PREMISE Opportunistic nectar-feeders may act as effective pollinators; nonetheless, we still lack information on whether these opportunistic species differ in their pollination effectiveness from specialized nectarivorous vertebrates and insects. Many nectar specialists have coevolved with the plants on which they feed; therefore, we would expect higher pollination effectiveness in specialists than in opportunistic feeders. Here, we assessed quantity and quality components of pollination effectiveness in specialist and opportunistic vertebrate nectarivores and insects, focusing on three plants from the Seychelles: Thespesia populnea, Polyscias crassa, and Syzygium wrightii. METHODS We determined the quantity component (QNC) of pollination effectiveness with pollinator observations, and the quality component (QLC) by measuring fruit and seed set resulting from single visits by each pollinator. To detect potential negative effects of invasive ants on native plant-pollinator interactions, we classified pollinator visits (quantity component) as disturbed (>6 ants/30 min) vs. undisturbed. RESULTS All focal plants were visited by insects, and vertebrate specialist and opportunist nectarivores, yet their pollination effectiveness differed. Flying insects were the most effective pollinators of T. populnea. The other two plants were most effectively pollinated by vertebrates; i.e., sunbirds (nectar specialists) in S. wrightii and Phelsuma geckos (nectar opportunists) in P. crassa, despite marked variation in QNC and QLC. Ant presence was associated with lower pollinator visitation rate in P. crassa and S. wrightii. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the importance of all pollinator guilds, including opportunist nectarivorous vertebrates as pollinators of island plants, and the vulnerability of such interactions to disruption by nonnative species.

中文翻译：

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在塞舌尔受外来入侵蚂蚁影响的专家和机会性花蜜饲养者的授粉效率

前提 机会主义的花蜜饲养者可以作为有效的传粉者；尽管如此，我们仍然缺乏关于这些机会性物种在授粉效率上是否与专门的食蜜脊椎动物和昆虫不同的信息。许多花蜜专家与他们赖以生存的植物共同进化。因此，我们预计专家的授粉效率高于机会性饲养者。在这里，我们评估了专业和机会性脊椎动物食蜜动物和昆虫的授粉效率的数量和质量组成部分，重点是来自塞舌尔的三种植物：Thespesia populnea、Polyscias crassa 和 Syzygium wrightii。方法 我们通过传粉媒介观察确定了传粉效率的数量分量 (QNC)，质量分量 (QLC) 通过测量每个传粉媒介单次访问产生的果实和种子集。为了检测入侵蚂蚁对本地植物 - 传粉媒介相互作用的潜在负面影响，我们将传粉媒介访问（数量分量）分类为受干扰（> 6 只蚂蚁/30 分钟）与未受干扰。结果昆虫、脊椎动物专家和机会主义食蜜动物访问了所有焦点植物，但它们的授粉效率不同。飞行昆虫是 T. populnea 最有效的传粉者。另外两种植物最有效地被脊椎动物授粉；即，S. wrightii 中的太阳鸟（花蜜专家）和 P. crassa 中的 Phelsuma 壁虎（花蜜机会主义者），尽管 QNC 和 QLC 存在显着差异。蚂蚁的存在与 P. crassa 和 S. wrightii 中较低的传粉媒介访问率有关。