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A small brown crustacean with white spots on it moving on a red branch.
Seaweed Has Its Own Matchmakers: Small Crustaceans
A species that transports the spermatia of red algae is the first known instance of an animal facilitating fertilization in this ancient photosynthetic lineage.
Seaweed Has Its Own Matchmakers: Small Crustaceans
Seaweed Has Its Own Matchmakers: Small Crustaceans

A species that transports the spermatia of red algae is the first known instance of an animal facilitating fertilization in this ancient photosynthetic lineage.

A species that transports the spermatia of red algae is the first known instance of an animal facilitating fertilization in this ancient photosynthetic lineage.

pollination

Photograph of a hummingbird
Even the Tiniest of Birds Use Smell in Some Situations
Jef Akst | Jan 4, 2022 | 4 min read
Once considered anosmic, birds are now widely recognized as using olfactory cues to aid in a wide range of behaviors.
bees, bumblebee, honeybee, insect, pollination, pollinator decline, insect decline, biodiversity
Bee Reports over the Past Century Indicate a Loss of Diversity
Asher Jones | Jan 22, 2021 | 8 min read
An analysis of museum data and naturalists' observations finds that the number of bee species recorded has been declining since the 1990s. The first global, long-term study of bee trends adds to mounting evidence that the pollinators are in trouble worldwide.
Climate Change Linked to Drop in Bumble Bee Numbers: Study
Lisa Winter | Feb 7, 2020 | 3 min read
The rate of population decline is outpacing the ability of the bees to find a new habitat.
Ecuadorian Cactus Absorbs Ultrasound, Enticing Bats to Flowers
Emily Makowski | Jan 17, 2020 | 4 min read
Many plants reflect ultrasonic waves, thereby attracting the pollinators, but one cactus takes a different approach.
Celebrated Brazilian Bee Scientist Warwick Kerr Dies
Vijay Shankar Balakrishnan | Oct 2, 2018 | 4 min read
Revered as a humanitarian and scientist, Kerr was also blamed for the introduction of aggressive Africanized bees to the Americas.
Fossilized Beetle Is Earliest Evidence of Insect Pollinator
Abby Olena, PhD | Aug 16, 2018 | 3 min read
A 99-million-year-old beetle preserved in amber alongside grains of pollen likely pollinated prehistoric plants.
Bees’ Molecular Responses to Neonicotinoids Determined
Catherine Offord | Mar 22, 2018 | 4 min read
Researchers pinpoint a protein that can metabolize at least one of the insecticides, highlighting a route to identifying compounds that are friendlier to the critical pollinators.
Image of the Day: Flower in a Mushroom Suit
The Scientist Staff and The Scientist Staff | Nov 21, 2017 | 1 min read
Scientists discover the real pollinators of a popular houseplant flower. 
Germany Sees Drastic Decrease in Insects
Anna Azvolinsky | Oct 18, 2017 | 4 min read
A 27-year-long study finds insect biomass has declined by about 75 percent. 
Bees Live the City Life in Detroit
Catherine Offord | Sep 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Important pollinators under threat from habitat destruction, bumblebees may find refuge on vacant land throughout Michigan’s largest metropolis.
Field Studies Confirm Neonicotinoids’ Harm to Bees
Ashley P. Taylor | Jun 29, 2017 | 5 min read
Two large studies find that, in real-world conditions, the insecticides are detrimental to honey bees and bumblebees.
Restoring a Native Island Habitat
Anna Azvolinsky | Jan 30, 2017 | 4 min read
Removal of non-native vegetation from an island ecosystem revives pollinator activity and, in turn, native plant growth. 
To Attract Pollinators, Flower Mimics Wounded Bee
Ben Andrew Henry | Oct 7, 2016 | 2 min read
Umbrella flowers lure in flies by mimicking the alarm signals produced by the flies’ preferred prey.
The Flower Sense of Hawkmoths
Alison F. Takemura | Sep 1, 2016 | 5 min read
The pollinators of a wild tobacco plant use the tip of their proboscis to determine whether they should stop for a drink.
Bumblebees Pick Infected Tomato Plants
Ashley P. Taylor | Aug 11, 2016 | 3 min read
Tomatoes infected with cucumber mosaic virus lure the pollinators, according to a study.
Bumblebees’ Electric Sense
Tanya Lewis | May 31, 2016 | 3 min read
Tiny hairs may enable the insects to detect floral electric fields, according to a study.
Hydropowered Pollen
Karen Zusi | Feb 1, 2016 | 2 min read
A tension-sensing ion channel regulates hydration and germination in pollen.
Study: Pesticides Harm Bees
Kerry Grens | Mar 27, 2015 | 2 min read
A researcher challenges the UK government’s conclusion that neonicotinoids aren’t that bad for pollinators.
Wild Bees Catch Honeybee Disease
Kerry Grens | Feb 19, 2014 | 3 min read
Study suggests a honeybee disease might be spilling over into wild bee populations in the U.K.
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