Just look at this wonderful creature!
It's Leptonycteris curasoae feeding sugarwater.

Find out more about our research in Curaçao ⬇️

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We are only beginning to uncover the ecological relationships connectting caves, flowers, bats and birds on this extraordinary island, and we look forward to sharing more as the field season continues.

#ButterflyProject #Pollinators #Curaçao #BatPollination #Biodiversity #FieldEcology

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Sites are now set, 20+ bats have already been captured, and we are following the links between caves, cacti and pollination in a remarkably resource-limited island system. Columnar cacti are known to be key resources for vertebrate pollinators here.

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Curaçao update: our team is studying the overlooked world of bat and bird pollination.

In Curaçao, we survey flower-visiting insects, bats and birds to strengthen knowledge of plant–pollinator interactions in the Dutch Caribbean: butterfly-europe.eu/curacao-nl/

@jeffollerton.bsky.social

Ten Fabulous Facts About Butterflies: A Wildlife Garden’s Best Friend - The National Wildlife Federation Blog For great wildlife gardening, it is important to know about pollinators. They can be birds, but most often they are insects that, while feeding on flowers, will help spread pollen … Read more

@butterfly-project.bsky.social blog.nwf.org/2014/05/ten-...

Thank you very much! This means a lot to us🙂.
If you're interested in art, take a look at Jacek Malczewski's allegorical works.

Hi James🙂,
this is an allegory based on the paintings of a leading figure in early 20th-century Symbolism. Would you like to try and guess who the artist is?

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The takeaway is simple:
🌾 reduce pesticide use where possible
🔬 when needed - choose the least harmful option

By turning science into practical decisions, this work helps align agriculture with biodiversity protection.

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Crucially, the tool captures hidden impacts, not just direct toxicity, but also soil and water contamination and effects on floral resources.

It is already translated into crop-specific guidance (e.g. apples, almonds, tomatoes) via Butterfly Living Labs.

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Each pesticide is scored using Environmental Impact Points (EIP), reflecting risks to:
• aquatic ecosystems
• soil life
• groundwater
• beneficial insects (incl. pollinators)

This enables direct comparison of options in real farming contexts.

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At the core is the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides (EYS): a tool that translates complex ecological data into simple scores.

It shifts the question from:
“Does it work?”
to:
👉 “What does it cost the environment?”

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Can we protect crops and pollinators at the same time?

A new Butterfly project report offers a practical answer: smarter pesticide choices⬇️
📄 butterfly-europe.eu/deliverable-...

Help! @valor-project.eu has stolen our Coordinator!

At the VALOR Annual General Meeting in Wageningen today, Tom Breeze presents draft Cross-Project Scenarios by @butterfly-project.bsky.social @valor-project.eu @pollinera-horizon.eu and @wildposh.eu - narratives for exploring the future of #pollinators in the EU

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Crucially, this work enables co-creation.

Insights from Living Labs will feed into locally tailored action plans developed with stakeholders—from farmers to communities.

A first step from fragmented knowledge towards coordinated action to protect pollination across Europe. 🌱

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Across regions, the key question emerges:

What do we know about pollinators and what are we missing?

This shared knowledge will guide data collection, modelling, risk assessment, and the development of practical, evidence-based solutions.

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The report captures where we stand today, bringing together key baseline knowledge on:
• plant–pollinator interactions
• farming systems and economies
• environmental pressures
• policy frameworks
• social drivers of land use

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At its core are Butterfly’s Living Labs set up from Norway to Spain.

These are not traditional labs, but real-world landscapes where scientists, farmers, policymakers and citizens collaborate to better understand and support pollinators. Each reflects a unique local context.

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🌍 How do pollinators, people, and landscapes connect across Europe?

Our new deliverable offers a powerful starting point. “Territorial diagnosis and Living Lab formulation” (D7.1) lays the groundwork for turning knowledge on pollinators into action.

📄 butterfly-europe.eu/deliverable-...

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Crucially, this work enables co-creation.

Insights from Living Labs will feed into locally tailored action plans developed with stakeholders—from farmers to communities.

A first step from fragmented knowledge towards coordinated action to protect pollination across Europe. 🌱

🧵4/5

Across regions, one key question emerges:

What do we know about pollinators—and what are we missing?

This shared knowledge will guide data collection, modelling, risk assessment, and the development of practical, evidence-based solutions.

🧵3/5

The report captures where we stand today, bringing together key baseline knowledge on:
• plant–pollinator interactions
• farming systems and economies
• environmental pressures
• policy frameworks
• social drivers of land use

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At its core are Butterfly’s Living Labs—set up from Norway to Spain.

These are not traditional labs, but real-world landscapes where scientists, farmers, policymakers and citizens collaborate to better understand and support pollinators. Each reflects a unique local context.

The global relationship between flowering plant and pollinator diversity…and what they don’t tell you about posting preprints! Last week I posted a preprint on the platform Research Square of a new manuscript entitled “The global relationship between flowering plant and pollinator diversity holds true across scales, …

Last week I posted a #preprint entitled “The global relationship between flowering plant and #pollinator diversity holds true across scales, latitude, and human influence”.

I was not prepared for what happened after it went live on 2nd March! Read more here:

jeffollerton.co.uk/2026/03/12/t...

𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 '𝐁𝐞𝐞-𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲'? 🐝
The #ButterflyProject researchers are using the EYS tool to grade chemicals from A (Safe) to C (Danger). Tested in Living Labs from 🇪🇸 (Almonds) to 🇳🇴 (Strawberries).
Read more:
butterfly-europe.eu/en/wp-conten...

Can Plants Hear Their Pollinators? #ASA188 Research suggests pollinator buzzing sounds lead plants to increase their nectar production.

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What seems like a quiet meadow may actually host a subtle dialogue of vibrations, signals and behavioural responses between plants and insects.

🔬 Research:
acoustics.org/can-plants-h...

🔬 Project:
goodvibes.tomsbiolab.com

🧪 Overview:
www.popsci.com/environment/...

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Why might plants do this?

Coevolution: flowers may be responding to the arrival of their pollinators increasing nectar quality precisely when pollinators are present.

Sweeter nectar → longer visits → higher chances of successful pollination.

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In controlled experiments, scientists played recordings of the buzzing of Rhodanthidium sticticum, a small solitary bee, near flowering plants.

The result? The buzzing appeared to trigger an increase in both the sugar concentration and volume of nectar produced by the flowers.

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👂🪴 Do plants “hear” their pollinators? New research suggests they might.

Plants are often seen as passive organisms, slowly responding to light, water or nutrients. Yet growing evidence suggests that plants can also perceive mechanical and acoustic cues from their environment.

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Bees achieve decisions with neural hardware that fits on the head of a pin.

Understanding how they do this may help design efficient robotic systems.

🔗Study: elifesciences.org/articles/86176
🔗Pop-science: www.popsci.com/science/bee-...