Beetles as Pollinators

Written By: Aimee Turcotte
Zoo Educator

Who knew that beetles are pollinators? Beetles are very abundant insects, with approximately 380,000 living species of beetles in the world. These insects were one of the first insects to visit flowers for protein-rich pollen, which is one of their main food sources. Beetles appear to have been present 200 million years ago during the Mesozoic period, pollinating gymnosperms (flowering plants) such as cycads. Around 100 years ago, angiosperms (flowering plants) like spicebush and magnolia arose, which beetles relied on for pollen. Bees and butterflies were not present during this time, so beetles were one of the only pollinators. Therefore, beetles helped create an ancient line of flowers that are still present today!

---

Currently, beetles prefer to visit flowers with a white or green color that smell sweet (ex. Chimonananthus), spicy (ex. Crab apples), or fermented (ex. Calycanthus). Beetles do not have color vision, so they rely on their strong scent of smell to find blossoms with pollen. When feeding on pollen from a flower, pollen may stick to a beetle’s hairs and accidentally get transferred to another flower, resulting in the fermentation of that plant. Additionally, some beetles are more efficient at collecting pollen and drinking nectar because they have modified mandibles that are like a brush structure or elongated proboscis. The relationship between beetles and flowers is known as coevolution since both the beetles and flowers benefit from each other. To maximize their pollination chances, flowers have developed certain scents, shapes, and colors to attract pollinators such as beetles.

The magnolia has evolved to be the perfect flower for beetle pollinators. This flower is bowl-shaped with a cave-like structure. Beetles can easily locate a place to land and find shelter within this flower. Furthermore, the magnolia plant can prevent beetles from eating the reproductive parts of the flower by giving the beetle pollen and leaf tissue.
How can you help beetles? If you have a garden, you can plant native shrubs, trees, and wildflowers that will provide pollen and habitat for beetles. Moreover, you could avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that may harm beetles that lay their eggs in the soil. Lastly, you can share your knowledge about beetles as pollinators with your friends and family! The more informed people are about how beetles support our environment, the more likely it is that these individuals will support beetle conservation!