From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Insects as Pollinators. We have already learned about the evolution of the flower as a lure for pollinating insects, as well as how flowers are shaped, colored, scented, and oriented to attract particular pollinators.

For example, flowers that are pollinated by moths are often light-colored and open at night. Those that are pollinated by beetles are frequently large, fragrant, and dull-colored, because most beetles' sense of smell is more acute than their vision. Plants pollinated by flies, on the other hand, are often foul-smelling, with the odor of carrion or dead fish, to attract their pollinators, carrion flies. And in flowers pollinated by butterflies, the nectar is often located at the end of long, slender tubes or spurs, where only long-tongued butterflies can reach it.

After students have observed flowers and pollinators in action, consider assigning each student to a particular insect pollinator. Ask them to design a flower that would attract and be pollinated by their (real) insect. The students can then justify to you and the rest of the class why they designed their plants the way that they did. Why did they choose certain colors? Shapes? Sizes? Does their flower have a particular smell? Conclude by revealing what the "real" flowers (pollinated by these insects) look like.

Sometimes there is a great degree of specificity in the relationship between flower and insect. Some flowers are pollinated by only one type of insect-and should something happen to the population of that insect, the future of the plant would be in jeopardy. Scientists believe that these highly specific relationships are the products of co-evolution-the plant and insect evolved together, and over time became dependent upon one another.

Of course not all insects are beneficial, or even benign.