From page 28
POLLINATION
of crops, there are many
other insects, birds and small
mammals that do a similar
job.
Leafcutter and carpenter
bees, for example, are
pollinators of lucerne plants,
while the carpenter bees
pollinate the rooibos tea
plant. These other bees are
involved in pollinating a
number of different fruits and
vegetables.
South Africa has the largest
population worldwide of
pollen wasps. These wasps
feed their larvae on pollen
and nectar like bees, and not
on insects and arachnids like
other wasps. They also
pollinate the rooibos plant,
along with some nut trees
and subtropical fruits such as
granadillas, avocadoes, litchis,
papaya and mangoes.
Certain long-tongued flies
(Nemestrinidae, Tabanidae,
Bombyliidae), one of which is
the horse fly, are effective
pollinators. Some of them
specialise in flowers that form
part of the cut flower
industry. Others pollinate
subtropical fruits, and nuts.
Surprisingly, rodents also act
as pollinators, although they
tend to work more in the
From page 30
floral kingdom than in
pollinating fruit or vegetable
flowers. Plants have adapted
to bring this about by
producing blossoms close to
the ground, are dull coloured
and produce a yeasty scent
during the evening, timed in
tune with the nocturnal
activities of rodents. And not
only rats and mice, but even
Cape grey mongooses and
large-spotted genets have
been captured in photos with
pollen all over their faces.
Another smaller South African
mammal with a taste for
nectar is the Cape Rock sengi
(Elephantulus edwardii) – a
member of the elephant
shrew family.
Bats are also pollinators—the
baobab tree, which provides
shelter and food for an
abundance of animals, is bat
pollinated. And if you have
the large agave cacti on your
plot you will also need bats
to pollinate them. To attract
these flying mammals
flowering plants have evolved
a musty or rotten perfume.
Some plant species have
evolved acoustic features in
their flowers that make the
ech