Discover

Pollination by insects is called entomophily. Entomophily is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by insects, particularly bees, Lepidoptera (e.g. butterflies and moths), flies and beetles. Note that honey bees will pollinate many plant species that are not native to areas where honey bees occur, and are often inefficient pollinators of such plants.

Common name	Latin name	Pollinator	Commercial product of pollination	Pollinator impact	Geography of cultivation
Okra	''Abelmoschus esculentus''	Honey bees (incl. ''Apis cerana''), Solitary bees (''Halictus'' spp.)	fruit	2-modest
Kiwifruit	''Actinidia deliciosa''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	4-essential
Onion	''Allium cepa''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Cashew	''Anacardium occidentale''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Centris tarsata''), Butterflies, flies, hummingbirds	nut	3-great
Atemoya, Cherimoya, Custard apple	''Annona squamosa''	Nitidulid beetles	fruit	4-essential	tropical
Celery	''Apium graveolens''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies	seed
Strawberry tree	''Arbutus unedo''	Honey bees, bumblebees	fruit	2-modest
Pawpaw	''Asimina triloba''	Carrion flies, Dung flies	fruit	4-essential
Carambola, Starfruit	''Averrhoa carambola''	Honey bees, Stingless bees	fruit	3-great	tropical
Brazil nut	''Bertholletia excelsa''	Bumblebees, Orchid bees (Euglossini), Carpenter bees	nut	4-essential
Beet	''Beta vulgaris''	Hover flies, Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	1-little
Mustard	''Brassica alba'', ''Brassica hirta'', ''Brassica nigra''	Honey bees, Solitary bees (''Osmia cornifrons'', ''Osmia lignaria'')	seed	2-modest
Rapeseed	''Brassica napus''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	2-modest
Broccoli	''Brassica oleracea'' cultivar	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Cauliflower	''Brassica oleracea'' Botrytis Group	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Cabbage	''Brassica oleracea'' Capitata Group	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Brussels sprouts	''Brassica oleracea'' Gemmifera Group	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Chinese cabbage	''Brassica rapa''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Turnip, Canola	''Brassica rapa''	Honey bees, Solitary bees (''Andrena ilerda'', ''Osmia cornifrons'', ''Osmia lignaria'', ''Halictus'' spp.), flies	seed	3-great
Pigeon pea, Cajan pea, Congo bean	''Cajanus cajan''	Honey bees, solitary bees (''Megachile'' spp.), Carpenter bees	seed	1-little
Jack bean, Horse bean, Sword bean	''Canavalia'' spp.	Solitary bees, Carpenter bees (''Xylocopa confusa'')	seed	2-modest
Chile pepper, Red pepper, Bell pepper, Green pepper	''Capsicum anuum, Capsicum frutescens''	Honey bees, stingless bees (''Melipona'' spp.), bumblebees, solitary bees, hover flies	fruit	1-little (pollinators important in green houses to increase fruit weight, but less in open fields)
Papaya	''Carica papaya''	Honey bees, thrips, large sphinx moths, Moths, Butterflies	fruit	1-little
Safflower	''Carthamus tinctorius''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	1-little
Caraway	''Carum carvi''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies	seed	2-modest
Chestnut	''Castanea sativa''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	nut	2-modest
Star apple, Cainito	''Chrysophyllum cainito''	Insects, bats	fruit	1-little	tropical
Watermelon	''Citrullus lanatus''	Honey bees, bumblebees, solitary bees	fruit	4-essential
Tangerine	''Citrus reticulata''	Honey bees, bumblebees	fruit	1-little
Tangelo	''Citrus'' spp.	Honey bees, Bumblebees	fruit	1-little
Coconut	''Cocos nucifera''	Honey bees, Stingless bees	nut	2-modest
Coffea spp. Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora	''Coffea spp.''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, Solitary bees	fruit	2-modest
Cola nut	''Cola nitida'', ''Cola vera'', ''Cola acuminata''	flies	nut	3-great
Coriander	''Coriandrum sativum''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	3-great
Crownvetch	''Coronilla varia L.''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed (increased yield from pollinators)
Hazelnut	''Corylus cornuta'' var. californica	Honey bees, Solitary bees	nut
Azarole	''Crataegus azarolus''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	fruit	1-little
Cantaloupe, Melon	''Cucumis melo L.''	Honey bees, Squash bees, bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Ceratina'' spp.)	fruit	4-essential
Cucumber	''Cucumis sativus''	Honey bees, Squash bees, Bumblebees, Leafcutter bee (in greenhouse pollination), Solitary bees (for some parthenocarpic gynoecious green house varieties pollination is detrimental to fruit quality)	fruit	3-great
Squash (plant), Pumpkin, Gourd, Marrow, Zuchini	''Cucurbita'' spp.	Honey bees, Squash bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	4-essential
Guar bean, Goa bean	''Cyamopsis tetragonoloba''	Honey bees	seed	1-little
Quince	''Cydonia oblonga Mill.''	Honey bees	fruit
Carrot	''Daucus carota''	Flies, Solitary bees	seed
Hyacinth bean	''Dolichos spp.''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	2-modest
Longan	''Dimocarpus longan''	Honey bees, Stingless bees		1-little
Persimmon	''Diospyros kaki'', ''Diospyros virginiana''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	1-little
Durian	''Durio zibethinus''	Bats, birds		3-great	tropical
Oil palm	''Elaeis guineensis''	Weevils, thrips	seed	1-little
Cardamom	''Elettaria cardamomum''	Honey bees, Solitary bees		3-great
Loquat	''Eriobotrya japonica''	Honey bees, Bumblebees	fruit	3-great
Buckwheat	''Fagopyrum esculentum''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed	3-great
Feijoa	''Feijoa sellowiana''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	fruit	3-great	tropical
Fig	''Ficus'' spp.	Fig wasps (incl. ''Blastophaga psenes'')[1] [2]	fruit (syconium)	2-modest
Fennel	''Foeniculum vulgare''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies	seed	3-great
Strawberry	''Fragaria'' spp.	Honey bees, Stingless bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Halictus'' spp.), Hover flies	fruit	2-modest
Soybean	''Glycine max'', ''Glycine soja''	Honey bees, bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed	2-modest
Cotton	''Gossypium'' spp.	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed, fiber	2-modest
Sunflower	''Helianthus annuus''	Honey bees, bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed	2-modest
Walnut	''Juglans spp.''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	nut
Flax	''Linum usitatissimum''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed	1-little
Lychee	''Litchi chinensis''	Honey bees, flies	fruit	1-little
Lupine	''Lupinus angustifolius L.''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Macadamia	''Macadamia ternifolia''	Honey bees, Stingless bees (''Trigona carbonaria''), Solitary bees (''Homalictus'' spp.), Wasps, Butterflies	nut	4-essential
Acerola	''Malpighia glabra''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	fruit (minor commercial value)
Apple	''Malus domestica'', or ''Malus sylvestris''	Honey bees, orchard mason bee, Bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Andrena'' spp., ''Halictus'' spp., ''Osmia'' spp., ''Anthophora'' spp.), Hover flies (''Eristalis cerealis, Eristalis tenax'')	fruit	3-great
Mammee	''Mammea americana''	Bees	fruit	2-modest	tropical
Mango	''Mangifera indica''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, flies, ants, wasps	fruit	3-great
Sapodilla	''Manikara zapotilla''	thrips	fruit	4-essential	tropical
Alfalfa	''Medicago sativa''	Alfalfa leafcutter bee, Alkali bee, Honey bees	seed
Rambutan	''Nephelium lappaceum''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, flies	fruit1-little	tropical
Cactus, Prickly pear	''Opuntia spp.''	Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	2-modest
Sainfoin	''Onobrychis'' spp.	Honey bees, Solitary bees	seed
Passion fruit. Maracuja	''Passiflora edulis''	Carpenter bees, Solitary bees, bumblebees, humming birds	fruit	4-essential	tropical
Avocado	''Persea americana''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, Solitary bees	fruit	3-great
Lima bean, Kidney bean, Haricot bean, Adzuki bean, Mungo bean, String bean	''Phaseolus spp.''	Honey bees, Solitary bees	fruit, seed	1-little
Scarlet runner bean	''Phaseolus coccineus L.''	Bumblebees, Honey bees, Solitary bees, Thrips	seed
Allspice	''Pimenta dioica''	Honey bees, Solitary bees (''Halictus'' spp., ''Exomalopsis'' spp., ''Ceratina'' spp.)		3-great
Apricot	''Prunus armeniaca''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	3-great
Sweet Cherry	''Prunus avium'' spp.	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	3-great
Sour cherry	''Prunus cerasus''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	3-great
Plum, Greengage, Mirabelle, Sloe	''Prunus domestica'', ''Prunus spinosa''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	3-great
Almond	''Prunus dulcis'', ''Prunus amygdalus'', or ''Amygdalus communis''	Honey bees, bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Osmia cornuta''), flies	nut	3-great
Peach, Nectarine	''Prunus persica''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	3-great
Guava	''Psidium guajava''	Honey bees, Stingless bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees (''Lasioglossum'' spp.)	fruit	2-modest	tropical
Pomegranate	''Punica granatum''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, beetles	fruit	2-modest
Pear	''Pyrus communis''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (''Eristalis'' spp.)	fruit	3-great
Black currant, Red currant	''Ribes nigrum'', ''Ribes rubrum''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	2-modest
Rose hips, Dogroses	''Rosa spp.''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Carpenter bees, Solitary bees, Hover flies		3-great
Boysenberry	''Rubus'' spp.	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit
Raspberry	''Rubus idaeus''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (''Eristalis'' spp.)	fruit	3-great
Blackberry	''Rubus fruticosus''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (''Eristalis'' spp.)	fruit	3-great
Elderberry	''Sambucus nigra''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies, Longhorn beetles	fruit	2-modest
Sesame	''Sesamum indicum''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, wasps, flies	seed	2-modest
Eggplant	''Solanum melongena''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	2-modest (pollinators important in green houses, but less in open fields)
Naranjillo	''Solanum quitoense''	Bumblebees, Solitary bees	fruit	3-great	tropical
Rowanberry	''Sorbus aucuparia''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, Bumblebees, Hover flies	fruit	4-essential
Service Tree	''Sorbus domestica''	bees, flies	fruit	2-modest
Hog plum	''Spondias spp.''	Honey bees, Stingless bees (''Melipona'' spp.)	fruit	1-little
Tamarind	''Tamarindus indica''	Honey bees (incl. ''Apis dorsata'')	fruit	1-little
Cocoa	''Theobroma cacao''	Midges		4-essential
Clover (not all species)	''Trifolium'' spp.	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
White clover	''Trifolium alba''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Alsike clover	''Trifolium hybridum L.''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Crimson clover	''Trifolium incarnatum''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Red clover	''Trifolium pratense''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Arrowleaf clover	''Trifolium vesiculosum Savi''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Blueberry	''Vaccinium'' spp.	Honey bees, Alfalfa leafcutter bees, Southeastern blueberry bee, Bumblebees (''Bombus impatiens''), Solitary bees (''Anthophora pilipes'', ''Colletes'' spp., ''Osmia ribifloris'', ''Osmia lignaria'')	fruit	3-great
Cranberry	''Vaccinium oxycoccus'', ''Vaccinium macrocarpon''	Honey bees, Bumblebees (''Bombus affinis''), Solitary bees (''Megachile addenda, Alfalfa leafcutter bees)	fruit
Vanilla	''Vanilla planifolia'', ''Vanilla pompona''	Solitary bees	fruit	4-essential	tropical
Tung tree	''Vernicia fordii''	Honey bees	seed
Broad bean	''Vicia faba''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed	2-modest
Vetch	''Vicia spp.''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed
Cowpea, Black-eyed pea, Blackeye bean	''Vigna unguiculata''	Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees	seed	1-little
Karite	''Vitellaria paradoxa''	Honey bees	nut	2-modest	tropical
Grape	''Vitis spp.''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies	fruit	0-no increase
Jujube	''Zizyphus jujuba''	Honey bees, Solitary bees, flies, beetles, wasps	fruit	2-modest

Contents

Notes and Sources

See also

Notes and Sources

1. Kislev, Mordechai E.; Hartmann, Anat; Bar-Yosef, Ofer Early Domesticated Fig in the Jordan Valley Science (journal) 2 June 2006: Vol. 312. no. 5778, pp. 1372 - 1374
2. The Calimyrna Fig & Its Pollinator Wasp Wayne's word on-line text book of Natural history


★ POLLINATION Mid-Atlantic Apicultural Research and Extension Consortium, MAAREC Publication 5.2; February 2000

★ Pollination and Bee Plants, Excerpted from Beekeeper's Handbook, Sammataro/Avitabile ©1998.

★ Krombein KV, Hurd PD Jr., Smith DR (eds.). ''Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico'', Volume 3, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979

★ McGregor, S.E. Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants USDA, 1976

★ Mussen, Eric Impact of Honey Bees on the California Environment University of California Davis , 2002

★ Pollinators’ impact on crop production Research study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences of 25 October 2006.

See also

★ Pollination

★ Pollinator

★ Pollen source

★ Northern Nectar Sources for Honey Bees

★ Forage (honey bee)

★ List of honey plants