Oligolectic

Oligolectic is a term in pollination biology describing a foraging pattern in which some bees collect pollen from a limited set of plant taxa rather than from many species. Oligolectic bees typically obtain the majority of their pollen from a small number of genera, sometimes a single genus, within a plant family.

It represents a specialization along a continuum with polylectic (generalist pollen foragers) and monolectic (pollen from a single plant species). The degree of specialization varies among species and can be influenced by the availability and timing of flowering in the local habitat.

Specialization may reflect morphological, chemical, or phenological matches between the bee and its preferred plants. Oligolectic foragers may have pollen preferences based on grain size, surface texture, or nutritional content, and some have physiological adaptations for handling particular pollen types. Because their resources are narrowly distributed, oligolectic bees can be more vulnerable to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, or shifts in flowering phenology.

In ecological research, oligolectic patterns are used to study plant–pollinator networks, floral evolution, and pollination efficiency. Conservation and habitat management that preserve a diversity of flowering plants across seasons can support oligolectic species by reducing resource gaps.