Celebrating 9 unsung heroes of the pollinator world

Bats

While many species of bats primarily eat insects (including other pollinators), some species prefer pollen, nectar and fruit. More than 500 plant species — including types of mango, banana, durian, guava and agave — require bats for pollination, according to the Bat Conservation Trust.

Beetles and Flies

Some beetles and flies are pests — like the housefly that flutters around the room while you’re trying to sleep or the beetle that feasts on your cabbage — but many are beneficial pollinators.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, many ancient species of plants (including herbs like Magnolias and Spicebush) rely on beetles to pollinate them. Beetles were actually the first pollinators on Earth!

Mosquitoes, flies and gnats don’t have fuzzy legs like bees, so they’re not able to carry as much pollen. However, they still play an important role. The putrid smell of plants like Red Trillium and Jack-in-the-Pulpit lure in specific species of flies.

Birds

About 2,000 bird species help pollinate the world’s plants, from parrots in New Guinea to hummingbirds across North America. Birds tend to prefer bright red, orange and yellow flowers that are open during daylight hours, but they aren’t drawn to fragrant blooms. The Forest Service tells us that, while beaks give birds the advantage in scoring nectar from plants with caps, funnels and tubes, they don’t have a keen sense of smell.

Ever wonder why hummingbird feeders are red? Turns out they have great eyesight — and are drawn to that color.

Lemurs

While you won’t find this pollinator in your backyard, black-and-white ruffed lemurs are essential pollinators for a type of tree that grows on the African island of Madagascar. The world’s largest pollinator also can uniquely open the flowers of the traveler’s tree. They’re not tidy eaters: Pollen sticks to their faces, which they carry from tree to tree, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.

Moths

Scientists have learned that moths have a “secret life”, blanketing large swaths of land in pollen while we’re sound asleep. Moths do some of the same work as bees, under the cover of night.

Researchers from the Universities of York, Newcastle and Hull working with the Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology found that moths pollinate Soy, Peas and Canola plants, among others.

The Forest Service says that moths prefer nocturnal flowers that are white or pale, with strong fragrances, including Morning Glories, Tobacco and Yucca. Most gardeners know of the dreaded Tomato hornworm pest. Guess what? These very hungry caterpillars grow up to be hawkmoths, which are pollinators.

Reptiles

While not as common as the flying pollinators, some reptiles also help plants by carrying pollen. Skinks, lizards and geckos are known pollinators in some parts of the world. For example, a gecko species pollinates Flax flowers in New Zealand. In 2003, researchers reported pollinating reptiles are more common on islands.

Wasps

Wasps are sometimes mistaken for bees, which are in the same order in the insect kingdom. Unlike bees, wasps lack furry bodies and legs, so they can’t carry as much pollen. Wasps are important and known to pollinate plants from Aster to Goldenrod, an herb that’s near and dear to us.

Fig wasps are essential for this sweet fruit. Since Fig flowers are uniquely tucked inside each immature fruit, a Fig wasp climb inside to mate, lay eggs and pollinate it.