Site 8: Invertebrates

This rosemary bush is a great place to see pollination in action and to observe some of the most visible invertebrates, namely bees. We have been able to identify two species of bees that pollinate this bush, as well as many other plant species. This is the Honey Bee, the prime bees responsible for honey production. This is the Yellow-Faced Bumblebee.

                The bumblebee is a major pollinator of many plants, but in particular are greatly important to plants in the Solanaceae family—this is the nightshade family which includes tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant. The bumblebees are needed to pollinate these plants because the plants' reproductive structures require something called buzz pollination. The stamens, which carry the pollen in them, form a long cone shape that tucks both the pollen and the pistil, the female organ, inside. When a bumblebee comes along, in order to access the pollen which the bee uses as food, the stamen structure must be opened. The bee must vibrate its massive flight muscles with enough force to open the cone structure. In the process of the bee getting the pollen, the female pistil gets pollinated, so this system works to both the bee’s and the plant’s advantage. This system is known as mutualism. We will talk more about interactions at another site though. This is one of the reasons why people are concerned about the decline of native bee populations worldwide, since bumblebees are currently the only known organisms able to effectively pollinate Solanaceae plants.

                In this area, other invertebrates we have seen include Lady Beetles, House Flies, and Carpenter Ants. These are all insects, which are the only group of invertebrates to have developed flight. Beetles are in an insect order called Coleoptera, which means “sheathed wing” and indicates the second pair of wings which are hardened and lie on top of the first pair of wings. Flies are in the insect order Diptera which means “two wings,” indicating that they use only one pair of wings. Lastly, ants are actually in the same order as bees and wasps, Hymenoptera, which means “membrane wing” and are distinguished by a small clasp in the waist.

Honey Bee

Yellow-Faced Bumblebee

Lady Beetle

House Fly

Carpenter Ant