DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qbzkh18sq
title: Data from: Individual-based networks reveal the importance of bee fly (Bombyliidae) pollination in a diverse co-flowering community

description: Co-flowering species are visited by a wide diversity of pollinating
 insects; however, the structure of individual foraging patterns for
 non-bee insect pollinators is not well-known even though this is central
 for the effectiveness of the pollination processes. Pollination by
 non-syrphid flies, such as bee flies (Bombyliidae, Diptera), has often
 been underappreciated. Bee flies represent a diverse group of long-tongue
 nectar-feeding insects that are often reported as generalists that visit
 flowers indiscriminately. Here, we used individual-based pollen transport
 networks to assess patterns of individual foraging in bee flies over two
 flowering seasons in a diverse co-flowering community. Thus, we determined
 the structure of individual foraging and specialization. We also
 quantified the abundance of floral resources over time and individual
 proboscis length and body size to evaluate the role of resource
 availability and intraspecific trait variation in shaping individual
 specialization. Although the bee fly population is generalist (20 plant
 species as resources), individuals partition their niche at the
 foraging-bout level reflected by a modular pattern of interactions,
 concentrating their foraging on a few floral resources (2-4 plant
 species). This indicates that individual foraging in bee flies is
 nonrandom and can ensure high specificity in pollen transfer among
 conspecifics in the community. This modular foraging pattern was
 persistent over the two sampled flowering seasons (2021-2022) and not
 explained by resource availability. Intraspecific variation in proboscis
 length, however, was related to the level of individual specialization. An
 increase in proboscis length was related to an expansion of individual
 niche, which can be related to broader access to plant species with
 different floral tube sizes. Furthermore, specialization varied between
 years as well as the plant composition within interaction modules. Our
 study suggests that individual foraging patterns can persist over time,
 although specialization levels and niche partitioning of available
 resources may be dynamic in response to individual phenotypic variation
 and other ecological factors.
description: This dataset is part of the paper titled "Individual-based
 networks reveal the importance of bee fly (Bombyliidae) pollination in a
 diverse co-flowering community", considered for publication in the
 Journal of Applied Entomology. In this study, we used individual bee flies
 surveyed on a serpentine seep plant community, North California, during
 two flowering seasons (2021 and 2022) to assess individual specialization
 and the role of these neglected pollinators in the pollination process in
 this highly diverse co-flowering community. Individual bee flies were
 collected in the seeps by 2-3 people simultaneously by walking at a steady
 pace while observing all flowering species. Specimens were stored in tubes
 under freezing temperatures from collection to processing in the lab.
 Their pollen loads were collected from head, dorsal and ventral thorax
 using fuchsin jelly cubes that were later mounted on a single microscope
 slide. All pollen grains obtained from bee flies were counted under a
 microscope and identified based on pollen libraries previously established
 from anthers collected for each plant species at the study site. We also
 measured the proboscis and body length of each individual bee fly using a
 digital caliper (at the nearest 0.01 mm) after collecting their pollen
 loads. Finally, we provide data describing resource availability over time
 by quantifying the number of flowers per species across two flowering
 seasons (2021 and 2022). We set 1×2-meter plots along the seeps in both
 years totalizing 81 plots (40 plots in 2021 and 41 plots in 2022). Plant
 identity and number of open flowers per species were recorded within plots
 during sampling days (every two days within 21-day sampling in 2021 and
 27-day sampling in 2022).
description: # Data from: Individual-based networks reveal the importance of bee fly
 (Bombyliidae) pollination in a diverse co-flowering community
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qbzkh18sq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qbzkh18sq) ## Description of the data and file structure "dataset01" contains data from 53 individual bee flies (rows) collected in two years (2021 and 2022) in the serpentine seeps. Body size (length, mm) and proboscis length (mm) of each collected individual are provided. The number of pollen grains belonging to different plant species (species acronyms given as columns - 5 to 24 - see species list below) found on each individual pollen load is included. The pollen collected from each individual was directly counted on a single slide under a light microscope. "dataset02" contains 1401 rows representing within-plot flower counts of the plant species found on individual bee fly pollen loads. Flower counts were conducted in different plots, days and years (see detail descriptions of the variables). ### Files and variables #### File: dataset01\_individual\_pollen\_loads.csv **Description:**  ##### Variables * Individual ID: ID code for each individual bee fly (n = 53). * Year: Survey year (2021 or 2022). * Body size: Body length, in millimeters, of each individual bee fly. * Proboscis length: Proboscis length, in millimeters, of each individual bee fly. * 5-24: Columns indicate the quantity of pollen grains of a specific plant species (represented by species code, see plant species names for the corresponding acronym below) within individual bee fly pollen loads. #### File: dataset02\_resource\_availability.csv **Description:**  ##### Variables * Year: Year of data collection (2021 and 2022). * Plot ID: Id name for each plot used for flower counts across time. * Date: Day of data collection * Plant species code: Acronyms for each plant species found within bee fly pollen loads (total of 20 plant species, see list below). * Number of flowers: Number of flowers of a specific plant species counted within the plots on a specific day and year. List of plant species found within individual bee fly pollen loads and corresponding code (acronym) and family. | Plant species acronym | Plant species | Family | | :-------------------- | :------------------------------- | :-------------- | | ALAM | *Allium amplectens* | Amaryllidaceae | | ALFI | *Allium fimbriatum* | Amaryllidaceae | | ANAR | *Anagallis arvensis* | Primulaceae | | ANCO | *Antirrhinum cornutum* | Plantaginaceae | | ANVE | *Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum* | Plantaginaceae | | CAFO | *Castilleja foliolosa* | Orobanchaceae | | CARU | *Castilleja rubicundula* | Orobanchaceae | | CETR | *Centaurium trichanthum* | Gentianaceae | | CLCO | *Clarkia concinna* | Onagraceae | | CLGR | *Clarkia gracilis* | Onagraceae | | DEUL | *Delphinium uliginosum* | Ranunculaceae | | ERLA | *Eriophyllum lanatum* | Asteraceae | | ESCA | *Eschscholzia californica* | Papaveraceae | | LAMI | *Lagophylla minor* | Asteraceae | | LIBI | *Linanthus bicolor* | Polemoniaceae | | LIDI | *Linanthus dichotomus* | Polemoniaceae | | MIGU | *Mimulus guttatus* | Phrymaceae | | MIDO | *Minuartia douglasii* | Caryophyllaceae | | PLST | *Plagiobothrys stipitatus* | Boraginaceae | | ZIVE | *Zigadenus venenosus* | Melanthiaceae |