Wasp Pollination: Mechanisms, Evolution and Ecological Significance in Neglected Pollinator Groups

Abstract

Wasp-mediated pollination encompasses diverse mechanisms, presenting a relevant yet underexplored facet of plant–insect interactions. This review synthesises current knowledge on wasp pollination's ecological and evolutionary dynamics. For clarity, I classified wasp pollinators into three categories: (1) generalist pollinators associated with resource-rich plants, (2) specialised pollinators of resource-rich plants and (3) specialised pollinators of resource-less plants (deceptive pollination). The latter category includes sexual and food deception. These pollination types will be described in detail throughout the text. Generalist wasps pollinate flowers with less morphological specialisation, which are also visited by other insect groups. In contrast, certain groups, such as the subfamilies Masarinae and Thynninae, the genus Hemipepsis (Pompilidae) and the family Agaonidae (fig wasps), have specialised in certain taxa or plant guilds. Deceptive pollination strategies, primarily in orchids, exploit wasps through sexual and food mimicry, reflecting intricate evolutionary adaptations. Fig wasps exhibit a long history of co-diversification with their host plants, presenting a key innovation that combines wind-mediated and chemotactic pollen dispersal. This review highlights the ecological implications and evolutionary aspects of wasp pollination by examining these diverse mechanisms. It concludes that wasps should not be neglected as pollinators, as they play an important role in the reproduction of many plant species.