History and Aims

The Nectar Working Group (NWG) has been active since 2008. Its mission is to promote research on the biology of nectar and nectaries, as well as their relationships with animals.

For centuries, nectar-based plant-animal relationships have been cited as classic examples of symmetric mutualism: services provided by animals to plants in exchange for food. However, recent evidence challenges this traditional view. Today, nectar is understood to be a sophisticated plant interface that mediates intricate, multi-organism interactions.

A fascinating area currently emerging from recent chemical and biochemical profiling is the presence of various substances unrelated to the nutritional value of this secretion. This highlights a role for nectar that goes far beyond being just food for pollinators. Another rapidly growing field of study is the role of a third partner in these relationships: yeasts and bacteria. These microorganisms can drastically alter nectar chemistry, consequently shaping animal foraging behaviour.

Deepening our understanding of these fields opens new evolutionary and ecological perspectives, allowing us to better comprehend the complexity of plant-animal interactions.