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Updated: Dec 31, 2025

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Microbial abundance, composition, and function in nectar are shaped by flower visitor identity.

Megan M Morris1,2,3, Natalie J Frixione1, Alexander C Burkert2

  • 1Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.

FEMS Microbiology Ecology
|January 11, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Nectar robbing by carpenter bees dramatically increases microbial abundance and alters floral nectar microbial communities compared to hummingbird pollination. This highlights the significant impact of visitor identity on plant-pollinator interactions and microbial ecology.

Keywords:
Xylocopacommunity assemblydispersalhummingbirdmicrobial ecologymicrobiomenectar yeast

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Plant-Pollinator Interactions
  • Community Assembly

Background:

  • Microbial dispersal is crucial for colonizing new environments.
  • The influence of vector identity on microbial community assembly and function in floral nectar remains poorly understood.
  • Floral nectar serves as a habitat for diverse microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare microbial assembly and function in floral nectar visited by legitimate pollinators (hummingbirds) versus nectar robbers (carpenter bees).
  • To assess the impact of visitor type on microbial abundance, composition, taxonomy, and function.
  • To investigate the genomic and metabolic differences of key nectar bacteria (Acinetobacter) based on visitor treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Floral nectar was collected from flowers visited by hummingbirds and carpenter bees.
  • Culturable bacteria and fungi were quantified and identified.
  • Shotgun metagenomics was employed to analyze microbial taxonomy and function.
  • Nectar chemistry was analyzed.
  • Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Acinetobacter were generated and compared.

Main Results:

  • Nectar robbing by carpenter bees led to a 10-fold higher microbial abundance compared to hummingbird pollination.
  • Microbial communities differed significantly between visitor treatments, with robbed flowers showing a dominance of nectar specialists and a loss of rare taxa.
  • Robbed nectar communities exhibited enrichment in genes related to osmotic stress, saccharide metabolism, and specialized transporters.
  • Metagenomic data revealed functional differences mirroring gene content, with robbed nectar having higher monosaccharide content.
  • Acinetobacter strains from robbed nectar showed distinct amino acid and saccharide utilization pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Vector identity, specifically nectar robbing versus legitimate pollination, has distinct and significant effects on floral nectar microbial community assembly and function.
  • Nectar robbing imposes an unrecognized cost on pollination by altering the nectar microbiome.
  • Understanding visitor type is critical for comprehending plant-pollinator interactions and the ecological dynamics of floral nectar microbiomes.