As winter progresses in panhandle Florida, the palette of colors gradually changes by the week.
Trees, shrubs and winter wildflowers provide a muted display for anyone willing to spend the time to observe it.
The hues cover the spectrum but are not as intense or showy as during spring. The few blooms are also a lure to the native pollinators.
European Honeybees and, to a lesser degree, bumblebees are widely known for their pollination work, both in nature and commercial agriculture. Additionally, there are legions of lesser-known pollinators which work unseen and are rarely acknowledged for their efforts.
All these obscure pollinators make contributions to the cycle of life which begins with a cold hardy germination or emergence during winter’s nap by much of the area’s plant life. The symbiotic relationship between the plants and insects is a win-win situation for all involved.
Insects active during panhandle Florida’s winter perform the same activities as in summer. Blooms attract bugs looking for a quick and colorful meal, and the bugs help scatter pollen.
Nectar and pollen are dietary staples for most pollinators. Adult insects consume the byproducts of plant reproduction and inadvertently spread the genetic variations during their travels.
Even in winter residential butterflies and moths receive a concentration of sugars and other nutrients from the nectar in flowers. For the duration of their strenuous, short lives, they require the intense energy for the aerial gymnastics which allow them to avoid hungry birds.
Many butterflies are migratory, such as the widely known Monarch which passes through panhandle Florida on the way to Mexico. A successful migration is timed to take advantage of nectar laden blooms of autumn wildflowers before setting out over the water.
Plants benefit from the feeding frenzy because the butterflies carry pollen from bloom to bloom on their bodies. While not moving as much pollen per insect, butterflies move pollen over much greater distances than honeybees. This wide geographic dispersal improves the genetic profile of many plants.
Local wasps currently active on warm days are marginally effective pollinators with an unpleasant reputation. The droning buzz and the wasp profile near a bloom is a sting avoidance warning.
Wasps, however, provide a necessary, if often unrecognized, service which far outweighs their foul temperament. Many wasp larvae begin life as parasites on a variety of insect pest species.
When the wasps reach maturity, they will visit flowers for the nectar. As with butterflies it serves as an energy source.
Pollen is caught on the body hairs of the wasp and may be deposited on other blooms as it lazily moves from bloom-to-bloom in search of scarce nectar reserves. Wasps tend to be territorial, so pollen is not widely dispersed.
Flies are another group of accidental pollinators. These sometimes-pests have no teeth, so they must subsist on a liquid diet and flower nectar is quite attractive.
Their days are spent moving among various food sources, dropping pollen haphazardly as they go. Individually the transfer of pollen is negligible, but collectively their local efforts add up to a small but respectable percentage.
Even native ants help with pollination while scavenging for an easy meal during winter’s short days. Scouts for the ant nest search bloom to bloom, scattering pollen as they go.
Frigid days and nights halt the timeless activity, but the pleasant days return the bugs and blooms to their endless procession. Winter is like summer, just at a slower pace.
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