Plants adapt to less bee activity
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325984)
Rockingham, Australia
June 19, 2020 8:09pm CST
A PhD student in Western Australia has been investigating the unusual behaviour of ants that are acting as pollinators for a species of Conospermum, or smokebush.
Normally, ants secrete a substance which actually kills pollen but some have evolved and adapted to produce fewer secretions. However, in the case of the smokebush, it is the plant that has adapted its biochemistry so the pollen grains can cope with the antimicrobial properties of the ants.
The smokebush ideally needs both ants and native bees for maximum reproductive output. Introduced honey bees have a harmful effect as their bodies are too big to crawl inside the flower, thus failing to trigger the mechanism which deposits pollen on the backs of the bees. Honey bees collect nectar with a tongue-like proboscis but fail to take any pollen on to other plants.
Cases of ants adapting as pollinators have been observed in some other instances but this seems to be the first case where the plant has adapted.
Isn’t nature incredible?
Photo courtesy Geoffrey Derrin / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
12 people like this
13 responses
@snowy22315 (170175)
• United States
22 Jun 20
It will be good if plants can adapt to less bees being around for sure.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170175)
• United States
22 Jun 20
@JudyEv Yes, some marvelous adaptatations can be made. I was just thinking...maybe 5-7 years ago they clear cut all the trees in the back..Although they didn't go on my property I was horrified because what had been a beautiful woodland was a wasteland as far as I was concerned. However, it has since grown back and you would not know anything was done at this pont.!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325984)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Jun 20
@snowy22315 It's surprising sometimes how fast the trees grow. It's as if they feel they have to make up for lost time.
@DocAndersen (54411)
• United States
20 Jun 20
that is so cool, nature adapts sadly often to humans.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54411)
• United States
20 Jun 20
@JudyEv it is really neat I agree
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62254)
• United States
20 Jun 20
I saw quite a few bees playing in the clover in my back yard while I was sitting outside yesterday evening. It was great to watch.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95401)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Jun 20
Life will find a way. Jurassic Park
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118497)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Nature always has a way of balancing itself, and adapting to the circumstances. This is a perfect example. Nature knows how to take care of itself, despite our best efforts to try to prove otherwise. Humans like to think we can control nature, but we really know better. Nature controls us. haha
That is a beautiful flower on that plant. Is it native to your area?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118497)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 20
@JudyEv I was on a nice evening walk yesterday and I think I came across one of these plants. It looked very similar to what you have in your photo, although it's nothing I had ever seen growing in this area before. Next time I pass by it I will take a picture.
@jayanth_77 (7180)
• India
20 Jun 20
Yes plants do adapt for survival. Those that don't adapt become extinct.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325984)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jun 20
To a degree, they manage their own survival without us.
