Nectar robbing is a foraging behavior used by some organisms that feed on floral nectar, carried out by feeding from holes bitten in flowers, rather than by entering through the flowers' natural openings. Nectar robbers usually feed in this way, avoiding contact with the floral reproductive structures, and therefore do not facilitate plant reproduction via pollination. Because many species that act as pollinators also act as nectar robbers, nectar robbing is considered to be a form of exploitation of plant-pollinator mutualism. While there is variation in the dependency on nectar for robber species, most species rob facultatively (that is, to supplement their diets, rather than as an absolute necessity).
Nectar robbers vary greatly in species diversity and include species of carpenter bees, bumblebees, stingless Trigona bees, solitary bees, wasps, ants, hummingbirds, and some passerine birds, including flowerpiercers.[1] Nectar-robbing mammals include the fruit bat[2] and Swinhoe's striped squirrel, which rob nectar from the ginger plant.[3]
^Maloof, J. E.; Inouye, D. W. (2000). "Are nectar robbers cheaters or mutualists?". Ecology. 81 (10): 2651–2661. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.463.752. doi:10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[2651:ANRCOM]2.0.CO;2.
^Olmos, F.; Boulhosa, R. (2000). A meeting of opportunists: birds and other visitors to Mabea fistulifera (Euphorbiaceae) in florescences. Ararajuba 8(2):93–98.
^Deng, X.; Ren, P.; Gao, J.; Li, Q. (2004). The Striped Squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei hainanus) as a Nectar Robber of Ginger (Alpinia kwangsiensis). Biotropica. 36(4):633–636.
Nectarrobbing is a foraging behavior used by some organisms that feed on floral nectar, carried out by feeding from holes bitten in flowers, rather than...
brought home by the returning forager. The "nectarrobbing" behavior is exhibited when the organism obtains the nectar of the flowers without getting in contact...
"robbingnectar." To robnectar, the worker uses the horny sheath around its tongue to make a hole through the flower. Then, it will reach the nectar without...
bees "rob" nectar by slitting the sides of flowers with deep corollae. Xylocopa virginica is one example of a species with such nectarrobbing behavior...
They may also participate in nectarrobbing, which consists of inserting the bill into the side of the flower to extract nectar without being dabbed with...
pistil/stamen and get at the nectar within. Nectarivores may also use their specialized bills to engage in nectarrobbing, a practice seen in both hummingbirds...
they extract nectar using their long tongues ("glossae") and store it in their crops. Many species of bumblebees also exhibit "nectarrobbing": instead of...
this feature. A 2016 study confirmed nectarrobbing in the horned sungem; the observed individuals robbednectar from the plants Amphilophium elongatum...
to most insects, thereby reducing nectarrobbing. Hummingbird-pollinated flowers also produce relatively weak nectar (averaging 25% sugars) containing...
sometimes pierces flowers from the side, taking the nectar without pollinating the plant - known as nectarrobbing. It also feeds on fruits - including mistletoe...
there is little nectar in the field. Strong colonies with the largest stores are the most apt to prey upon weaker colonies. Some robbing is carried out...
direct response to nectarrobbing from other birds and animals, and this reduces the viability of the hummingbird in an area with many nectar robbers, as well...
bite into the side of the flower to access the nectar – a foraging behaviour known as nectarrobbing. With S. × uplandicum, leaf bases are not decurrent...
Hemiptera. Some, but not all, are also pollinators: others engage in nectarrobbing by avoiding the reproductive organs of plants altogether, particularly...
brought nectar. X. virginica use their maxillae to penetrate the corolla of plants and reach the nectar stores, a behavior known as nectarrobbing. This...
clinging to hotel walls to watch vacationers on their balconies, and nectarrobbing kowhai flowers. In common with many other birds, the house sparrow requires...
color with the background and the avoidance of insects (higher risk of nectarrobbing), decreasing the efficiency of pollination. The flowers of generalist...
first-nature.com. Retrieved 16 June 2020. Zhang, Y. W., et al. (2007). Nectarrobbing of a carpenter bee and its effects on the reproductive fitness of Glechoma...
at the base of the flower and "steals" nectar without pollinating the plant, a behavior known as nectarrobbing. The holes in the petals created by this...
pollen theft has typically received far less research attention than nectarrobbing, despite the more direct consequences on plant reproduction. Few pollen-collecting...
316–324. Ornelas, Juan Francisco. "Serrate Tomia: An Adaptation for NectarRobbing in Hummingbirds?" (PDF). The Auk. 111 (3): 703–710. Madge, Steve; Burn...
In particular, their short tongues may allow them to participate in nectarrobbing. B. pratorum is found in most of Europe, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean...
doi:10.1071/MU9770073. Hingston, Andrew B.; McQuillan, Peter B (1998). "NectarRobbing in Epacris impressa (Epacridaceae) by the Recently Introduced Bumblebee...
fertilized via buzz-pollination by several Bombus species. Primary Nectarrobbing by Bombus species, including Bombus occidentalis is common in some populations...
316–324. Ornelas, Juan Francisco. "Serrate Tomia: An Adaptation for NectarRobbing in Hummingbirds?" (PDF). The Auk. Vol. 111, no. 3. pp. 703–710. Madge...
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