Wasp Pollination
Updated: 29th January 2021
Within moments of me sharing this article about
wasp pollination
on Twitter, I was sent a tweet with a link to more research on this subject:
"The Hemipepsis wasp-pollination system in South Africa: a comparative analysis of trait convergence in a highly specialized plant guild" - ADAM SHUTTLEWORTH, STEVEN D. JOHNSON - Article first published online: 15 FEB 2012 - The Botanical Journal of The Linnean Society.
The study investigates pollination of a group of flowers from the families: Apocynaceae (dogbanes), Orchidaceae (orchids) and Asparagaceae subfamily Scilloideae (hyacinths)), in a specific location in South Africa.
But what did they find?
They found that a high proportion of the flowers were pollinated
almost exclusively by wasp species!
The study found similarities in colouring patterns of these plants pollinated by wasps, when compared with plants pollinated by other pollinators (vectors).
More links:
Wasp Life Cycle
Spare a thought for wasps! They are given a bad reputation, but they
are fascinating and complex creatures! Read about the life cycle of
solitary and social wasps.
More About Flower Pollination
Find out how plants attract their perfect pollinators (pollination syndromes).
