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Mountain mints are also pollinated by beetles—and a bazillion other critters. They are extraordinary pollinator magnets. Beetles, bees, flies, wasps, mosquitos
by tmoertel 2mo ago
Mountain mints are also pollinated by beetles—and a bazillion other critters. They are extraordinary pollinator magnets. Beetles, bees, flies, wasps, mosquitos (!), moths, butterflies, ...
A recent study of just a few mountain mint species (https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2024.2411072 https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2024.2411072) found that they attracted a crazy variety of pollinators. Check the supplementary materials for the full list.
- Sharlin 2mo agoMosquitoes (which are flies) don’t really deserve the exclamation mark, given that the males of all mosquito species live exclusively on nectar, with the females (of most but not all species) augmenting their diet with animal protein in order to produce eggs. The long, thin proboscis originally evolved for nectar drinking like in many other insects (and some birds!); its use for sucking animal blood was a later adaptation.
- mvidal01 2mo agoI have mountain mint growing in my yard and every pollinator imaginable goes to that plant.
- HelloMcFly 2mo agoI have slender mountain mint and it used to be a popular pollinator spot... until I planted figwort. Never had anything get action like the figwort!
- vidarh 2mo agoI have spearmint in my garden, and the bees and butterflies are literally pushing each other out of the way to get at them some days.