Pollinators adjust their behavior to presence of pollinator-transmitted pathogen in plant population

Interactions between pollinators and plants can be affected by the presence of plant pathogens that substitute their infectious propagules for pollen in flowers and rely on pollinators for transmission to new hosts. However, it is largely unknown how pollinators integrate cues from diseased plants such as altered floral rewards and floral traits, and how their behavior changes afterward. Understanding pollinator responses to diseased plants is crucial for predicting both pathogen transmission and pollen dispersal in diseased plant populations. In this study, we investigated pollinator responses to contact with plants of Dianthus carthusianorum diseased with anther smut (Microbotryum carthusianorum). We combined three approaches: 1) observation of individual pollinators foraging in experimental arrays of pre-grown potted plants; 2) measurements of floral rewards and floral traits of healthy and diseased plants; and 3) quantification of pollen/spore loads of pollinator functional groups. ...