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Diel patterns and community composition of insect visitors to Platanthera dilatata (Orchidaceae) revealed by time-lapse photography
Costello, Laura J. Narango, Desirée L.
Costello, Laura J.
Narango, Desirée L.
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Abstract
1. Pollination ecology in Platanthera (Orchidaceae) remains incompletely understood, even for relatively well-studied species such as Platanthera dilatata. Prior studies have largely focused on identifying pollinators rather than quantifying how visitation rates and community composition vary across the diel cycle and environmental conditions. Floral traits of P. dilatata and previous work suggest that a high proportion of visitation could be from nocturnal moths.
2. Here, we used automated time-lapse cameras to compare insect flower visitation to P. dilatata across the diel cycle at four sites in Vermont, USA. We evaluated >79,000 photos to describe the insect visitor community, determine insect visitation rates and model their drivers, and analyze community composition.
3. Over a single flowering season, we observed a diverse assemblage of insect visitors spanning eight orders, 49 families, and 75 taxa. We recorded 27 previously unreported floral visitors and eight Lepidoptera species carrying pollinia, six of which have not previously been reported as potential pollinators of P. dilatata.
4. Although nocturnal moths were a significant component of the visitor community, floral visitation rates of P. dilatata peaked during the day and at dusk, were significantly lower at night, and were lowest at dawn. Day and dusk periods supported similar visitation rates but differed significantly in community composition, with flies dominating during the day and moths at dusk.
5. These results show that ecologically important visitation occurs beyond daylight hours, and that sampling restricted to daytime can overlook distinct dusk assemblages and significant nocturnal visitors. They also demonstrate the value of camera-based sampling for efficiently capturing insect visitation dynamics across space and time.
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Date
2026-05-28