Buzz pollination is a pollination syndrome in which bees use vibrations (sonification) to release pollen from flowers with specialized structures, especially 'poricidal anthers', which limit access to pollen rewards. After freeing the pollen from the anther, particles of pollen that land on the hair of the bee, are then transferred to the stigmas of other flowers, thus enabling pollination to occur.
In flowers with poricidal anthers, pollen is not freely accessible and legitimate access is restricted to bees capable of vibrating the anthers (buzz pollinating).
More than half of all bee species can buzz pollinate1.
Bee species belonging to a number of bee genera in different bee families, are known to able to buzz pollinate (i.e. use sonification), and include (but are not limited to) the following:
Family | Genus | Study |
---|---|---|
Apidae | Bombus (bumble bees) | Tayal et al (2001), King et al (2003), Buchmann et al (1985), Proenca (1992) |
Xylocopa (large carpenter bees) | Tayal et al (2001), King et al (2003), Buchmann et al (1985), Proenca (1992). | |
Exomalopsis | King et al (2003). | |
Anthophora (flower bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Amegilla | Proenca (1992). | |
Epicharis | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Xenoglossa (squash bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Centris (digger bees) | Buchmann et al (1985), Proenca (1992). | |
Melipona (stingless bees) | Proenca (1992). | |
Colletidae | Colletes (plasterer bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). |
Ptiloglossa (plastere bees) | Buchmann et al (1985), Proenca (1992). | |
Caupolicana (plasterer bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Melittidae | Melitta (blunthorne bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). |
Megachilidae | Megachile (leafcutter bees) | King et al (2003), Buchmann et al (1985). |
Halictidae | Augochorella (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). |
Augochlora (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Augochloropsis (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985), Proenca (1992). | |
Nomia (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Lasioglossum (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Caenaugochlora (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Pseudaugochlorpsis (sweat bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Halictus (sweat bees / End-banded furrow bees) | Tayal et al (2001). | |
Andrenidae | Protandrena (mining bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). |
Mesoxaea (mining bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Notoxaea (mining bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). | |
Protoxaea (mining bees) | Buchmann et al (1985). |
I have read a number of scientific reports for a variety of bee species. So far, I have found that:
Looking at a variety of data sources, bumble bees (Bombus) and the large carpenter bees (Xylocopa) are repeatedly mentioned.
However, not all countries can take advantage of the pollination services offered by these species.
For example, there are no native bumble bee species in Australia, and importing them is seen to be problematic due to potential ecological impact1. Meanwhile, the use of Xylocopa species has been found to be difficult to rear for commercial greenhouse use8.
Along with pollinating food crops, buzz pollination can be a double edged sword, depending on your view point! For example, bees engaging in buzz pollination may also be effective pollinators of 'weed' plants6.
However, the definition of a 'weed plant' can vary, and may nevertheless provide important food for other species.
1. Hazel Cooley, Mario Vallejo-Marín, Buzz-Pollinated Crops: A Global Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Supplemental Bee Pollination in Tomato, Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 114, Issue 2, April 2021, Pages 505–519, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toab009.
2. Buchmann, Stephen L. “Bees Use Vibration to Aid Pollen Collection from Non-Poricidal Flowers.” Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, vol. 58, no. 3, 1985, pp. 517–25, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25084671.
3. See my page about tomatoes for more information.
4. Wilson & Messinger Carril. The Bees In Your Backyard; Princeton University Press, 2016.
5. Please see my page about mason bees for further detail.
6. Tayal, M.; Kariyat, R. Examining the Role of Buzzing Time and Acoustics on Pollen Extraction of Solanum elaeagnifolium. Plants 2021, 10, 2592. https://doi.org/10.3390/ plants10122592
7. Hikawa, M., and R. Miyanaga. 2009. Effects of pollination by Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on tomatoes in protected culture. App. Entomol. Zool. 44: 301–307.
8. Tamar Keasar, "Large Carpenter Bees as Agricultural Pollinators", Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, vol. 2010, Article ID 927463, 7 pages, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/927463.
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