Pollination

L20

Anthophilous

Flower visiting, flower loving taxa. Includes, coleoptera, diptera, hymenoptera, lepidoptera and thysanoptera.

Monolecty

A type of pollinator specificity. 1 insect pollinates 1 spp. of plant. This is a rare strategy. Can occur with pseudocopulation

Pseudocopulation

A flower looks and smells right to an insect so it will attempt to mate with it. But instead it pollinates it.

Oligolecty

 A type of pollinator specificity. 1 insect pollinates several species of related plants.

Polylecty

A type of pollinator specificity. 1 insect pollinates many species of plant. They can still have preferences. This is a good strategy because there will always be flowers around so there will always be food around somewhere. Flower consistency:Pollinator consistency.

Beetle pollination

• The oldest form of pollination

• Dependant on how white/dull the flower is coloured

• Like strong smelling flowers

• Flowers are typically bowl shaped because beetles are clumsy.

• Visit for pollen and nutritious tissues of the plant. The ovaries are protected from chewing mouthparts.

Fly pollination

• They visit them mostly for nectar.

• Prefer less showy flowers, typically

• They prefer strong smelling flowers. Including bad smelling. Ex, corpse flower. 

• Not super reliable, they have other options. 

• They are abundant. Available year round.

Bee polliantion

• Polliante over 20 000 spp.

•  Prefer bright flowers, (yellow and blue) 

• They collect nectar and pollen for themselves and the brood. 

• Like sweet smelling flowers, however, they are polylectic and most flowers will fulfill their requirements. They are most concerned about ressources..

• Nectar guides: uv runways

Nectar thieves

remove nectar but do not pollinate. Bite into flowers. They can reduce a plant's reproductive capability.

Moth pollination

• Mostly nocturnal, however there are some diurnal species such as Hawkmoths!!

• Colours matter less cause they are mostly nocturnal, ~light-coloured w/ patterns

• Shape matters: they prefer a pendant shape without a landing pad. 

• Rely on smell to find them, they like sweet smelling flowers. 

• Do not require a nectar guide. 

• Their flowers need to be open at night

Butterfly pollination

• Less efficient than bees due to their long legs, pollination from a distance and lack of a pollen collecting structure.

• Red, yellow and blue flowers. Especially red

• Requires more nectar

• They like upright flowers because they don't like hanging upside down. They need a landing pad. 

• Mostly Diurnal opening flowers. 

• Like UV nectar guides

Myrmecochory

• Seed dispersal ants. 

• The hard seeds are inedible. 

• There are seeds with elaiosomes that resemble food bodies, chemical attractants. 

• The ants carry the seeds to the nest for the brood. Once it cannot be eaten it is discarded. It will remain viable and can then germinate in a new locality.

Myrmecophytes

a specialized plant structure of a plant that is a home and provides nutrition to ants. They are often found in extrafloral nectaries.  These structures benefit the plant as they use the ants for protection.

Elaiosome

Fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species.

Phylotelmata

When pots of water in plants provide a place to live. Found in Diptera, Odonata, Hymenoptera and Spiders. They can also eat other things that live/fall inside them. The plants digest the insect waste.