scholarly journals Biting the hand that feeds you: wedge-billed hummingbird is a nectar robber of a sicklebill-adapted Andean bellflower

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mannfred M.A. BOEHM
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Corolla Tube ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Recent Developments

ABSTRACT I report on nectar robbing behavior of the wedge-billed hummingbird, Schistes geoffroyi (Trochilidae) on the Andean bellflower, Centropogon granulosus (Campanulaceae). Many species of Centropogon are characterized by an abruptly curved corolla tube which is likely specialized for pollination by sicklebill hummingbirds (Eutoxeres), as evident from the matching curvature of flower and bill. Nectar robbing has been documented for some Centropogon spp., but not for sicklebill pollinated C. granulosus. Given recent developments and interest in the Centropogon-sicklebill mutualism, it is pertinent to document any natural history observations that may underlie the ecology and evolution of this pollination system. The establishment of wedge-billed hummingbird as a nectar robber of C. granulosus calls for a new assessment of the ecology and evolution of the highly specialized Centropogon-sicklebill mutualism.

scholarly journals Catching the thief: Nectar robbing behaviour by bumblebees on naturalised Fuchsia magellanica in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 240-248
Author(s):  
Dara Anne Stanley ◽  
Emmeline Cosnett
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Flower Size ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
Flower Visitor ◽  
Bumblebee Species ◽  
Competition For Resources

Fuchsia magellanica (Ongaraceae) is a plant with a traditionally ornithopholous pollination system, pollinated primarily by hummingbirds in its native range. As a naturalised alien plant in Ireland, F. magellanica is visited largely by bumblebees, with evidence for nectar robbing behaviour of the long-tubed flowers. We aimed to investigate nectar robbing behaviour of bumblebees on F. magellanica, and in particular whether floral and pollinator traits (size) determined likelihood of nectar robbing. While F. magellanica was visited by a number of bumblebee species, only two with shorter tongue lengths were observed to rob nectar from flowers. Although there was no observed relationship between intra-specific bee body size and nectar robbing behaviour, nectar robbing was observed most frequently in the site with the highest number of bees. Proportions of robbed flowers were low overall and varied between populations, but there was a significant relationship between flower size and whether it was nectar robbed with larger flowers robbed more often. Our work suggests that floral size determines whether a flower-visitor will choose to nectar rob or not in this system. Nectar robbing may also be related to bee density which could suggest this behaviour is driven by competition for resources, or that it is learnt by observing other bees.

scholarly journals State of Digitisation and Gap Analysis Surveys

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e25969
Author(s):  
Sarah Phillips ◽  
Elspeth Haston ◽  
Laura Green ◽  
Marie-Helene Weech ◽  
Robert Cubey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
Future Programme ◽  
Natural History Collection ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Successes And Challenges

Recent developments in digitisation technologies and equipment have enabled advances in the rate of natural history specimen digitisation. However Europe’s Natural History Collection Institutions are home to over one billion specimens and currently only a small fraction of these have been digitally catalogued with fewer imaged. It is clear that institutions still face huge challenges when digitising the vast number of specimens in their collections. I will present the results of two surveys that aimed to discover the main successes and challenges facing institutions in their digitisation programmes. The first survey was undertaken in 2014 within the SYNTHESYS 3 project and gathered information from project partners on their current digitisation facilities, equipment and workflows providing some key recommendations based on these findings. The second survey was completed more recently in 2017, through the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) Digitisation Working Group. This survey aimed to discover the successful protocols and implementation of digitisation, and to identify the shortfalls in resources and protocols. Results from both surveys will be fed into the future programme of the CETAF Digitisation Working Group as well as forthcoming and proposed EU projects, including Innovation and Consolidation for large-scale Digitisation of natural heritage (ICEDIG).

scholarly journals Nectar larceny in the trainbearers (Lesbia, Trochilidae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Igić ◽  
Ivory Nguyen ◽  
Phillip B. Fenberg
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Nectar Foraging ◽  
Published Report ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Original Field ◽  
Total Proportion ◽  
Floral Larceny

ABSTRACTMany flower visitors engage in floral larceny, a suite of so-called ‘illegitimate’ visits in which foragers take nectar without providing pollination services. The data on prevalence of illegitimate visits among hummingbirds, as well as the total proportion of foraging and diet that such visits comprise is broadly lacking. Here, we report the occurrence of nectar larceny in both currently recognized species of trainbearers and analyze the proportion of plant visits categorized by mode of interaction as: primary robbing, secondary robbing, theft, and/or pollination. To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first published report identifying robbing in these species. We augment our original field observations using a trove of data from citizen science databases and literature. Although it is difficult to distinguish primary vs. secondary robbing and theft vs. pollination, we conservatively estimate that ca. 40% of the recorded nectar foraging visits involve nectar robbing. Males appear to engage in robbing marginally more than females, but further studies are necessary to confidently examine the multi-way interactions among sex, species, mode of visitation, and other factors. We discuss the significance of these findings in the context of recent developments in study of nectar foraging, larceny, and pollination from both avian and plant perspectives.

The Natural History of Cirrhaea and the Pollination System of Stanhopeinae (Orchidaceae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 179 (6) ◽  
pp. 436-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila M. Pansarin ◽  
Emerson R. Pansarin ◽  
Günter Gerlach ◽  
Marlies Sazima
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Pollination System ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Recent advances in nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Horne ◽  
Shawn Skerrett
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Lung Disease ◽  
Chronic Lung Disease ◽  
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ◽  
Mycobacterium Leprae ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Lung Infections ◽  
Ntm Lung Disease

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are members of the Mycobacterium genus other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium leprae. NTM are widely distributed in the environment and are increasingly recognized as causes of chronic lung disease that can be challenging to treat. In this brief review, we consider recent developments in the ecology, epidemiology, natural history, and treatment of NTM lung disease with a focus on Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus complex.

scholarly journals XI. On the photographic spectra of meteorites

1918 ◽  
Vol 217 (549-560) ◽  
pp. 411-430
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Spectrum Analysis ◽  
Spectroscopic Analysis ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Recent Developments

For several years I have been engaged on the spectrum analysis of Meteorites. Many meteoric specimens have come into my possession—through the kindness of friends— especially am I indebted to the Trustees of the Natural History Museum and to Dr. Prior, who presented me with specimens of such of the meteorites of which the quantity in their possession would not be appreciably diminished by the loss of the two or three grms. required for my experiments. The Research is divided naturally into the examination of meteoric stones and meteoric irons. I propose at present to deal with meteoric stones or aerolites. These wonders of the sky consist generally of one or more silicates (mainly olivine and bronzite), interspersed with particles of nickeliferous iron, troilite, &c. Recent developments have led to many original devices and modification of details in the working spectrograph, thus furnishing information which may be of interest to those engaged on this branch of spectroscopic analysis.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Hematology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 2004 (1) ◽  
pp. 297-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan F. List ◽  
James Vardiman ◽  
Jean-Pierre J. Issa ◽  
Theo M. DeWitte
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Myelodysplastic Syndromes ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Prognostic Utility ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract The development of new therapeutic strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has gained new momentum fueled by improved characterization of the disease’s natural history and biology and by the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first agent with an indication for MDS. By integrating morphologic and cytogenetic features with greater discriminatory power, the World Health Organization (WHO) has refined the classification of these stem cell malignancies and enhanced its prognostic utility. Recognition that the malignant phenotype, which characterizes MDS, may arise from mechanistically diverse biological processes has raised new awareness that treatment strategies must be tailored to the pathobiology of the disease. Therapeutics targeting chromatin structure, angiogenesis and the microenvironment that nurtures the MDS phenotype have demonstrated remarkable activity and offer an opportunity to alter the natural history of the disease. This chapter provides an overview of recent developments in the characterization of MDS from the microscope to the laboratory and the translation of these findings into promising therapeutics. In Section I, Dr. James Vardiman reviews the cytogenetic abnormalities that characterize MDS, their clinical and pathologic significance, and the application of the WHO classification. In Section II, Dr. Alan List reviews treatment goals driven by prognostic variables and biological features of the disease that have led to promising small molecule, selective therapeutics. In Section III, Dr. Jean-Pierre Issa provides an overview of epigenetic events regulating gene expression, which may be exploited therapeutically by chromatin remodeling agents. In Section IV, Dr. Theo DeWitte discusses new developments in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including reduced-intensity and myeloablative approaches.

scholarly journals Nectar robbing in the trainbearers (Lesbia, Trochilidae)

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9561
Author(s):  
Boris Igić ◽  
Ivory Nguyen ◽  
Phillip B. Fenberg
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Territorial Defense ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Nectar Foraging ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Original Field ◽  
Total Proportion ◽  
Floral Larceny

Many flower visitors engage in floral larceny, a suite of so-called ’illegitimate’ visits in which foragers take nectar without providing pollination services. The data on prevalence of illegitimate visits among hummingbirds, as well as the total proportion of foraging and diet that such visits comprise is broadly lacking. Here, we report the occurrence of nectar larceny in the two currently recognized species of trainbearers and analyze the proportion of plant visits categorized by mode of interaction as: robbing, theft, and/or pollination. We augment our original field observations using a trove of data from citizen science databases. Although it is difficult to distinguish primary vs. secondary robbing and theft vs. pollination, we conservatively estimate that ca. 40% of the recorded nectar foraging visits involve nectar robbing. Males appear to engage in robbing marginally more than females, but further studies are necessary to confidently examine the multi-way interactions among sex, species, mode of visitation, and other factors. Our results also indicate that the suggested relationship between serrations on bill tomia and traits such as nectar robbing or territorial defense may be complicated. We discuss the significance of these findings in the context of recent developments in study of nectar foraging, larceny, and pollination from both avian and plant perspectives.

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