Data and R code from: Downscaling species to individual-level networks reveals the importance of population-level processes in mediating generalized community-wide interaction patterns

Patterns and consequences of community-wide interactions have been evaluated at the species-level, thus ignoring differences in individual behavior. In plant–pollinator networks, downscaling interactions to the individual level may further help reconcile the high level of generalization related to community stability with the specificity needed for pollination functioning. Here, we built species-level and individual-level networks using pollen loads on individual pollinators collected in a diverse serpentine seep community in Northern California. Plant–pollinator interactions were almost two times more specialized at the individual- compared to the species-level, suggesting a higher level of niche partitioning among individual insects which may increase pollination functioning within the community. However, we observed differences in individual specialization even among generalist pollinator species, which may differentially impact conspecific pollen movement and pollination efficacy de..., To build individual- and species-level networks we surveyed flower-visiting insects foraging on the serpentine seeps between 09h00 and 15h00 using entomological nets between May 9th and June 1st, 2021. Insects were collected by 2-3 people simultaneously walking at a steady pace while observing all plant species and collecting all insects observed visiting flowers and making contact with plant reproductive structures. Specimens were stored in tubes under cold temperatures in the field immediately after collection to prevent them from moving and losing pollen. We then sampled pollen loads from each insect in the lab by swabbing multiple body parts (head, dorsal and ventral thorax, and fore- and mid-legs) with a fuchsin jelly cube that was later mounted on a microscope slide. Pollen carried on corbiculae or scopae in bees was excluded because it represents a resource that is not typically available for pollination and neither present in male bees or other pollinator functional groups sampl..., , # Data and R code from: Downscaling species to individual-level networks reveals the importance of population-level processes in mediating generalized community-wide interaction patterns

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.kh18932j1](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.kh18932j1)

## Description of the data and file structure

This data set and R script are part of the manuscript titled \"Downscaling species to individual-level networks reveals the importance of population-level processes in mediating generalized community-wide interaction patterns\", submitted to Ecology Letters. In this study, we used pollen loads collected on individual flower-visiting insects surveyed on a serpentine seep plant community, North California (in 2021) to build species- and individual-level pollen transport networks. This data set contains 540 individual insects belonging to 29 pollinator species that transported overall 37 plant species. For bees, the intertegular distance was measured and sex was assigned.

### F...