DOI: 10.5061/dryad.sxksn03gp
title: Data and code from: The neglected pollinators: Settling moths are keystone floral visitors essential to network connectivity and tropical forest recovery

description: The underrepresentation of nocturnal taxa in ecological research
 constitutes the “nocturnal problem”. A significant example is settling
 (i.e., non-sphingid) moths, coined as "needles in a haystack,"
 given the uncertainty of their role as pollinators. Using high-throughput
 pollen metabarcoding, we compiled interactions from 24400 individuals from
 504 species of tropical diurnal and nocturnal pollinators. We investigated
 the role of different functional groups in a comprehensive pollen transfer
 network, employing tiger moths (Erebidae: Arctiinae) as a model to
 disentangle the effect of settling moths on network connectivity along a
 recovery chronosequence. Tiger moths were central generalists, amassing
 more interactions with plants than any other pollinator group, and were
 the main connecting agents between network modules. Moreover, they served
 as network hubs alongside pioneer plant genera, which were their primary
 resources. Tiger moth dominance was maintained throughout four decades of
 passive restoration, but increased in the canopies of older forests.
 Dominance was primarily driven by their high abundance and diversity,
 which resulted in more interactions per unit of sampling effort. Moreover,
 moth functional morphology drove specialization and centrality patterns.
 Our results underline a largely neglected functional group of nocturnal
 pollinators as prominent floral visitors, key to ecosystem stability and
 recovery. morphology drove specialization and centrality
 patterns. Our results underline a largely neglected functional group of
 nocturnal pollinators as a prominent functional group of pollinators key
 to ecosystem stability and recovery.
description: # Data and code from: The neglected pollinators: Settling moths are
 keystone floral visitors essential to network connectivity and tropical
 forest recovery Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.sxksn03gp](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sxksn03gp) ##
 Description of the data and file structure The provided code and data
 sheets are linked to the manuscript "The neglected pollinators:
 settling moths are keystone floral visitors essential for network
 connectivity and tropical forest recovery". Submitted to: Proceedings
 of the Royal Society B. The dataset includes data on the abundance of
 pollinators (tiger moths, hawkmoths, diurnal bees, nocturnal bees, and
 bats) sampled at a regeneration gradient in the lowland Chocó forests of
 Ecuador. Additionally, data on their interaction networks with plants,
 assessed via metabarcoding, are included. Data were collected in 2022 and
 2023 in 62 plots.  ### Files and variables #### File: analyses.R
 **Description:** R script to perform all the analysis. Please select the
 correct working directory (folder) where the files below are located
 before starting, and install all necessary packages. R version: 4.4.2 ####
 File: centrality.xlsx **Description:** Centrality and specialization
 values computed using bipartite, here with the added pollinator species
 for analysis. ##### Variables * species - pollinator species * d -
 specialization index * closeness - closeness centrality (cC) *
 weighted.closeness - same as above but weighted (not used in the paper).
 #### File: centrality_arctiinae.xlsx **Description:** Same as above, but
 subset for Arctiinae only and with tribe classification. ##### Variables *
 group - tribe or infragenus classification of tiger moths and Sphingidae.
 * All others: same as above #### File: network.xlsx **Description:** Data
 frame containing interaction data. Rows correspond to interactions between
 a pollinator species (polSpecies) and a plant species (ASV). #####
 Variables * sample - individual pollen sample code * colDate - date when
 the sample was collected * plot - collection plot (categorical) * Stratum
 - stratum in which the sample was collected (canopy or understory) *
 regen_age - the plot's time of regeneration. NAs are missing values
 in old-growth plots (no age) * numPols - number of pollinator individuals
 in the pollen pool. * polGroup - pollinator higher taxonomical group *
 polSpecies - pollinator species *  polGenus - pollinator genus * ASV -
 plant species unit identified via metabarcoding (Amplicon Sequence
 Variant). When not known, may contain higher taxonimic levels (e.g., genus
 or family). * plantFamily - family of the ASV * plantGenus - genus of the
 ASV. When not known, may contain higher taxonimic levels (e.g., family). *
 relAbund - relative read abundance of the ASV in the pollen sample. *
 weight_1000 - transformation used as interaction weights in the paper
 (relAbund*1000). #### File: moth_traits.xlsx **Description:** Trait data
 from all moth species, including the mean values of proboscis length (PL),
 body length (BL) and effective proboscis length (PBR). NAs denote missing
 values. ##### Variables * Group - pollinator group * Species - pollinator
 species * n - number of measured individuals * PL_mean - mean proboscis
 length (mm) * PL_sd - standard deviation of proboscis length * BL_mean -
 mean body length (mm) * BL_sd - standard deviation of body length *
 PBR_mean - mean relative proboscis length (no unit) * PBR_sd - standard
 deviation of the relative proboscis length #### File: abundances.xlsx
 **Description:** Pollinator abundance data in the study plots. Each row
 corresponds to an individual. ##### Variables * polGroup: species group *
 species - species name * plot - collection plot (categorical) * level -
 canopy or understory ## Code/software R version 4.4.2