Insect Pollinators

7/24/2019 Insect Pollinators

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www.teachitscience.co.uk 2014 22854 1

Insect Pollinators


About 80% of British plants,

including many crops, useinsects to transfer pollenbetween flowers.

Pollen fertilizes the flowerenabling the plant to develop

seeds and fruits


The main insect pollinators are

Honey bees Bumble bees Hoverflies

Butterfliesand

moths


Busybees , dcJohn, 2005https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/23384053/

Why are they important to us?


oilseed rape

orchardfruit beans

soft fruit

Insects are responsible for pollinatingsome important UK crops


A colony of honey bees has aqueen, male drones and up to

35 000 female worker bees

Check Your Bees!! Don Hankins, 2008https://www.flickr.com/photos/23905174@N00/2465770923/


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Whilst a queen bee can livefor 5 years a worker will onlylive for about 40 days.

In that time each worker willproduce one teaspoonful of

honey.


The UK has wild populations of

solitary bees and bumblebees butalso

Summer Farewell Blossom and Bee, Bob Peterson, 2011https://www.flickr.com/photos/pondapple/6260451786/

Running Bumblebee, William Warby, 2008https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/2989235345/


up to 50 000 colonies ofbumblebees are imported

into Britain each year.

Flower and Bumblebee, digital cat, 2008

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14646075@N03/2811990080/


The imported bees are used topollinate greenhouse tomatoesand fruit such as strawberries

grown in polytunnels.

Polytunnel Tomatoes, Julie Gibbons, 2010https://www.flickr.com/photos/organikal/4909527843/


Has there been a recentdecline in the number of

pollinators in the UK?

What do you think?


Honeybees

The number of hives declined by 50% in England

between 1985 and 2005

Between 2010-2011 the 17.5% of colonies in

England and Wales were lost over winter

Between 2008-2011 beekeepers reported

improvements in the health and vigour of their

bee colonies


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50% of the areas which have beensurveyed have lost species since 1980.

10% of the areas have gained species

Bumblebees


25% of species have declined since the

1980s

10% of species have increased in number

Hoverflies


75% of UK butterflies show a 10

year decrease in their

distribution or population (2011)

66% of common moths species

have declined in number since

1970s.

37% of these species have

declined by more 50%

Butterflies and moths


Honey Bee (Apis melliferaLinnaeus), Jim, the Photographer, 2011https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/6151061542/

Bumble bee, Marilyn Peddle, 2007

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marilynjane/976578549/

Hoverfly lollypop, Aussiegall, 2007

https://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/681204297/

Moth, Tess, 2013

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davenport/9386931968/

Oil Seed Rape, Amanda Slater, 2008

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pikerslanefarm/2480526989/

Apple Blo ssoms , Oak Glen, Don Graham, 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/23155134@N06/13969652002/

Soft Fruits, Andy Rogers, 2013

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cobaltfish/9339353151/

455. Runner beans , InAweofGodsCreation, 2007https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhoulihan/3844381387/

Image Credits


This can be used as a stand alone resource or with the other Teachit Science

resourcesWind or insect pollinators (22853) and Insect pollinators and world food supply(22662).

This is useful as a starter and introduction to the topic and is ideal to generate

discussion.

Slide 3 ask students to name the insect pollinators before revealing their names.

Slide 4 the question gives students an opportunity to discuss why they think insectpollinators are important.

Slide 5 ask students to name the crops before revealing their names.

Slides 11-14 ask students to evaluate the facts given to say whether theyshow if insect pollinators have declined in number overall.What effect could this have on our food supply?

Teaching notes

Insect Pollinators

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Transcript of Insect Pollinators