Buzz pollination

A female Augochloropsis using buzz pollination
Bumble bee buzz-pollinates Solanum dulcamara

Buzz pollination or sonication is a technique used by some bees, such as solitary bees and bumblebees, to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers.[1] The anthers of buzz-pollinated plant species are typically tubular, with an opening at only one end, and the pollen inside is smooth-grained and firmly attached. With self-fertile plants such as tomatoes, wind may be sufficient to shake loose the pollen through pores in the anther and accomplish pollination. Visits by bees may also shake loose some pollen, but more efficient pollination of those plants is accomplished by a few insect species who specialize in sonication or buzz pollination.[2]

In order to release the pollen, solitary bees are able to grab onto the flower and move their flight muscles rapidly, causing the flower and anthers to vibrate, dislodging pollen. Pollination involving vibrations is called buzz pollination. Honeybees cannot perform buzz pollination.[2] About 9% of the flowers of the world are primarily pollinated using buzz pollination.[3]

Senna's poricidal anthers.
  1. ^ Fidalgo, Adriana De O.; Kleinert, Astrid De M. P. (2009-12-01). "Reproductive biology of six Brazilian Myrtaceae:-is there a syndrome associated with buzz-pollination?". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 47 (4): 355–365. Bibcode:2009NZJB...47..355F. doi:10.1080/0028825x.2009.9672712. ISSN 0028-825X.
  2. ^ a b Thomas S. Woodcock (2012), Pollination in the Agricultural Landscape: Best Management Practices for Crop Pollination (PDF), Canadian Pollination Initiative (NSERC-CANPOLIN), archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-19, retrieved 2016-07-29
  3. ^ Buchmann, S. J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 1985 Bees Use Vibration to Aid Pollen Collection from Non-Poricidal Flowers.