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1. How does pollination occur?

Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from flower to flower by pollinating animals. Wind pollination also occurs but only with some species of plants. The act of pollination fertilizes an egg which then produces a fruiting body which usually surrounds some type of seed which is used for producing the next generation of the food we and other organisms eat.

2. What are examples of pollinating animals?

• Bats
• Bees
• Beetles
• Birds
• Butterflies
• Flies
• Moths
• Other animals

3. Why are pollinators important?

Worldwide, roughly 1,000 plants need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend, including plants grown for:

• Beverages
• Fibers
• Food
• Medicines
• Spices

Foods and beverages produced with the help of pollinators include:

• Almonds
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Melons
• Peaches
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Tequila
• Vanilla

In the United States, pollination by honey bees, native bees, and other insects produces $40 billion worth of products annually.

4. What is a host plant?

A plant upon which an organism (such as an insect) lodges and subsists, i.e. The plant that the butterfly will lay its egg on and the caterpillar will later eat. Examples of host relationships are:

• Black Swallowtail - golden alexanders
• Monarch and The Queen - milkweed
• Pipevine Swallowtail - pipevine, snakeroot, and knot vine