pollinator-adjacent
Pollinator-adjacent research examines organisms and interactions that occur alongside, but are distinct from, direct pollination events—such as nectar robbers, floral visitors that don't transfer pollen, or herbivores sharing the same floral resources. Understanding these adjacent players matters because they can influence plant reproductive success indirectly, by altering flower traits, resource availability, or the behavior of true pollinators. This broader ecological lens helps researchers more accurately model plant-pollinator networks and predict how changes in these peripheral interactions might ripple through to affect plant fitness and evolution.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-25
Researchers collected bacteria from the skin and fur of 314 bats across Arizona and New Mexico, identifying 61 strains that can fight the fungus destroying bat populations across North America. Bat species and local habitat type were the strongest predictors of which bats carried these protective microbes.
2,936 bacteria were isolated from 314 bats across 12 species at 6 sites; 88.4% belonged to the Actinomycetota group, which is known for producing natural antifungals.
61 out of 1,089 tested bacterial isolates showed activity against Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus causing white-nose syndrome.
Ecoregion and bat species were the two statistically significant variables predicting whether a bat carried bacteria capable of inhibiting the disease-causing fungus.