Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
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Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#2A lot of plants aren’t pollinated by bees. There’s pollinator wasps, flies, moths, butterflies… even birds and bats are pollinators
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#3Pretty sure I see many bees on Magnolias.
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#4A lot of plants aren’t pollinated by bees. There’s pollinator wasps, flies, moths, butterflies… even birds and bats are pollinators
Ants as well
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#5Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#6A lot of plants aren’t pollinated by bees. There’s pollinator wasps, flies, moths, butterflies… even birds and bats are pollinators
mosquitoes too, though it pains me to give them credit for anything
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#7Pretty sure I see many bees on Magnolias.
My magnolia is the only thing that seems to attract honeybees, which I rarely see otherwise. The article doesn't seem to justify the "not bees" part, though. I'd imagine bees can pollinate them too.
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#8Pretty sure I see many bees on Magnolias.
Right, the whole point of bees as insect pollinators (reflecting that they are recent evolutionary line) is that they are by a healthy margin the most intelligent arthropod. They will inspect then successfully pollinate anything floral over a wide geographic range. Most insect pollinators are instinctually tied to certain species/families.
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#9Pretty sure I see many bees on Magnolias.
Right, the whole point of bees as insect pollinators (reflecting that they are recent evolutionary line) is that they are by a healthy margin the most intelligent arthropod. They will inspect then successfully pollinate anything floral over a wide geographic range. Most insect pollinators are instinctually tied to certain species/families.
Thanks, I never thought about bees like that. They certainly can use many types of flowers, as evidenced by various sorts of honey. Nitpick: some spiders are pretty darn intelligent and even seem to dream when they sleep, apparently.
Re: Magnolias are so old that they're pollinated by beetles, not bees (2025)
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Right, the whole point of bees as insect pollinators (reflecting that they are recent evolutionary line) is that they are by a healthy margin the most intelligent arthropod. They will inspect then successfully pollinate anything floral over a wide geographic range. Most insect pollinators are instinctually tied to certain species/families.
Thanks, I never thought about bees like that. They certainly can use many types of flowers, as evidenced by various sorts of honey. Nitpick: some spiders are pretty darn intelligent and even seem to dream when they sleep, apparently.
Now I am musing about spider nightmares.