Flower Beetle

Beetles are the original pollinators — they began pollinating plants over 150 million years ago, long before bees evolved. This ancient relationship is called 'cantharophily' (beetle pollination), and many of the world's most primitive flowering plants, including magnolias, water lilies, and spicebush, still rely primarily on beetle pollination today. Beetle-pollinated flowers tend to be large, strongly scented (often fruity or spicy), white or dull-colored, and bowl-shaped with easily accessible pollen. Beetles are sometimes called 'mess and soil' pollinators because they chew through flower petals and defecate within blooms. However, their pollination services are invaluable — with over 400,000 described species, beetles (order Coleoptera) represent the most species-rich group of organisms on Earth, and flower-visiting beetles pollinate an enormous diversity of tropical and temperate plants.