Dataset and full R script used in the data analysis of the paper "Searching for the lost treasure: An urban shelter for overlooked pollinators in one of the most urbanised cities of southern South America"

Dataset and full R script used in the data analysis of the paper "Searching for the lost treasure: An urban shelter for overlooked pollinators in one of the most urbanised cities of southern South America".

Summary:

Insect pollinators are essential and their conservation should be a priority for both ecological and agricultural reasons, especially in the remaining green spaces within highly urbanised cities. We studied the diversity of flower visitors associated with a remnant of native vegetation in the city of Cordoba (Argentina), one of the largest cities in South America. We recorded 198 insect species from six orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Thysanoptera and Hemiptera) interacting as potential pollinators with the flowers of 94 plant species. We identified the pollinators to the lowest possible taxonomic level and confirmed the identifications through a collaborative project using a non-profit biodiversity social network (iNaturalist 2024). The plant-pollinator interaction network was significantly modular, with 178 of the 198 pollinators playing a peripheral role. We focused our study on these peripheral pollinators, which are often neglected in ecological studies. We conducted a bibliographic search to understand the requirements of these peripheral pollinators, which are often neglected in ecological studies. We categorised their needs to complete their life cycle and persist over time in three broad categories: flowers to feed on, places to reproduce and additional resources.