How can plants attract pollinators?

How can plants attract pollinators?

Cycads found in central Australia rely on thrips for pollination. The thrips are attracted by the scent, which then use to manage insects for male and female cones. Photo: M Bulbert © Australian Museum.

Just provide nectar can not guarantee that insects will come to a facility or transferring pollen to pollen recipients of the same species. For this reason, plants use visual and olfactory cues to attract and direct insects.

The scent is an effective way to attract pollinators. For example, strongly scented flowers tend to be visited by beetles and flies, while bees and butterflies visit fragrant flowers. It is also an effective way to manage pollinators to the pollen receivers.

Cycads from Australia internal use scent to lure thrips for pollination. Thrips are very small insects that can not carry much pollen grains, so the plant needs to attract a large number of them. A male Cycad cone laden with pollen will send a strong and pungent scent that will attract as many as 50 000 thrips. Female cones also emit an odor when they are ready to receive pollen, which then attracts the pollen-laden thrips.

Scent can also be used to fool the insects to be pollinators. The Corpse Flower of Indonesia uses a pungent smell of rotting meat to attract insects Carrión. The Australian Broad-lipped Orchid mimic the smell and also the emergence of a female Thynine wasps. This idiots male wasps in trying to mate with the flower that is pollinated in the process. www.bugwise.net.au