Diversity and relevance of non-sphingid moths as pollinators in the Neotropics

Understanding the pollination mechanisms of "settling moths"
(moths from families other than Sphingidae typically perched on corollas
while feeding on flowers) in the Neotropics is crucial for assessing their
contributions to plant reproduction and ecosystem resilience. Through
extensive literature searches on Google Scholar and SCOPUS, this study
identified 44 relevant studies from an initial pool of 410. These studies
covered 37 ecoregions across over 30 million km², primarily focusing on
natural habitats, with Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico as major
contributors. The research on Neotropical moth pollination has surged
since 2000, with Noctuoidea, Geometridae, and Pyraloidea as the most cited
moth groups. Despite the significant progress in documenting moth
pollination, our assessment of taxonomic resolution revealed a heavy
reliance on field observations, underscoring the need for collaboration
with taxonomists to improve species-level identifications and enrich
ecological interpretations. Our network analysis of interactions between
37 plant families and 14 nocturnal moth families or higher taxon groups
indicated a matrix fill of approximately 18.7%, with significant
nestedness pointing to generalist-specialist dynamics among plant and moth
families. Modularity analysis identified distinct clusters of
interactions, suggesting that specific plant and moth families engage in
compartmentalized relationships shaped by ecological and evolutionary
factors. Dominant groups, such as Asteraceae and Fabaceae among plants,
and Erebidae and Noctuidae among moths, played central roles within these
modules, underscoring their importance in maintaining nocturnal
pollination networks. These findings emphasize the importance of both
diverse and dominant pollinator groups in supporting Neotropical
pollination dynamics. Our work highlights the need for pollinator-centered
studies, the adoption of standardized methodologies, and deeper
exploration of exclusive moth pollination to advance understanding of
plant reproduction across the Neotropics. Future research should aim to
bridge gaps in species-level identification and further investigate the
ecological and evolutionary significance of nocturnal pollination across
diverse environments.