This data set was collected to examine the ability of Lepidoptera to transport microbes among flowers, while foraging. The first set, "experiment 1", records bacteria and yeasts carried by two species of generalist-nectar-feeding butterflies, Speyeria mormonia and Glaucopsyche lygdamus. We captured wild butterflies in the central Colorado Rockies. We recorded butterfly species, sex, wing wear (which measures age, from 1 = youngest to 5 = oldest), date caught, date tested, and the number of colonies on a YM plate that was streaked by the proboscis, or by a wash from the thorax or by allowing the butterfly to walk across the plate.

The second data set, "experiment 2", records the number of colonies of a test bacteria, Rhodococcus fascians, on stigma, anthers and nectaries of Pyrrocoma crocea. Data were collected using flowerheads and adult Speyeria mormonia collected in the field. A butterfly was allowed to feed on a floret; the floret was immediately dissected, and the stigma, anthers and nectaries streaked on a YM plate. A floret on a second flowerhead was then innoculated with the bacteria. The butterfly was allowed to feed on the innoculated floret, and the floret was immediately dissected and parts streaked as for the training floret. The butterfly then fed on a floret in the first flowerhead, and that floret was immediately dissected and parts streaked as for other florets.  Data include the identity, sex and wing wear of the butterfly, the date captured, the date the experiment was run, the number of colonies of R. fascians from stigma, anthers and nectaries of all three floret types.

The dataset was collected as described in the abstract. It was recorded in an excel file, but has not been further processed.

The files are .csv format