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Data from: Specialization and resilience in pollination networks: a case study of floral visitation to a rare, island endemic plant, San Clemente Island Larkspur

Rankin, Erin1; Sidhu, C. Sheena12; Merrill, Korie3; Cecala, Jacob14; Burnham, Emilia1; Gutierrez, Miguel1; Rankin, David1

Published Jun 04, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k3j9kd5pf

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Abstract

This study presents original research on the pollination biology of Delphinium variegatum subsp. kinkiense, a rare and endemic flowering plant on San Clemente Island, California. Despite the critical importance of understanding pollination dynamics for conservation, such baseline data are often unavailable for rare species. Our research addresses this gap by documenting pollinator interactions of this subspecies and its co-flowering community and by leveraging publicly available biodiversity data to assess its role within pollination networks at different ecological scales. Data presented here represent the floral visitor data directly observed from 2015, as well as a curated dataset of publicly available data downloaded from GBIF and filtered to include just those where plant association data were available. Our findings reveal unexpectedly high levels of specialization across the networks and contribute novel pollinator records for D. v. kinkiense. We emphasize the importance of solitary bee, moth and fly pollinators in this system, especially since the primary pollinators of mainland Delphinium species—bumble bees—are functionally absent from the island. We suggest that conservation strategies should prioritize maintaining diverse native plant communities to bolster the resilience of plant-pollinator networks and ensure reproductive success for rare endemic species.