Pollen and Nectar Robbers — Visitors That Consume Without Pollinating
📚 Practice ConceptWhy don't you observe some flowers of the following plants (or any others available to you): Cucumber, Mango, Peepal, Coriander, Papaya, Onion, Lobia, Cotton, Tobacco, Rose, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Banana? Try to find out which animals visit them and whether they could be pollinators.You'll have to patiently observe the flowers over a few days and at different times of the day. You could also try to see whether there is any correlation in the characteristics of a flower to the animal that visits it. Carefully observe if any of the visitors come in contact with the anthers and the stigma as only such visitors can bring about pollination. Many insects may consume pollen or the nectar without bringing about pollination. Such floral visitors are referred to as pollen/nectar robbers. You may or may not be able to identify the pollinators, but you will surely enjoy your efforts!
Insects that consume pollen or nectar without bringing about pollination are also called pollinators.
Such visitors are called POLLEN/NECTAR ROBBERS. Only insects that contact both anthers and stigma and actually transfer pollen are true POLLINATORS.
Pollinator = transfers pollen anther → stigma. Robber = eats pollen/nectar without transferring. Reptiles CAN be pollinators in some species.
- Pollen/nectar robbers = floral visitors that consume rewards without pollinating.
- True pollinators must contact both anthers AND stigma to transfer pollen.
- Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are regulated by CHEMICAL components of pollen and pistil.
- Many pollen species can germinate on a stigma, but only SAME-SPECIES pollen tube grows into style (species barrier).
Which of the following statements is NOT correct? S1: Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are regulated by chemical components of pollen interacting with those of the pistil. S2: Some reptiles have also been reported as pollinators in some plant species. S3: Pollen grains of many species can germinate on the stigma, but only one pollen tube of the same species grows into the style. S4: Insects that consume pollen or nectar without bringing about pollination are called pollinators.
View bonus solution & explanation
Correct answer: D — S4 only
S1 CORRECT: NCERT — pollen-pistil interaction is chemical. S2 CORRECT: NCERT mentions reptiles as pollinators in some species. S3 CORRECT: Multiple species can germinate, but only same-species pollen tube grows through the style — the chemical species barrier. S4 INCORRECT (NEET 2016 answer): Floral visitors that consume pollen or nectar WITHOUT pollinating are POLLEN/NECTAR ROBBERS, NOT pollinators. The terminology in S4 is wrong → answer D.
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