A pollinator is the agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization. Sounds simple doesn’t it. We has hybridizers have been dabbling in this area for centuries and sometimes we get lucky.
But just about the time you think we have it all figured out, along comes a few pollinators that we don’t always think of in this process. In addition to bees, there are butterflies, wasps, beetles, ants, bats, hummingbirds, monkeys, lemurs, possums, rodents and lizards. Each of them has a specific target when it comes to the pollination process.
And speaking of a specific target, roses aren’t the only target of these busy creatures as orchids also have a very complicated process to lure a pollinator.
Some orchid species mimic nectar-producing flowers to lure bees; carrion flies are attracted to other orchids that emit the fetid smell of rotting meat. In China, an orchid there releases a chemical normally broadcast by bees in distress; the scent attracts bee-eating hornets expecting an easy meal. There is an orchid species that entices a wild mountain mouse, which spreads pollen from flower to flower with its snout. Around the world, orchid species have evolved to look or smell like female insects; males try to mate with the flowers but gather and deposit pollen, which they carry on their flight from deception to deception.
So folks, the search goes on for the one special unique specimen that keeps us coming back day after day, year after year. Ah, the thrill of the chase!