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

Authors

  • Marta Barberis Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1062-4760
  • Fortunato Fulvio Bitonto Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9185-6758
  • Roberto Costantino Regional Museum of Natural Sciences of Torino, Via Giovanni Giolitti 36, 10123 Turin, Italy; Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3428-1077
  • Lorenzo Bianco Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1087-1155
  • Daniele Birtele Reparto Carabinieri Biodiversità di Roma, via Canale della Lingua 74, 00129, Rome, Italy
  • Marco Bonifacino Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6190-3965
  • Giacomo Cangelmi Department of Life, Health & Environmental Science, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 40, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8411-4175
  • Miquel Capò Botany on Mediterranean Islands Research Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4394-7080
  • Athanasia Chroni Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8189-8504
  • Marco d'Agostino CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
  • Matteo Dal Cin Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7216-1438
  • Jelle Devalez Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1110-0640
  • Laura Bortolotti CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7372-1579
  • Simone Flaminio CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
  • Antonio Giacò Department of Biology, University of Siena, via A. Volta 4bis, 56126, Pisa, Italy
  • Lucia Lenzi Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8838-822X
  • Serena Magagnoli Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5276-4649
  • Alessio Minici Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4784-3789
  • Georgios Nakas Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3023-5831
  • Luis Navarro Department of Plant Biology and Soil Science, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8308-2237
  • Gianfranco Samuele Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, 9 Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1742-0191
  • José María Sánchez Department of Plant Biology and Soil Science, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3280-3444
  • Theodora Petanidou Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1883-0945
  • Marino Quaranta CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0082-4555
  • Rosa Ranalli Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, Milano, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5460-676X
  • Michele Rossini Freelance Researcher, Pesaro, Italy
  • Enrico Ruzzier Department of Science, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90123 Palermo, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1020-1247
  • Fabio Sgolastra Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy
  • Anna Traveset Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, C/Miguel Marquès 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1816-1334
  • Emanuele Luigi Zenga CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9821-4485
  • Marta Galloni Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5304-7820

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2025)872

Keywords:

pollinators, biodiversity conservation, Natura 2000, plant diversity, citizen science

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.

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Published

2025-11-03

How to Cite

Barberis, M., Bitonto, F. F., Costantino, R., Bianco, L., Birtele, D., Bonifacino, M., … Galloni, M. (2025). Insect-flower interactions in the Mediterranean area: a Citizen Science dataset collated within the LIFE 4 Pollinators project. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 39, 306–315. https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2025)872

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Vol. 39 (2025)

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Noteworthy Data Sets

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Copyright (c) 2025 Marta Barberis, Fortunato Fulvio Bitonto, Roberto Costantino, Lorenzo Bianco, Daniele Birtele, Marco Bonifacino, Giacomo Cangelmi, Miquel Capò, Athanasia Chroni, Marco d'Agostino, Matteo Dal Cin, Jelle Devalez, Laura Bortolotti, Simone Flaminio, Antonio Giacò, Lucia Lenzi, Serena Magagnoli, Alessio Minici, Georgios Nakas, Luis Navarro, Gianfranco Samuele, José María Sánchez, Theodora Petanidou, Marino Quaranta, Rosa Ranalli, Michele Rossini, Enrico Ruzzier, Fabio Sgolastra, Anna Traveset, Emanuele Luigi Zenga, Marta Galloni

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