‘Insect apocalypse’ may cause plants to battle for pollinators and ‘destabilise’ co-existence

‘Pollinators may destabilise plant competition by favoring common plant species at expense of rarer competitors’

Competition for pollinators amid the observed decline of insect populations across the world may reduce the ability of plant species to coexist, a new study has warned.

Naturalists have documented over the years the lengths to which plants go to attract pollinators, including special visual cues like showy petals and sepals, as well as special scents called pheromones to attract some insects.

Although many pollinators such as bees and butterflies visit multiple plant species, new research suggests the population decline of these insects could destabilise co-existence among plants.