pollinators
Pollen-spreading creatures
Pollinators are animals that transfer pollen between flowers, enabling plant reproduction.
Bees are the most familiar, but butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bats, and some beetles also pollinate.
The term often appears in environmental contexts: Habitat loss threatens native pollinators.
Pollinator-friendly gardens feature plants that attract and sustain these species.
Winged pollinators
- butterfliesFluttering insects or nervousness
- mothsNocturnal lepidopterans
- bumblebeesLarge hairy stinging pollinators
- hoverfliesFlies mimicking stinging insects
wasps · beetles · flies · honeybees · mason bees · carpenter bees · solitary bees · native bees
Range of life forms
- plant reproductionGenerating new botanical organisms
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
keystone species · food webs · seed production · fruit set · genetic diversity · wildflower meadows · native plants · fertilization
Tiny hovering nectar feeders
- batsFlying nocturnal mammals
- birdsEgg-laying flying vertebrates
- sunbirdsIridescent Old World nectarivores
- honeyeatersNectar-feeding Australasian birds
flying foxes · fruit bats · lorikeets · honeycreepers · lemurs · possums · geckos · lizards
Elimination of living spaces
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
- colony collapse disorderSudden hive depopulation syndrome
- declineDecrease or refuse
- endangered speciesOrganisms facing extinction risk
rewilding · monarch butterfly · milkweed · native plantings · pesticide-free · organic farming · restoration · protection
Plantings to support pollinators
- butterfly bushesShrubs attracting winged pollinators
- lavenderFragrant herb, pale violet
- sunflowersLarge yellow composite blooms
- coneflowersDaisy-like prairie perennials
zinnias · milkweed · clover · wildflowers · bee hotels · water features · companion planting · habitat creation
Farm production quantity
- orchardsFruit tree plantations
- almondsEdible tree drupes
- applesRound tree fruit
- blueberriesSmall dark edible drupes
cherries · melons · squash · tomatoes · coffee · cocoa · food security · fruit orchards
bees
Winged pollinators
- butterfliesFluttering insects or nervousness
- mothsNocturnal lepidopterans
- bumblebeesLarge hairy stinging pollinators
hoverflies · wasps · beetles · flies · honeybees · mason bees · carpenter bees · solitary bees · native bees · sweat bees
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- plant reproductionGenerating new botanical organisms
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
symbiosis · keystone species · food webs · seed production · fruit set · genetic diversity · wildflower meadows · native plants · fertilization · speciation
hummingbirds
Tiny hovering nectar feeders
- batsFlying nocturnal mammals
- birdsEgg-laying flying vertebrates
- sunbirdsIridescent Old World nectarivores
honeyeaters · flying foxes · fruit bats · lorikeets · honeycreepers · lemurs · possums · geckos · lizards · sugar gliders
habitat loss
Elimination of living spaces
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
- colony collapse disorderSudden hive depopulation syndrome
- declineDecrease or refuse
endangered species · rewilding · monarch butterfly · milkweed · native plantings · pesticide-free · organic farming · restoration · protection · citizen science
bee gardens
Plantings to support pollinators
- butterfly bushesShrubs attracting winged pollinators
- lavenderFragrant herb, pale violet
- sunflowersLarge yellow composite blooms
coneflowers · zinnias · milkweed · clover · wildflowers · bee hotels · water features · companion planting · habitat creation
crop yields
Farm production quantity
blueberries · cherries · melons · squash · tomatoes · coffee · cocoa · food security · fruit orchards · vegetable crops
- eco-farmingorganic farming, sustainable farming, sustainable agriculture, cover crops, crop rotation
- ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
- gardeninggardener, gardening, flowers, seeds, soil
- pollinationbees, hummingbirds, bee, wasps, ants
- pollinatorsbees, bee, butterflies, butterfly, bumblebee
- Wildlife Restorationwolves, bison, beaver, lynx, elk
pollinatorsplant pests
Organisms damaging cultivated vegetation
defoliators · locusts · herbivores · grazers · browsers
pollinatorspests
Bothersome insects or animals
blights · infestations · locusts · aphids · Japanese beetles
- pollinator gardensHabitat for nectar-seekers
- native pollinatorsIndigenous pollen-transferring species
- pollinator decline