Seasonal and habitat variations of floral visitor networks in a Mediterranean maquis

In natural ecosystems, species are interacting with many others constituting complex networks. Analysis of these networks enables us to describe and visualize ecological communities, which can vary greatly depending on the habitat and the season. Here, we have studied insect floral visitors explicitly considering the four main orders Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera over nine months in 2022 across three sites in South-West Corsica. We recorded 2,848 insect–flower interactions involving 241 insect morpho-species and 54 plant species. Seven plant species accounted 61% of all insect observations and 81% of the recorded insect species diversity. Our results revealed pronounced spatial and temporal dynamics. Distinct seasonal floral visitor communities emerged at each site, with the highest diversity observed between spring and summer. The composition of key species varied markedly across seasons, Bombus xanthopus, Oedemera spp., and Tropinota squalida in spring; Hylaeus spp and Mordellistena spp. in summer; Apis mellifera and Hylaeus spp in autumn. Local plant diversity and landscape heterogeneity at both short (200 m) and long (1 km) scales likely contributed to spatial differences among sites. This study highlights the necessity of integrating understudied groups such as Coleoptera and extending sampling across seasons to fully capture the dynamics of plant–floral visitor networks. However, given the high diversity and taxonomic complexity of flower-visiting insects, direct management is challenging. Instead, prioritizing plant community management offers a practical means to support these interactions, particularly since visitor assemblages vary according to microhabitat and landscape structure. These insights are essential for understanding ecological processes and informing robust conservation strategies that encompass the variability of these interactions in Mediterranean ecosystems.