Pollinators are organisms that mediate the transfer of pollen between the male and female reproductive structures of seed plants, thereby enabling sexual reproduction and gene flow within and among plant populations. They encompass a diverse set of taxa, including many insects (notably bees, flies, butterflies, moths, beetles), some vertebrates (such as birds and bats), and other animals that incidentally or actively collect floral resources like nectar and pollen. In ecological and evolutionary research, pollinators are central to studies of plant–animal mutualisms, floral trait adaptation, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning, as well as to analyses of network structure, coevolutionary dynamics, and the stability and resilience of plant–pollinator interaction webs.
When we think of bees, we often think of flowers. The more flowers, the better, right? Well, not exactly. Like us, bees need to consume specific nutrients in suitable amounts and combinations.
Plants & Animals
15 hours ago
0
7
Bumblebees are only an inch long, but they help power the global food system. Roughly one-third of the food we grow depends on pollinators like bees—and those bees are regularly decimated by pesticides.
Ecology
Jun 23, 2026
0
14
Researchers have identified "DNA switches" that become active as honeybee larvae grow into worker bees, offering new insight into the development of these important pollinators and the ecosystems they support.
Ecology
Jun 23, 2026
0
10
The honeybee mite, Varroa destructor, finally breached Australia's biosecurity defenses four years ago, and is here to stay. Even more concerning, our standard treatments—such as specialized pesticides—are already failing.
Ecology
Jun 22, 2026
0
17
A new white paper from eight major EU-funded pollinator projects warns that the resilience of Europe's vital societal functions and food security are at stake if the EU fails to halt and reverse wild pollinator declines and ...
Ecology
Jun 22, 2026
0
9
The European Commission has presented a new legislative package. It is intended to reform key provisions that have hitherto governed the approval of pesticides. The "Food and Feed Safety simplification package" is part of ...
Ecology
Jun 22, 2026
0
9
New Oxford University-led research reveals that bees can regulate their feeding to avoid overconsuming certain essential nutrients, and that honey bees make a specialist "baby food" that gives their larvae a better-balanced ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
0
19
The body size, morphology and associated behavioral traits of flower-visiting insects strongly influence the quantity of pollen they transport. Thus, pollinators with similar appearances are often assumed to exert similar ...
Evolution
Jun 16, 2026
0
8
Plants, animals and microorganisms constantly communicate through chemical signals. A research team has now shown that these signals merge in the environment to form complex "chemical landscapes" that have effects far beyond ...
Ecology
Jun 16, 2026
0
6
A tropical butterfly has evolved an ingenious anti-aging strategy by delaying the aging process, enabling it to live far longer than its closest relatives, according to a new University of Bristol-led study published in Nature ...
Evolution
Jun 16, 2026
0
239
