Seeds Are Pollinated By Animals In A Variety Of Ways

Question 1

What flowers are honeybees and bumblebees attracted to?

Answer 1

Honeybees and bumblebees are attracted to flowers with bright colors (especially blues and yellows).

Question 2

What color can’t bees see?

Answer 2

Bees can’t see the color red.

Question 3

What blossoms don’t bees visit?

Answer 3

Bees don’t visit blossoms that are red because they can’t see the red color.

Question 4

Describe the flowers the bees pollinate.

Answer 4

The flowers may be a group of smaller flowers or may have a “landing platform” for the bees to stand on while they drink nectar or collect pollen.

Question 5

What is special about these bee flowers?

Answer 5

These bee flowers have pleasing fresh scents that humans find attractive.

Question 6

What are hummingbirds attracted to?

Answer 6

Hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers.

Question 7

Describe the flowers the hummingbirds pollinate.

Answer 7

The throat of pink, orange, or red flowers is narrowly constricted so that only the hummingbirds’ narrow bills can enter to extract the nectar.

Question 8

What is special about these hummingbird flowers?

Answer 8

These flowers have no scent that humans can detect and there is no landing platform on the flowers.

Question 9

Where do bats pollinate flowers?

Answer 9

Bats pollinate flowers in the American southwest (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico or southern California).

Question 10

Where are many of the flowers?

Answer 10

Many of the flowers are in the tropical rain forests and the blossoms are large and very sturdy.

Question 11

Describe the flowers that bats pollinate.

Answer 11

The flowers bats pollinate always open at night and the flowers are usually not brightly colored. Often they don’t smell good.

Question 12

What do bats pollinate?

Answer 12

Bats pollinate some bananas.

Question 13

Describe the flowers that butterflies pollinate.

Answer 13

Flowers pollinated by butterflies have lively colors, especially pinks, blues, and yellows and are often grouped together. The floral tube is often narrowly restricted to allow just the butterflies’ slender tongues to fit into the opening.

Question 14

What scent do the flowers that butterflies pollinate have?

Answer 14

They usually have very pleasant floral scents.

Question 15

Why are flies, especially flower flies important pollinators?

Answer 15

The flies hairy bodies are great for transporting pollen grains around to pollinate flowers

Question 16

What types of blossoms may the flies visit?

Answer 16

Flies may visit many types of blossoms, especially big open masses of them like the goldenrod.

Question 17

What types of flowers may the flies visit?

Answer 17

Flies may visit flowers that smell like rotting meat.

Question 18

What do flies called midges pollinate?

Answer 18

Flies called midges pollinate the cacao blossoms whose seeds are ground up to make chocolate.

Question 19

What is 1 important fact about beetles?

Answer 19

1 important fact about beetles is that there are more kinds of beetles alive today than any other kind of insect.

Question 20

What types of flowers do beetles visit?

Answer 20

Beetles may visit many types of flowers for food, especially in the tropics.

Question 21

Why are beetles called “mess and soil” pollinators?

Answer 21

Beetles are called “mess and soil” pollinators because they generally wander around on the flower eating and chewing on everything.

Question 22

What do beetles pollinate?

Answer 22

Beetles pollinate very large flowers such as a Magnolia with blossoms that often smell like overripe fruit.

Question 23

True or False:

Beetles are not important pollinators of crop plants like bees are.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

Plants have the following adaptations so they can make use of animal pollinators.

Answer 24

• Plants supply some reward, usually food, for the pollinator.
• Plants advertise the presence of the reward to attract pollinators.
• Plants have a way of putting pollen on the pollinator so it is transferred to the next plant/flower.