracting pollinators. The study, published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, provides a first analysis of how petal surface patterns might be produced.
Researchers have discovered two new species of Caribbean orchid belonging to the Laeliinae family. The new species, Encyclia navarroi and Tetramicra riparia, were found in Cuba's eastern and western zones respectively.
Research suggests that reducing pavement and increasing natural habitat can improve nesting opportunities for wild bees. Bees will also forage further away from their home nest if the surrounding landscape is less heterogeneous, seeking out species-rich patches.
A new study reveals that the insect-eating pallid bat is a more effective pollinator of cardon cactus flowers than the nectar-feeding lesser long-nosed bat. The pallid bat delivers more pollen per visit, with some areas being frequent enough visitors to be more effective overall.
A recent study discovered that small patches of native plants within fruit orchards can enhance pollinator services, increasing mango production. The presence of these patches has been shown to increase the number of visits from honeybees and wild pollinators, leading to improved crop yields.
Studies show that hummingbirds using more energy to feed from vertically oriented flowers, challenging previous hypotheses on flower evolution. Researchers suggest other factors dictate flower orientation, including excluding less efficient pollinators and nectar dilution.
The pollination services provided by insects like bees and hover-flies are crucial for global food production, but declining pollinators threaten this ecosystem service. The loss of pollinators could lead to reduced crop yields and decreased fruit and vegetable availability, exacerbating food insecurity.
A special issue of Botany highlights CANPOLIN researchers' multipronged approach to pollination biology, examining topics such as climate change impacts and pollen limitation. The issue presents key findings on pollinator diversity and network analyses for conservation strategies.
Research suggests that herbivores may have driven the evolution of unique inflorescence architecture in Babiana ringens, a South African plant. The plant's ground-level flowers are protected from herbivores, while apical flowers are eaten, leading to higher reproductive success.
Researchers discovered that hawkmoths can detect minuscule differences in humidity near flowers to determine if they have enough nectar. This allows the moths to quickly evaluate flowers and avoid wasting energy on unprofitable ones.
Researchers discovered that arum family plants evolved their scent along pre-existing communication of scarab beetles, not through mutual adaptation. This finding suggests coevolution between plants and pollinators might be less common than thought.
Four new species of Panops spider flies have been described from Australia, characterized by their jewel-like appearance and ability to feed on nectar. The larvae of these flies are internal parasites that prolong the life of juvenile spiders by living inside them for years, ultimately leading to the spider's death.
A study reveals that heavy metal pollution from smelters causes a decline in wild bee communities, with up to 50% of dead bees found in heavily contaminated sites. The findings highlight the need for careful restoration of polluted areas to protect these vital pollinators.
Researchers found that buttercup flowers' bright yellow reflection is due to their unique petal structure, which doubles the gloss through two flat surfaces and an air gap. The study provides insight into how flowers attract pollinators like bees.
A study of over 60,000 individual fig flowers found that male pollinator fig wasps work together to chew escape tunnels for their females, increasing escape rates. In contrast, non-pollinating parasitic fig wasps, which are driven by aggression, fail to cooperate and have lower success rates.
New research reveals that columbines achieved a rapid radiation of 70 species through a simple change in cell shape, not cell proliferation. The extent of cell elongation drives diverse spur lengths across species.
A European herb has figured out its own way to survive in environments with low pollinator density, using a delayed selfing mechanism to guarantee seed production. The study found that when populations are small and/or pollinators are scarce, plants can augment seed production via autonomous self-pollination.
A new mathematical model simulates the effect of climate change on plant-pollinator relationships. In some cases, evolution can rescue mutually dependent species from extinction, but density and distribution of other species play a crucial role in their survival.
A new study found that the evolutionary shaping of floral scents in oil-secreting orchids is more closely tied to their genetic history than to natural selection driven by specific pollinators. Researchers discovered that scent profiles fell along phylogenetic lines, even when different bee species were involved.
Bumble bees, like honey bees, are important pollinators of native plants. Entomologist James Strange is studying a generalist named Bombus huntii that could be used in greenhouses in the western United States as a replacement for declining B. occidentalis populations.
A rainforest vine has evolved a dish-shaped leaf with strong echoes to attract bat pollinators. The researchers found that the leaf reduces search times by 50% when presented above a feeder, indicating its effectiveness as an echo beacon.