Better Than Bees: Surprising Pollinators Keeping Our World in Bloom
Episode Overview:
In this episode of Wildly Curious (formerly For the Love of Nature), co-hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole explore the underappreciated world of pollinators beyond the usual bees and butterflies. Celebrating National Pollinator Week, they shed light on fascinating creatures such as bats, flies, and the tiny honey possum, all of which play vital roles in maintaining ecosystems and supporting plant life. From tequila-producing bats to flies that keep cacao trees thriving, this episode is packed with surprising facts, humor, and deep appreciation for nature's diversity.
Perfect for nature enthusiasts, science lovers, and anyone curious about the unsung heroes of pollination.
Expanded Key Topics Covered:
Bats: The Nighttime Pollinators
Key Role: Bats are critical pollinators in tropical and desert climates, responsible for the survival of over 300 plant species, including the agave plant essential for tequila production.
Additional Learning: Bats use echolocation to find flowers, and many plants have evolved bell-shaped flowers to enhance echolocation visibility. The Mexican long-tongued bat and the lesser long-nosed bat migrate long distances to fulfill their pollination roles.
Fun Fact: Without bats, we would not have tequila, as the agave plant relies exclusively on them for pollination.
Explore More: https://www.batcon.org/
Flies: The Underrated Second Place Pollinators
Key Role: Flies, including hoverflies and blowflies, are the second most important pollinators after bees. They excel in cooler temperatures and harsher conditions, making them invaluable in certain ecosystems.
Additional Learning: Flies can travel freely without the need for a "home base," and their larvae often help by controlling pests or recycling nutrients. Some plants, like cacao trees, depend on midges (tiny flies) for pollination.
Fun Fact: Some mango farmers hang barrels of roadkill in trees to attract flies, boosting pollination rates.
Explore More: https://www.alexandrafoundation.org/
Honey Possum: The Sugar-Addicted Marsupial
Key Role: Native to southwestern Australia, honey possums feed exclusively on nectar and pollen, pollinating flowers like banksia and eucalyptus.
Additional Learning: These tiny marsupials drink up to 7 milliliters of nectar daily, equivalent to a human drinking 50 liters of soda. With a prehensile tail and long tongue, they navigate vegetation to pollinate nocturnal flowers.
Fun Fact: Despite their small size, male honey possums have disproportionately large testes, making up 4.2% of their body weight.
Explore More: https://www.australianwildlife.org/
Hummingbirds: High-Energy Pollinators
Key Role: Hummingbirds are crucial pollinators for tubular, brightly colored flowers, especially in the Americas, where 8,000 plant species rely on them.
Additional Learning: Hummingbirds consume their body weight in nectar daily to fuel their rapid wingbeats (70 times per second) and high-energy lifestyles. Some species, like the sword-billed hummingbird, are so specialized they can only feed from specific flowers.
Fun Fact: Hummingbirds visit up to 3,000 flowers daily, licking nectar at 10-15 times per second.
Explore More: https://www.audubon.org/
Fun Facts from the Episode:
Echolocation Elegance: Bat-pollinated flowers are bell-shaped to optimize echolocation efficiency.
Chocolate’s Wingmen: Flies, particularly midges, are essential for cacao pollination, ensuring our chocolate supply.
Nectar-Hungry Marsupials: Honey possums’ sugar addiction drives their relentless pollination efforts.
Feathered Specialists: Some hummingbirds, like the sword-billed species, have beaks tailored to match specific flowers, demonstrating extreme co-evolution.
Quotes from the Episode:
Katy Reiss: “Without bats, there’s no tequila—let that sink in for a moment.”
Laura Fawks Lapole: “Flies might be gross, but they’re nature’s unsung heroes—and the reason we have chocolate.”
Katy Reiss: “Honey possums are like the sugar-fueled pollinators we never knew we needed.”
Laura Fawks Lapole: “Hummingbirds are nature’s little energy drinks with wings.”
Additional Resources for Learning:
Bat Conservation International: https://www.batcon.org/
Pollination by Flies: https://www.alexandrafoundation.org/
Australian Honey Possum Information: https://www.australianwildlife.org/
Hummingbird Conservation and Research: https://www.audubon.org/
Call to Action:
Celebrate the diversity of pollinators this National Pollinator Week! Subscribe to Wildly Curious for more deep dives into nature’s unsung heroes. Support us on Patreon to help bring more incredible episodes to life!
