Oligolectic bees and host-plants frequently depend on each other to rear offspring and to set fruit, respectively. Milet-Pinheiro and Schlindwein (pp. 17–27) investigate the close relationship between the bee Ceblurgus longipalpis and the distylic shrub Cordia leucocephala and find a one-to-one reproductive inter-dependence between them, suggesting this is a rare case of monolecty. Ceblurgus longipalpis has evolved prolonged mouthparts that enable access to pollen and nectar that are hidden to bees of other species.
Not All Seeds Survive the Vault: Rethinking Seed Banking for Chile’s Trees
The discovery that one in five Chilean tree species has desiccation-sensitive seeds challenges a cornerstone of conservation and calls for innovative solutions.
