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Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps,...

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Pollinators We Never Talk About Lynn Kimsey Bohart Museum of Entomology University of California
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Page 1: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Pollinators We Never Talk About

Lynn Kimsey Bohart Museum of Entomology

University of California

Page 2: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Why Do Plants Need Pollination?

• To move pollen from plant to plant

• To prevent inbreeding

• Move genes around

Page 3: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Ways to outcross Someone/something to carry pollen to someone else’s flower With lowest possible investment

What Do Plants Need

Page 4: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Kinds of Pollination

• Wind

• Water

• Animals: Insects, birds, mammals

Page 5: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Wind Pollination Imprecise Requires huge amounts of pollen - costly Everyone gets some…

Page 6: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Water Pollination

Imprecise Water passively carries pollen to flowers and everything else

Page 7: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Animal Pollinators

• Most effective agents for plants

• Take pollen directly to right kind of flower

• Flower determines how pollen collected

• Flower determines how pollen is deposited

Page 8: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

To get animals to help plants provide: • food (pollen, nectar) • scents/perfume • oils • nest materials

What Do Animals Need

Page 9: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

So what does it take to be a pollinator?

1. You have to be hairy

2. You have to spend time in flowers, mucking about

3. You have to contact the flower’s reproductive parts

4. You have to visit multiple flowers of the same species

Page 10: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Its All About Moving Pollen

Page 11: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bees are very hairy Their hairs are feathery For collecting pollen

Bees

Page 12: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

We always talk about bees as pollinators

But mostly think of honey bees

There are many, many others…

Page 13: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Different Bees Carry Pollen Differently

abdomen

Leaf cutter bees

Digger bee

Bumble bee

Sweat bee

legs

Page 14: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Non-Bee Insect Pollinators

Flower flies

beetles

Moths

Butterflies Ants

Mosquitoes Wasps

Page 15: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

What Am I?

Page 16: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

What About Flies?

Flesh fly Soldier fly

Page 17: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

What About Flies?

Everyone’s perfume is different Some flowers pollinated by blowflies

Page 18: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Butterfly & Moth Pollinators

Bodies hairy Have no way to groom Tongues also collect pollen Generally pollinate tubular flowers Though may visit many different flowers

Page 19: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Moths Hawkmoth pollinated flowers Have narrow long tubular flowers Tongue picks up pollen grains Same as hummingbird flowers

Page 20: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Moths Moth pollinated flowers: • Tend to open at night • Only produce fragrance at night • Generally pale colored

Page 21: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Beetles

Soldier beetles

Long-horned beetles

Beetle pollinated flowers: • Have open corollas • Or many tiny clustered flowers • With many exposed anthers • Shed pollen easily

Page 22: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Hummingbird Pollination

Pollinate flowers with tubular corollas Anthers dust feathers around front of head Stigma touches this area when bird visits

Page 23: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bat Pollination

Flowers have short wide openings Lots of anthers Thick walls Offer lots of nectar

Bats have short tongues

Page 24: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

What About Color? Who’s the pollinator

Page 25: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Who’s the pollinator

Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies

Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly

Page 26: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

What A Bee Sees

Regular light (left) UV pattern seen by bees

Insects cannot see red or orange See into the UV Flowers have patterns in UV to guide insects

Page 27: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Flowers Regulate Who Pollinates Them

By what they offer: • Nectar • Pollen • Both Flower structure: • Corolla length – tongue length must match corolla length to reach nectar • Pollinator body size and weight to open flower

Page 28: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Tubular Flowers

Page 29: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

The flowers consist of: • 100’s or 1000’s of individual

flowers • Simply moving on the flower

picks up pollen

Sunflowers and Their Relatives

Page 30: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Milkweed Pollination

Flower attaches pollinia to insect visitor legs or tongues

Page 31: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Pollination of Magnolias

Primitive flowering plants Pollinated by beetles walking over reproductive parts

Page 32: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Sages

Only bees of right weight can push into the flower to reach nectar Causes anthers to bend down and dust pollen on bee Or stigma to bend & touch pollen on bee’s back

Page 33: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Salvia Pollination Mostly bees large and strong enough Butterflies in small flowered species where tongue touches anthers

Page 34: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Squash Pollination

Squash bees, Peponapis, best pollinators of squash, gourds, melons

Page 35: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Nectar Thieves Carpenter Bees:

• Enter tubular flowers the wrong way • Miss the reproductive parts entirely • Rob flowers of nectar

Page 36: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Buzz Pollination

Found in nightshades and their relatives, like tomatoes

Anthers tubular

Bees have to vibrate anthers to collect pollen Only large bees can do this.

Page 37: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Extreme Pollination Darwin’s hawkmoth pollinates an Angraecum orchid

Needs 9 in. tongue to reach nectar

Page 38: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Extreme Pollination

Orchid bees • Males visit orchid flowers • Collect fragrance • We don’t know why

Orchid pollinia

Page 39: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

So what do insect pollinators need?

• Nest Sites • Larval food • Adult food

Page 40: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bee Pollinators Bees need nest sites: Twig nesters

• Leaf cutter bees • White faced bees

Page 41: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bee Pollinators Bees need nest sites: Ground nesters

• Sweat bees • Digger bees • Bumblebees

Page 42: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Mulch is Their Enemy!

The majority of bees nest in: • Bare soil • Sand • In the sun

Page 43: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Moth Pollinators

Need caterpillar food You can’t have a moth pollinators Without caterpillar food plants

Page 44: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Butterfly Pollinators

Need caterpillar food You can’t have a butterfly garden Without caterpillar food plants

Adult monarchs feed on many flowers Caterpillars only feed on milkweeds

Page 45: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bird Pollinators

Birds need nest sites: Need sources of hatchling food Hummingbirds feed insects/spiders

Gleaning spider webs

Feeders

Nectar feeding

Feeding babies

Page 46: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bat Pollinators Bats need roost sites: Adults need insects and nectar

Page 47: Pollinators We Never Talk About · Birds, flies Bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths Bees, moths, mostly ... like tomatoes Anthers tubular Bees have to

Bottom Line

• Just planting flowers isn’t enough

• Pollinators need specific flowers

• And more than flowers

• Consider pollinators in your area

• Don’t mulch everything

• Don’t ground cover everything No pollinators in this garden


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