Estimating pollinator performance of visitors to the self-incompatible crop-plant Brassica rapa by single visit deposition and pollen germination: a comparison of methods (2017)
Journal Article
Patchett, R., Ballantyne, G., & Willmer, P. (2017). Estimating pollinator performance of visitors to the self-incompatible crop-plant Brassica rapa by single visit deposition and pollen germination: a comparison of methods. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 21(3), 78-85

Estimating the pollen-deposition effectiveness of flower visitors is fundamental to understanding their performance as pollinators. While estimates of visitation rates, pollen loads, and single visit deposition (SVD) are all useful proxies for perfor... Read More about Estimating pollinator performance of visitors to the self-incompatible crop-plant Brassica rapa by single visit deposition and pollen germination: a comparison of methods.

Why flower visitation is a poor proxy for pollination: measuring single-visit pollen deposition, with implications for pollination networks and conservation (2013)
Journal Article
King, C., Ballantyne, G., & Willmer, P. G. (2013). Why flower visitation is a poor proxy for pollination: measuring single-visit pollen deposition, with implications for pollination networks and conservation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 4(9), 811-818. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.12074

Summary
The relative importance of specialized and generalized plant-pollinator relationships is contentious, yet analyses usually avoid direct measures of pollinator quality (effectiveness), citing difficulties in collecting such data in the field... Read More about Why flower visitation is a poor proxy for pollination: measuring single-visit pollen deposition, with implications for pollination networks and conservation.

Floral visitors and ant scent marks: noticed but not used? (2012)
Journal Article
Ballantyne, G., & Willmer, P. (2012). Floral visitors and ant scent marks: noticed but not used?. Ecological Entomology, 37(5), 402-409. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01378.x

1. Bee behaviour when visiting flowers is mediated by diverse chemical cues and signals, from the flower itself and from previous visitors to the flower. Flowers recently visited by bees and hoverflies may be rejected for a period of time by subseque... Read More about Floral visitors and ant scent marks: noticed but not used?.

Nectar Theft and Floral Ant-Repellence: A Link between Nectar Volume and Ant-Repellent Traits? (2012)
Journal Article
Ballantyne, G., & Willmer, P. (2012). Nectar Theft and Floral Ant-Repellence: A Link between Nectar Volume and Ant-Repellent Traits?. PLOS ONE, 7(8), Article e43869. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043869

As flower visitors, ants rarely benefit a plant. They are poor pollinators, and can also disrupt pollination by deterring other flower visitors, or by stealing nectar. Some plant species therefore possess floral ant-repelling traits. But why do parti... Read More about Nectar Theft and Floral Ant-Repellence: A Link between Nectar Volume and Ant-Repellent Traits?.