Pollinator to the Croton Plant

About Croton

• Over 1,300 species of herbs and trees comprise the Croton genus. Most are native to various tropical habitats, such as lowland rain forests, cloud forests and even salt water beaches. According to the University of Wisconsin, a variety of species from this genus grows in Hispaniola, Cuba and the southern region of the United States. Plants in the Croton genus are not to be confused with the tropical landscape plant commonly called croton in the Codiaeum genus.

Wasp Pollinators

• A number of research studies have focused on the pollination dynamics of Croton suberosus, one member of this vast group of plants. In their 2010 publication in the “American Journal of Botany,” Eduardo Narbona and coauthors reported that both bees and wasps visited flowers of this species and that wasps visited flowers at four times the rate of bees. The authors concluded that, in addition to wind pollination, the major pollinators of this particular croton species are wasps.

Multiple Insect Pollinators

• Pollinators vary for different croton species. In a 2001 publication of the "Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society," scientist Leandro Freitas and coauthors reported that 22 different kinds of insects visited flowers of Croton sarcopetalus. Similar to Croton suberosus, authors considered the wasp a major pollinator. Their study revealed that pollination and subsequent fruit production in this species is not limited to one kind of pollinator.

Floral Reward

• Research suggests that flowers of Croton suberosus provide nectar as a reward to wasps. In return, wasps protect the plant by killing insects that feed on foliage. Besides protecting the plant, wasps also pollinate flowers, though authors suggest that in the case of Croton suberosus, wind pollination is the major mode of pollination.