Nature-Inspired Solutions to Disease Problems

Pollinators

Figure 3. Some examples of pollinators include: bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, wasps, birds, bats, and moths.

It would be most impactful in this unit to teach your students about pollinators that are local to your school community, but in the absence of having that data to utilize, I have surveyed a broad range of possible pollinators that could be invited to the pollination party. ²³ Below I’ll give a brief sketch of common pollinators that may be included for the academic content in this unit. See Figure 3 above for some examples of these pollinators.²⁴

What I might call the most popular or well-known pollinator is the bee. Bees are generally not particular about the kinds of flowers they will visit and pollinate a wide variety of plants. The nectar from flowers gives bees the energy they need to fly, as well as giving important nutrients to bee larvae in the hive. Many conservation efforts are focused on the honeybee, but there are many native bees that don’t get all the buzz!

Beetles are pollinators that tend to stick to flowers that are near the ground, like magnolias. They are not the most intentional pollinators, often clumsy in nature. Beetles are also important scavengers to have in an ecosystem!

Butterflies prefer round flowers with long throats holding nectar, sticking their tongues down the tubes to reach their food. Salvia flowers are an example of this type of shape. Certain kinds of butterflies have relationships with specific plants, such as the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly and the Pawpaw plant. Watch out for the munching caterpillars these guests might bring to a garden! Butterflies also highlight the ways that a pollinator may need a plant for various reasons throughout its life cycle, such as being a safe spot to lay eggs, leaves serving as food for larvae, or the return of an adult to the plant for nectar or pollen.

Flies—they are not the most beautiful pollinator, but flies love scents! They are attracted to both sweet-smelling flowers as well as putrid smelling flowers, as well as liking weird flower textures. Many people regard flies just as pests, but they have an important job as pollinators.

Wasps are less effective pollinators than bees because they lack the fuzzy hairs that help bees transfer pollen. Wasps are an important guest to consider though because they will continue to pollinate in the absence of bees. They require high amounts of energy from nectar and pollen, which means they visit a wide variety of and number of flowers.

Hummingbirds are also a big fan of tube-like flower structures for their long thin beaks and tongues. The only hummingbird that breeds in my region of the East Coast of the United States is the Ruby-throated hummingbird. It travels up from Central and South America to reproduce. Hummingbirds love flowers like honeysuckle.

Bats are more common pollinators in tropical or desert climates, with some species like the Mexican long-tongued bat migrating thousands of miles to pollinate. Bats are responsible for the pollination of many tropical fruits like guava, mango, and bananas. They are very important members of an ecosystem for pest mitigation, eating thousands of insects nightly like mosquitoes and those that they find inside flowers. Bats usually like large white-colored flowers that open at night.

Did you know that there are ten moths for every one butterfly? Despite their greater variety, moths are not highlighted in many conservation campaigns or used widely as a representative for pollinators in children’s literature or nonfiction. One reason for this may be that we do not visually see them as often because they tend to come out at night. They may not stand out as much as butterflies because they tend to have duller colors like browns, grays, and yellows. Moths are ideal pollinators for night-blooming flowers, especially sweet-smelling blooms or white and cream-colored petals-- these colors reflect moonlight, making them easier for moths to see in the night!

Now it’s not a living organism, but you may want to consider inviting wind to your pollination party! Wind is responsible for pollination of many plants that produce grains and nuts, and of trees and grasses. Every kernel of corn on a cob is due to successful wind pollination. Wind also is an important pollinator for many of the grassy fields that livestock forage.