Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world.
“Mutualism is a common example of interspecies cooperation,” says Utah State University ecologist Valerie Martin. “Scientists have long studied mutualisms between plants and pollinators, but understanding their origin and maintenance remains a challenge. Curiously, exploitative behaviors – including cheating – are rampant among mutualists and we’re trying to understand why.”
Martin, a doctoral candidate in USU’s Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center, along with her faculty mentor Robert Schaeffer, are studying nectar-robbing behavior in bumble bees through support from the National Science Foundation. They report findings in an online, preprint article posted Feb. 6, 2026, in the journal iScience.
Nectar robbers are termed as such, she says, because they take nectar from flowers without providing the service of pollination in return. Rather than extracting nectar from a flower’s natural opening, which causes the bees to come in contact with the flower’s reproductive structures and enables them to pollinate other flowers, the bee saves its time and effort by sipping nectar from a more easily accessible hole in floral tissue.
Martin says pollinators engage in two main types of nectar-robber foraging. One is called primary robbing, in which the floral larcenist creates its own hole in the flower. The other type, known as secondary robbing, involves making use of an already-created hole.
“Sometimes, secondary robbers don’t have long enough tongues to avail themselves of a meal from a flower with deep parts, such as tubular corollas,” she says. “A convenient hole is a not-to-be missed foraging opportunity.”
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Since 1888, Utah State University established itself as a premier research institution known through the world for its intellectual and technological leadership. USU’s main campus is in Logan, plus 30 campuses throughout Utah. And as long as WiFi is available, you can be an Aggie anywhere through USU Online.
USU competes in 16 NCAA Division I sports. Our student section, the HURD, is one of the loudest and rowdiest in the nation. The diehards become True Aggies by kissing on the block “A” on Homecoming. Adrenaline junkies sled down Old Main hill between classes or rock climb outside. And everyone eats Aggie Ice Cream — even with a foot of snow on the ground.
#7 Best Bang for the Buck in the West - Washington Monthly
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USU is committed to a learning and working environment free from discrimination. For USU’s non-discrimination notice, see equity.usu.edu/non-discrimination.
From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world.
“Mutualism is a common example of interspecies cooperation,” says Utah State University ecologist Valerie Martin. “Scientists have long studied mutualisms between plants and pollinators, but understanding their origin and maintenance remains a challenge. Curiously, exploitative behaviors – including cheating – are rampant among mutualists and we’re trying to understand why.”
Martin, a doctoral candidate in USU’s Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center, along with her faculty mentor Robert Schaeffer, are studying nectar-robbing behavior in bumble bees through support from the National Science Foundation. They report findings in an online, preprint article posted Feb. 6, 2026, in the journal iScience.
Nectar robbers are termed as such, she says, because they take nectar from flowers without providing the service of pollination in return. Rather than extracting nectar from a flower’s natural opening, which causes the bees to come in contact with the flower’s reproductive structures and enables them to pollinate other flowers, the bee saves its time and effort by sipping nectar from a more easily accessible hole in floral tissue.
Martin says pollinators engage in two main types of nectar-robber foraging. One is called primary robbing, in which the floral larcenist creates its own hole in the flower. The other type, known as secondary robbing, involves making use of an already-created hole.
“Sometimes, secondary robbers don’t have long enough tongues to avail themselves of a meal from a flower with deep parts, such as tubular corollas,” she says. “A convenient hole is a not-to-be missed foraging opportunity.”
–––––––––––
Since 1888, Utah State University established itself as a premier research institution known through the world for its intellectual and technological leadership. USU’s main campus is in Logan, plus 30 campuses throughout Utah. And as long as WiFi is available, you can be an Aggie anywhere through USU Online.
USU competes in 16 NCAA Division I sports. Our student section, the HURD, is one of the loudest and rowdiest in the nation. The diehards become True Aggies by kissing on the block “A” on Homecoming. Adrenaline junkies sled down Old Main hill between classes or rock climb outside. And everyone eats Aggie Ice Cream — even with a foot of snow on the ground.
#7 Best Bang for the Buck in the West - Washington Monthly
#8 Public University in the Nation - Washington Monthly
#11 Best Online Bachelor's Program - U.S. News & World Report
There’s a place for you at Utah State. Join us.
https://usu.edu/admissions/aggielife/
Follow Us
FB: facebook.com/UtahState
IG: instagram.com/USUAggielife
TW: twitter.com/USUAggies
USU is committed to a learning and working environment free from discrimination. For USU’s non-discrimination notice, see equity.usu.edu/non-discrimination.
