Predator-Prey Interactions in Plant-Pollinator Systems
Summary
Predator–prey dynamics within plant–pollinator communities represent a multifaceted network of interactions that influence the evolution, ecology and stability of terrestrial ecosystems. Ambush predators such as crab spiders, praying mantises and assassin bugs exploit flowers as foraging platforms, capturing bees, wasps and other floral visitors. These predation events impose both consumptive impacts and non-consumptive effects, whereby pollinators modify their visitation rates, handling times and recruitment signals in response to risk cues. Plants, in turn, may evolve traits that mitigate predation pressure on their mutualists, ranging from floral architecture that limits predator concealment to volatile emissions that either deter predators or recruit pollinators despite the threat. Chemical communication plays a central role: pollinators detect alarm pheromones released by conspecifics or competitors, adjusting foraging decisions to balance resource acquisition against survival. Abiotic factors such as wind and light also modulate the efficacy of predator crypsis and the sensory capabilities of prey. Collectively, these interactions drive selection on floral signals, predator hunting strategies and pollinator sensory systems, with cascading consequences for plant reproductive success and community resilience under environmental change.
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Predator-Prey Interactions in Plant-Pollinator Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in predator-prey interactions in plant-pollinator systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Non-consumptive effects: Changes in prey behaviour or physiology triggered by predator presence without direct predation.
Alarm pheromone: A chemical signal released by an organism to warn conspecifics or competitors of a predation threat.
Crypsis: A predator strategy that relies on camouflage or concealment to avoid detection by prey.
Recruitment dancing: A social bee communication behaviour that conveys information about food sources to nestmates.
Predation risk: The perceived likelihood of being attacked by a predator, influencing prey foraging decisions.
References
- Honey Bee Alarm Pheromone Mediates Communication in Plant–Pollinator–Predator Interactions. Insects (2019).
- Bees eavesdrop upon informative and persistent signal compounds in alarm pheromones. Scientific Reports (2016).
- A Meta-Analysis of Predation Risk Effects on Pollinator Behaviour. PLOS ONE (2011).
- Non-Consumptive Predator Effects Shape Honey Bee Foraging and Recruitment Dancing. PLOS ONE (2014).
- Foragers of sympatric Asian honey bee species intercept competitor signals by avoiding benzyl acetate from Apis cerana alarm pheromone. Scientific Reports (2017).
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