Prof Patricia Willmer
Biology Emeritus Professor
Research areas
A. Environmental Physiology of Invertebrates.
Water balance and osmoregulation in insects. Thermal physiology in relation to microclimate and behaviour, especially in bees and other terrestrial and littoral invertebrates.
B. Insect-Plant Interactions.
Pollination ecology. Interactions between pollinators, pests and predators.
Insects as pests on crop plants, and interactions with crop microclimates. Ant deterrence in flowers.
C. Animal behaviour, especially social insects.
Ecology and behaviour of insects, specifically insect-plant interactions and pollination ecology. The constraints acting on pollinators, especially bees, in temperate and arid systems.
D. Invertebrate Evolution and Convergent Evolution.
Invertebrate morphology and fossils; the evolution of basic body plans, and the prevalence of convergent evolution; implications for phylogenetic approaches.
Selected publications
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Open access
A dual function for 4-methoxybenzaldehyde in Petasites fragrans? Pollinator-attractant and ant-repellent
Pattrick, J. G., Shepherd, T., Hoppitt, W., Plowman, N. S. & Willmer, P., Oct 2017, In: Arthropod-Plant Interactions. 11, 5, p. 623-627 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Estimating pollinator performance of visitors to the self-incompatible crop-plant Brassica rapa by single visit deposition and pollen germination: a comparison of methods
Patchett, R. B., Ballantyne, G. A. & Willmer, P. G., 1 Dec 2017, In: Journal of Pollination Ecology. 21, 3, p. 78-85 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Insights from measuring pollen deposition: quantifying the pre-eminence of bees as flower visitors and effective pollinators
Willmer, P. G., Cunnold, H. E. & Ballantyne, G. A., Jun 2017, In: Arthropod-Plant Interactions. 11, 3, p. 411-425 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Pollinator importance networks illustrate the crucial value of bees in a highly speciose plant community
Ballantyne, G., Baldock, K. C. R., Rendell, L. & Willmer, P. G., 21 Aug 2017, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Scientific Reports. 7, 13 p., 8389.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Constructing more informative plant-pollinator networks: visitation and pollen deposition networks in a heathland plant community
Ballantyne, G. A., Baldock, K. C. R. & Willmer, P. G., 2 Sept 2015, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 282, 9 p., 20151130.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Too many commercial hives
Willmer, P. G., 21 May 2015, In: Nature. 521, 7552, p. S57-S59Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
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Open access
Big bees do a better job: intraspecific size variation influences pollination effectiveness
Willmer, P. G. & Finlayson, K., Sept 2014, In: Journal of Pollination Ecology. 14, 23, p. 244-254 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Climate change: bees and orchids lose touch
Willmer, P., 1 Dec 2014, In: Current Biology. 24, 23, p. R1133-R1135 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
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Open access
Why flower visitation is a poor proxy for pollination: measuring single-visit pollen deposition, with implications for pollination networks and conservation
King, C., Ballantyne, G. A. & Willmer, P. G., Sept 2013, In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 4, 9, p. 811-818 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Floral visitors and ant scent marks: noticed but not used?
Ballantyne, G. A. & Willmer, P. G., 2012, In: Ecological Entomology. 37, 5, p. 402-409Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review