Ecological entomology research at Faculty of Science @science_charles and @BiologyCentre, Czech Republic. Led by @RobertTropek #ICEG

Czech Republic
Joined October 2018
New study published in @NatureEcoEvo! We assembled the largest global dataset of plant–pollinator networks to ask a simple question: do interactions become more specialised towards the tropics? doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-0… Study led by @SaileeSakhalkar @RobertTropek 1/8
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Why does this matter? Climate change can alter where species occur and when plants flower or pollinators are active. We did not test future changes directly, but our results suggest that pollination networks will not all respond in the same way. 8/8
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An English press release is available here: natur.cuni.cz/en/news/12134 Tiskovou zprávu v češtině najdete zde: natur.cuni.cz/aktuality/1213…
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We (@RobertTropek @MichalBartak2 ) have participated in this huge international study on butterfly range shifts on the global scale. Just published in @NatureEcoEvo, led by @shawan_c #climatechange #biodiversity #butterflies xitter.cf/shawan_c/status/208530…
Our new @NatureEcoEvo paper documents range shifts in 1,758 butterfly species across 105 countries, primarily due to climate change. 🦋80% expanded 🦋27% contracted 🦋22% shifted elevation 🦋342 showed multiple shift types. doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-0… @MonashBiol @Monash_Science
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Insect Community Ecology Group retweeted
I am very proud and honoured that one more moth species, Sineviella tropeki, was dedicated to me! Together with Sineviella maicheri, dedicated to my former student Dr. Vincent Maicher.
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Insect Community Ecology Group retweeted
🏠🐝Hmyzí hotely: pomoc opylovačům, nebo jen dobře vypadající dekorace?🐝 Sepsali jsme o tom delší text na @Ekolist_cz, včetně rad, kde ho (ne)koupit, jak ho nejlíp udělat a umístit. 🧵Odkaz a shrnutí ve vlákně níže⬇️
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New preprint on interaction networks! Do network characteristics peak mid-gradient, similar to species richness, due to simple geometry: the mid-domain effect (MDE). We test this using simulations and real plant–pollinator and ant–plant networks. doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.28.…
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Our null-model simulations show that MDE alone can generate strong structure: - unimodal peaks in realised links, generality and vulnerability - U-shaped patterns in connectance and often nestedness All emerging from geometry, not biology...
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Empirical elevational networks partly follow these MDE predictions, but also show clear deviations. 👉 Mid-domain effect matters, although biology leaves a major fingerprint. Ignoring MDE risks misinterpreting null patterns as biological signals.
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Insect Community Ecology Group retweeted
Podcast @Akademie_ved_CR o opylování, hmyzu, výzkumu, i mužích na rodičovské dovolené... avcr.cz/cs/pro-verejnost/akt… (samozřejmě k nalezení i v podcastových aplikacích)
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New prepring out!🌸🐝 How does plant reproduction change near the upper limits of vegetation in the tropics? We studied #pollination, pollen limitation, and selfing in Afromontane grasslands on Mount Cameroon. biorxiv.org/content/10.64898…
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Pollinators were part of the story: visitation frequency and diversity declined upslope and were linked to seed production. But pollen limitation and reproductive failure weren’t explained by pollinators alone – abiotic constraints kick in hard at the top.
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Take-home message: upslope range shifts under climate warming won’t automatically mean successful reproduction. Near mountaintops, plants face a double bottleneck – fewer pollinators and physiological limits. Pollination + climate must be considered together.
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