Aim: We described the diet of the generalist stream fish Knodus chapadae and we tested if the environmental conditions are associated with population’s diet and individual specialization. Methods: We analyzed the stomach ...

Previous studies have examined separately how pollinator generalization and abundance influence plant reproductive success, but none so far has evaluated simultaneously the relative importance of these pollinator attributes. Here we evaluated the extent to which pollinator generalization and abundance influence plant reproductive success per visit and at the population level on a generalist plant, Opuntia sulphurea (Cactaceae). We used field experiments and path analysis to evaluate whether the per-visit effect is determined by the pollinator?s degree of generalization, and whether the population level effect (pollinator impact) is determined by the pollinator?s degree of generalization and abundance. Based on the models we tested, we concluded that the per-visit effect of a pollinator on plant reproduction was not determined by the pollinators? degree of generalization, while the population-level impact of a pollinator on plant reproduction was mainly determined by the pollinators? degree of generalization. Thus, generalist pollinators have the greatest species impact on pollination and reproductive success of O. sulphurea. According to our analysis this greatest impact of generalist pollinators may be partly explained by pollinator abundance. However, as abundance does not suffice as an explanation of pollinator impact, we suggest that vagility, need for resource consumption, and energetic efficiency of generalist pollinators may also contribute to determine a pollinator?s impact on plant reproduction....

Bird species are adapted to certain ranges of physical conditions and will respond to environmental heterogeneity depending on their ability to exploit a broad range of resources and their tolerance to new environmental ...

Transgenerational maternal effects on performance (r(m)) after host transfer were evaluated in the generalist aphid Myzus persicae s.s., and in its subspecies specialized on tobacco, M. persicae nicotianae Blackman. We ...

Decision-making during host selection by phytophagous insects has proved to be related to host range, with specialists taking faster decisions than generalists; however, this pattern fails to materialize in some host ...

The effects of agricultural intensification on vertebrate populations could vary depending on whether species are habitat specialists or habitat generalists. Organic farming practices are generally considered to be less ...