Hey! There has been a robbery! Nectar robbing of Tropaeolum majus by the carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea)

Contrasting flower biology and reproductive patterns of two threatened Utricularia L. species The reproductive biology of threatened plant species is a critical determinant of their persistence, yet remains poorly understood for many aquatic ta…

New paper from FLOWer Lab 🌼

Congrats to Afonso Petronilho on this paper from his MSc in Ecology, developed at FLOWer Lab. The study reveals contrasting reproductive strategies in two threatened Utricularia species, with important implications for conservation.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Pubescências de um endemismo! Alguém sabe qual?

🔎🌿 Raiders of the “misterious” Coincya.

Yesterday we were in central coastal Portugal looking for Coincya populations and collecting material for study.

A challenging genus, with taxonomic uncertainty, cytogenetic diversity, possible polyploidy, and taxa with conservation status in Portugal.

🐝 Pollinator Spotlight: Today we’re talking about the genus Xylocopa! Did you know there are over 9 species found across Europe? Swipe to learn more about this fascinating genus! What is your favourite species of Xylocopa? Tell us in the comments! 👇
#Pollinatoracademy #PollinatorSpotlight #Xylocopa

👩‍🎓🌼 A warm welcome to Inês Tavares at the FLOWer Lab!

Since Jan 2026, she has been contributing to BeeConnected SUDOE, working on floral resource surveys across 16 urban sites in Coimbra and exploring the world of pollinators through ID and specimen prep 🐝

Great to have you with us, Inês 💛

This is what happens when the flowerbeds at Pátio das Químicas, @ucoimbra.bsky.social, are cared for with native plants 🌼

Nothing but beautiful wild bees slowing us down, and filling our hearts and minds with joy 🐝

Blueberry Buzzzzzzz!

🫐🌼 Operation Violet Beauregarde is underway!

At Viseu’s Agricultural Station, we’re testing how pollination affects blueberry yield and fruit quality, comparing open, cross and self-pollination.

A hands-on experiment led by Helena Castro during Cleyton Tenório’s research stay in Portugal 🐝

Flowers can move too 🌼🐝

In Galactites tomentosus, touching the disc florets can trigger a rapid staminal movement that helps control pollen presentation and release during a pollinator visit.

This was observed by Biology students during Plant Diversity classes at the University of Coimbra 🌿

👩‍🎓🌼 Meet Carolina Reis, a new member of FLOWer Lab!

Since Jan 2026, she has been working within the BeeConnected SUDOE project, quantifying floral resources across 16 urban sites in Coimbra and gaining skills in pollinator morphospecies ID and specimen preparation 🐝

Great to have you on the team!

This morning we received at the FLOWer Lab, Cibelle Cardoso de Castro, full professor at the Federal University of Agreste de Pernambuco (UFAPE) to discuss possible research partnerships.

In this context, since March the FLOWer Lab received the PhD student Cleyton Tenório.

More news soon!

Great news for Portuguese bees and beekeepers! - APIMONDIA Photo credits: João Loureiro Portugal just became one of the first southern European countries to approve a formal national plan for pollinator conservation — and for the beekeeping community, the tim...

🐝🌍 Portugal’s Pollinator Action Plan is now featured in @apimondia.bsky.social.

This is an important step not only for wild pollinators, but also because the Plan includes concrete actions to safeguard the honey bee and support the beekeeping sector in Portugal.

🔗 apimondia.org/uncategorize...

Interactions!

Portugal já tem um plano para salvar abelhas, borboletas e moscas-das-flores Plano de acção para reverter declínio dos polinizadores foi aprovado com verba para dois anos. Zero aplaude documento, mas lamenta falta de “músculo” político e financeiro.

Plano de acção para reverter declínio dos polinizadores foi aprovado com verba para dois anos. Zero aplaude documento, mas lamenta falta de “músculo” político e financeiro.

Portugal já tem um plano para salvar abelhas, borboletas e moscas-das-flores Plano de acção para reverter declínio dos polinizadores foi aprovado com verba para dois anos. Zero aplaude documento, mas lamenta falta de “músculo” político e financeiro.

🐝🪰🦋 "Polinizadores em Ação", Portugal’s Action Plan for Pollinator Conservation and Sustainability, is featured in @publico.pt, with comments from Sílvia Castro, co-PI of FLOWer Lab at the Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA.

www.publico.pt/2026/04/12/a...

In April, the Botanical Garden Moth Station recorded a captivating total of 24 individual moths from 17 taxa, with 15 identified down to the species level. The sampling revealed a charming mix of 3 delicate micro-moths and 21 striking macro-moths, highlighting a vibrant nocturnal life of the garden.

One month of sampling completed in the urban area Coimbra for BeeConnected SUDOE 🌿🐝

We surveyed pollinator diversity, floral resources and nesting resources across 16 urban green spaces. Now it is time to process samples and analyse the first data.

We return in May for the second sampling month.

Butterfly Transect in Souselas! @ebmsebms.bsky.social

Portugal precisa de pessoas a tempo inteiro para monitorizar polinizadores, diz João Loureiro - Wilder Abelhas, moscas-das-flores e borboletas, mais de 2000 espécies, vão passar a ser monitorizadas de forma consistente. A equipa que desenhou o novo Plano de Ação para a Conservação dos Polinizadores que...

João Loureiro (@jloureiro13.bsky.social), co-PI of the FLOWer Lab, spoke with Wilder about the approval of Portugal’s Action Plan for Pollinator Conservation and Sustainability 🌼

Find out more at the link below.

wilder.pt/historias/po...

Já estão disponíveis na página WEB do ICNF as versões finais, ilustradas, do Polinizadores em Ação e do respetivo resumo para stakeholders 🐝🌼

Consulta aqui:
www.icnf.pt/noticias/con...

Obrigado a tod@s @s envolvidos, com destaque para a equipa PolinizAÇÃO e para a designer Maria Carlos Oliveira 🙌

@ec.europa.eu @unep.org

The final, formatted and illustrated versions of the PT Pollinators Action Plan and its stakeholder summary, developed by the FLOWer Lab, are already available on the ICNF website.

A huge thank you again to everyone involved, especially the PolinizAÇÃO team. 🌼🐝

www.icnf.pt/noticias/con...

Um marco para a conservação dos polinizadores em Portugal 🐝🌼

O Polinizadores em Ação foi oficialmente aprovado e publicado hoje (Despacho n.º 4214/2026).

Um esforço coletivo da polli.NET e de muitos parceiros no território.

🧾 diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/d...

Los mirones de las abejas en los canteros de la Universidad! Também tu podes ser um mirone de las abejas! Instala o FITCount e vem espiar as abelhas e outros polinizadores connosco!

First flowers are now blooming in the restored beds at Pátio das Químicas, University of Coimbra 🌸

The first pollinators are here too, including a male and a female Anthophora plumipes, and we are now starting pollinator monitoring with the FITCount citizen science app 🐝

Tipula!

Cândida Ramos presented her PhD work at the CFE Doctoral Dialogues, in the session “Research in progress” 🦋🌿

Her PhD focuses on citizen science for restoring biodiversity in agricultural areas, through butterfly monitoring and raising awareness among farmers.

#CitizenScience #Pollinators

Entomology courses - Royal Entomological Society Interested in studying Entomology? We have compiled a list of institutions in the UK and in Ireland offering full and part time entomologically-related courses, such as undergraduate, postgraduate…

Are you passionate about #InsectScience and looking to build a career in the field? You're in luck!

We've got a list of UK and Ireland institutions offering entomological courses. Explore your options today 🔽

buff.ly/RFnYfHB

📸 Green bottle fly Lucilia sp. (c) Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb

Meet the expert… Hugo Gaspar 🐝

Read more about Hugo in this post! Do you have any questions for him? Let us know the comments 👇🏻👇🏾

#PollinatorAcademy #Meettheexpert #Pollinators #Bees #Taxonomy