About how many crop types rely partly on animal pollination?

About three quarters of major crops

How do many flowers guide bees?

Ultraviolet patterns called nectar guides

What helps pollinators most?

Planting diverse native flowers

Pollinating Insects Challenge – A 10-Question Trivia Quiz

Without a tiny midge there would be no chocolate, and the pollinating insects challenge looks beyond bees to the flies, beetles, moths and wasps that keep plants reproducing. Discover the moth Darwin predicted from a Madagascar orchid and why pollinators matter to the food on your plate.

Start Pollinating Insects Challenge

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Chocolate
Which insects pollinate cacao flowers for chocolate?
Share
About how many crop types rely partly on animal pollination?
Darwin
Which insect did Darwin predict from a Madagascar orchid?
Beetles
Which ancient flowers are pollinated by beetles?
Fig
Which insect pollinates figs?
Night
Which insects pollinate many night-blooming flowers?
Hoverfly
Which flies mimic bees and pollinate flowers?
Corpse
What does the corpse flower smell like to attract pollinators?
UV
How do many flowers guide bees?
Help
What helps pollinators most?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which insects pollinate cacao flowers for chocolate?
Answer: Tiny midges
Cacao flowers are very small.
Q2: About how many crop types rely partly on animal pollination?
Answer: About three quarters of major crops
Wind pollinates grains like wheat.
Q3: Which insect did Darwin predict from a Madagascar orchid?
Answer: A moth with a very long tongue
It was found in 1903.
Q4: Which ancient flowers are pollinated by beetles?
Answer: Magnolias
Beetles pollinated flowers early in their history.
Q5: Which insect pollinates figs?
Answer: Fig wasps
They live inside the fig.
Q6: Which insects pollinate many night-blooming flowers?
Answer: Moths
Pale, scented flowers attract them.
Q7: Which flies mimic bees and pollinate flowers?
Answer: Hoverflies
They cannot sting.
Q8: What does the corpse flower smell like to attract pollinators?
Answer: Rotting meat
Carrion beetles and flies visit it.
Q9: How do many flowers guide bees?
Answer: Ultraviolet patterns called nectar guides
Humans cannot see them.
Q10: What helps pollinators most?
Answer: Planting diverse native flowers
Leaving wild areas helps too.

Pollinating Insects Challenge – The Hidden Workforce

Pollinating insects carry pollen from flower to flower, letting plants make seeds and fruit. Bees are the best known, but flies, beetles, butterflies, moths and wasps are also important, each visiting different kinds of flowers.

Many plants and pollinators have evolved together. Fig wasps live inside figs, tiny midges pollinate cacao and long-tongued moths reach deep into orchids, as Charles Darwin predicted. Flowers use colors, scents and ultraviolet patterns to attract them.

Around three quarters of major food crops benefit from animal pollination, so pollinator declines are a serious concern. Pesticides, habitat loss and climate change all play a role, and planting native flowers and reducing chemicals can help.

What This Quiz Teaches

Gardeners and science students will enjoy these questions.

Which insects pollinate
Which crops need pollinators
What Darwin predicted
How flowers attract insects
How to help pollinators

Did You Know?

Some wasps pollinate orchids by mimicry.
Bumblebees buzz-pollinate tomatoes.
Butterflies prefer red and orange flowers.
Mosquitoes pollinate some orchids.
Bee hotels support solitary bees.