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.
Insects are often seen as invaders due to high-profile species like the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet, the harlequin ladybird and fire ant. But new research reveals insects are also major victims of invasive alien species—exacerbating ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 15, 2026
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319
Although honey bees have the ability to regulate hive temperatures, new research published in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology shows that extreme summer heat can overwhelm these critical pollinators' cooling systems, ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 12, 2026
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24
Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate?
Astronomy
Jan 9, 2026
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Harvard researchers have discovered that cycads—one of the oldest living lineages of seed plants—heat up their reproductive organs to attract beetle pollinators and the insects possess infrared sensors to detect these signals.
Evolution
Dec 11, 2025
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51
When the late summer sun falls over Ireland's Wicklow Mountains, the slopes turn purple with blooming heather. Honeybees are moved to the heathlands for the sought-after heather honey, but their presence affects wild bumblebees.
Plants & Animals
Dec 10, 2025
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Bees, and other pollinator species, are dying. Between pesticides, the climate crisis, and habitat loss, bee colonies are becoming weaker, leaving them more vulnerable to parasites like the greater and lesser wax moths. Vulnerable ...
Ecology
Dec 4, 2025
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Being close to a natural habitat such as a forest doesn't necessarily make farmland more attractive to pollinators, a new study shows.
Ecology
Dec 4, 2025
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Bumble bees respond to physical disturbance of their nest with a sequence of defensive behaviors that lasts up to 10 minutes, according to a study by Sajedeh Sarlak at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and colleagues.
Plants & Animals
Dec 3, 2025
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Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and beetles, shape global food production and support vast natural ecosystems. For years, efforts to protect these critical species have leaned on broad global targets and uniform ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 3, 2025
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22
Horizon Europe project PollinERA, which aims to reverse pollinator population declines and reduce the harmful impacts of pesticides, has released its first policy brief. This marks an important stepping stone for the project, ...
Ecology
Dec 1, 2025
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