Insect-flower interactions in the Mediterranean area: a Citizen Science dataset collated within the LIFE 4 Pollinators project

Pollinators play a vital role in most terrestrial ecosystems, supporting wild plant communities and enhancing agricultural yields. However, despite their ecological and economic importance, they have been experiencing an alarming decline over the past decades. The Mediterranean region, known for harboring highly diverse communities of plants and pollinators, is particularly vulnerable due to intense anthropogenic pressures. Furthermore, the ecological roles of many floral visitors remain poorly understood, hindering conservation efforts. In response, in recent years, growing attention has been directed toward the contribution that citizens can give in support of pollinator research. An increasing number of projects have adopted a Citizen Science approach to enable large-scale data collection. The LIFE 4 Pollinators project (LIFE18/GIE/IT/000755) “Involving people to protect wild bees and other pollinators in the Mediterranean” aims to promote the conservation of pollinating insects and entomophilous plants across the Mediterranean region by fostering progressive changes in human practices that threaten wild pollinators. In addition to the implementation of several actions to raise awareness, the project launched a web platform to collect photographic records of flower–insect interaction from the public. The platform is expected to remain active for at least ten years, during which we encourage continuing record submissions by interested bodies. With this data paper we are making the current dataset freely accessible to anyone, committing to periodic online updates.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Pollination Ecology
Published
2025-11-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2025)872
Primary Topic
Plant and animal studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Insect-flower interactions in the Mediterranean area: a Citizen Science dataset collated within the LIFE 4 Pollinators project

Georgios Nakas, Giacomo Cangelmi, Marta Barberis, Simone Flaminio et al.
Journal of Pollination Ecology
Plant and animal studies
article

Insect-flower interactions in the Mediterranean area: a Citizen Science dataset collated within the LIFE 4 Pollinators project

Georgios Nakas, Giacomo Cangelmi, Marta Barberis, Simone Flaminio, A. Minici, Theodora Petanidou, Marco Bonifacino, R. F. Costantino, Emanuele Luigi Zenga, Serena Magagnoli, Anna Traveset, Jelle Devalez, Michele Rossini, Miquel Capó, L. Dal Bianco, Matteo Dal Cin, Luis Navarro, Marco d’Agostino, Antonio Giacò, Marta Galloni, Daniele Birtele, Marino Quaranta, Rosa Ranalli, Lucia Lenzi, Fabio Sgolastra, Laura Bortolotti, Gianfranco Samuele, Enrico Ruzzier, José María Sánchez, Fortunato Fulvio Bitonto, Athanasia Chroni
article en

Abstract

Pollinators play a vital role in most terrestrial ecosystems, supporting wild plant communities and enhancing agricultural yields. However, despite their ecological and economic importance, they have been experiencing an alarming decline over the past decades. The Mediterranean region, known for harboring highly diverse communities of plants and pollinators, is particularly vulnerable due to intense anthropogenic pressures. Furthermore, the ecological roles of many floral visitors remain poorly understood, hindering conservation efforts. In response, in recent years, growing attention has been directed toward the contribution that citizens can give in support of pollinator research. An increasing number of projects have adopted a Citizen Science approach to enable large-scale data collection. The LIFE 4 Pollinators project (LIFE18/GIE/IT/000755) “Involving people to protect wild bees and other pollinators in the Mediterranean” aims to promote the conservation of pollinating insects and entomophilous plants across the Mediterranean region by fostering progressive changes in human practices that threaten wild pollinators. In addition to the implementation of several actions to raise awareness, the project launched a web platform to collect photographic records of flower–insect interaction from the public. The platform is expected to remain active for at least ten years, during which we encourage continuing record submissions by interested bodies. With this data paper we are making the current dataset freely accessible to anyone, committing to periodic online updates.

Journal of Pollination EcologyVol. 39
University of Siena (IT), Roma Tre University (IT), University of Verona (IT), University of L'Aquila (IT), Caritas Roma (IT), Accademia Albertina delle Belle Arti (IT), Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (ES), Instituto de Pesca (BR), Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (IT), University of Florence (IT), Universitat de les Illes Balears (ES), University of Turin (IT), Universidade de Vigo (ES), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), University of Bologna (IT), University of the Aegean (GR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 75%
Plant and animal studies
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