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Pollen beetle is an informal term for any species of beetle associated intimately with suitably pollen-rich species of flowers. Typically such a beetle is adapted to the pollen as a major part of its diet. Species in at least sixteen families of the order Coleoptera could be counted as pollen beetles,〔McCall, Andrew C & Irwin, Rebecca E. Florivory: the intersection of pollination and Herbivory. Ecology Letters, (2006) 9: 1351–1365 doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00975.x〕〔(McIntosh, Margrit. Pollen Use in Bees and Other Insects )〕 and "pollen beetle" also is a common name for some such species. ==Pollen feeding== Many insects of small to modest size benefit from feeding on pollen of suitable plants; pollen tends to be rich in protein, plentiful in season and easily available. Many plants, such as some members of the Araceae and Zamiaceae, produce large amounts of nutritious pollen, while producing little or no nectar. The pollen of such plants attracts and nourishes specialist pollen feeders that perform pollination, and many of those pollen feeders are beetles. In accessing the pollen of such plants, many pollen-feeding insects form mutually beneficial ecological relationships. Others damage the flowers however, reducing seed set, and harming the crop rather than benefiting it. The nutritious Pollen from plants adapted to such pollinators contrasts with the also copious pollen from specialist anemophilous plants. Strict anemophiles commonly produce pollen that is low in nutritive value, since it is not adapted to attract or feed pollinators. Furthermore, as an adaptation to being borne effectively by the wind, anemophilous pollen must be very light. More specifically than speaking loosely of "pollen beetles" as a common name the expression is the common name for certain species of beetle in particular, mainly a few members of the families Melyridae, Nitidulidae and Oedemeridae. However, there are many others that, though not commonly called "pollen beetles", do feed avidly on pollen, including species in the following:〔 *Alleculidae *Buprestidae *Cantharidae *Cerambycidae *Cleridae *Curculionidae *Dermestidae *Languriidae *Meloidae *Mordellidae *Phalacridae *Scarabaeidae (tribe Hopliini in particular) *Stenotrachelidae (Synonym Cephaloidae) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「pollen beetle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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