BEYOND BEES

These other insects are vital to plant pollination

HOVERFLIES

While furiously flapping their wings, hoverflies drink from plant nectar as pollen collects on their hairy bodies. They aren’t as well adapted to collect pollen as bees, but studies have shown hoverflies might be more efficient at pollination. While studying open flowers, scientists have found that plants pollinated by hoverflies produced more seeds than those pollinated by bees.

BEETLES

Unlike the majority of pollinating creatures, beetles aren’t just interested in the nectar of flowering plants. Instead they munch on other parts of the plant, often defecating in the flower as they pass through, called ‘mess and soil’ pollinators. Along the way, beetles will accidentally collect pollen as they go. Some species, such as the common red soldier beetle, use flower heads as a mating site.

MOTHS

As nocturnal feeders, moths extend a tongue-like structure called a proboscis to lap up nectar from deep tubular plants like honeysuckle. The furry thorax of a moth is where the majority of pollen is collected while they feed. Research has shown that moths that settle on a flower’s surface rather than hovering pollinate a more diverse collection of plants compared to some bees and hoverflies.

WASPS

Wasps do indeed serve a positive function in the garden. Echoing the same pollination behaviour as bees, wasps buzz from flower to flower drinking nectar and dropping off pollen. Fig wasps are responsible for pollinating 900 species of fig trees. Female fig wasps lay their eggs in male figs. The resulting offspring emerge from the fruit carrying pollen, which they deliver to another fig tree.