Abstract
The pollination of the orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó by Alosterna tabacicolor (Deg.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is recorded for the first time. This longhorn beetle—particularly the males—was found to be the main pollinator of orchids in the Bialowieża and Augustów Forests, NE Poland. The mechanism of pollination is described. Pseudocopulation was not observed; however, the possibility of sexual attraction of male A. tabacicolor to the orchids was not excluded. A certain dependence of D. fuchsii on the beetle species both ecologically (they appear simultaneously and are almost exclusively pollinated by these beetles) and geographically was observed. The consequences of the disappearance of one of these symbiotic partners are analysed. The evolution of longhorn beetle adaptation to flower pollination and problems of the preservation of orchids and their pollinators are discussed.
Published Version
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