Helophilus trivittatus collecting pollen from Brassica rapa flowers

Plant–pollinator interactions are essential for plant reproductive success and pollinator food supply, but the dramatic decline in pollinators currently threatens the existence of many wild and cultivated flowering plants. There is thus an urgent need to understand how plants respond to changes in the abundance of wild pollinators. In our research project, we used experimental evolution to track phenotypic changes induced by temporal limitation of access to the natural pollinator community.
by Elisabeth Authier