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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors
Published on: July 16, 2018
Pollinator service only depends on nectar production rates in sparse populations
Peter G L Klinkhamer1, Peter-Paul van der Lugt
1Section Plant Ecology, Institute for Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, University of Leiden, PO Box 9516, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Klinkhamer@RULSFB.LeidenUniv.nl
Abstract:
As predicted, approach rate by bumblebees is strongly related to the nectar production rate of Echium vulgare plants in a sparse population, while in a dense population such a relationship is completely absent. These findings are confirmed by additional experiments with potted plants that were placed inside and outside a natural population. The results suggest that the direction of selection on nectar production may vary in space or time depending on population density. Such variation may help to explain the large genetic variation we found earlier for E. vulgare in our study area.
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