Beetles and Other Overlooked Pollinator Heroes

Many of us are familiar with bees and butterflies as pollinators, but other invertebrates contribute to pollination and important plant services. For example, beetles pollinated flowering plants before bees and butterflies even existed! They were abundant during the Mesozoic era, 200 million years ago, and the earliest plant life on Earth appeared soon after. Magnolias, a flower frequently pollinated by beetles, first appeared on Earth about 95 million years ago and still utilize beetle pollination today!

You may notice that magnolias have large, tough petals and sturdy carpals. This helps prevent major damage from beetle mandibles. Beetles are in the order Coleoptera, one of the most diverse species of animals on the planet. There are more than 300,000 described species of beetles in the world! Soldier beetles, scarabs, long-horned beetles, sap beetles, and checkered beetles are all examples of beetle species that pollinate flowers.

Bees may get most of the pollination glory, but ants are another member of the Hymenoptera order that are pollinators. Ants often seek out the sweet nectar of flowers and may transfer pollen after visiting a flower. Ants aren’t as successful at carrying pollen as other pollinators due to their smooth and hairless bodies. However, some ant species protect plants by providing their stinging power to deter pests. For example, Acacia trees utilize ants for protection against herbivores, and in return, the ants receive food and shelter. Plants that use ant colonies as a defense mechanism are known as myrmecophytes.

 Flies are typically considered pests, but they are another unsung pollinator hero! Flies, gnats, and mosquitoes all visit flowers for nectar. Hoverflies are a species of fly that resemble tiny bees. The difference is that they have one pair of wings, while bees have two pairs. They are often called “incidental pollinators” because they hover over flowers rather than landing on them and, in the process, pick up pollen. Chocolate midges sound like a sweet treat, but they are a species of fly responsible for chocolate! Chocolate midges are smaller than a pinhead, making them perfect for pollinating the tiny downturned flowers of cacao trees. They are the only pollinators for cacao trees, meaning that their survival is crucial to the survival of chocolate!

The most interesting unknown pollinator resembles a combination of multiple pollinator species. It is the hummingbird-hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), which is neither a hummingbird nor hawk. The hummingbird hawk-moth is a species of moth that resembles a hummingbird in appearance and movement. It hovers from flower to flower and uses its long straw-like proboscis to sip nectar from flowers. Like hummingbirds, their fuzzy bodies are perfect for picking up pollen and dispersing it to the neighboring flowers. The most commonly seen species of hummingbird moth in northern Colorado is the whitelined sphinx (Hyles lineata). Next time you hear a humming noise and see a flying creature darting from flower to flower, double-check. It may be a hummingbird moth!

 We now know we can’t give all the pollination credit to bees and butterflies. Many pollinator conservation efforts are focused on these more well-known species. The good news is that most effort put toward saving a butterfly can also save a beetle, ant, fly, or any other pollinator! Actions such as avoiding pesticides, cultivating a pollinator garden, choosing native plants for your garden, and participating in community science can increase the biodiversity of our landscapes. This ultimately helps us and our pollinator heroes!

Written by Celena Romero