Both birds, butterflies and bees inadvertently carry pollen from flower to flower, thus increasing the genetic diversity of the species of flower, as seen in figure 5. Bumblebee and butterfly with pollen grains. The bumblebee with its tongue extended. Note the pollen grains on its head. The color of the flower in many cases plays an important role in which the pollinator is attracted to the plant.
Insects also vary in their tongue length, which is sometimes matched in length by the flower.
See Figure 6. for an example of this relationship. The stigmas are located in a position advantageous to removing pollen from the pollinator, often having sticky hairs to comb the pollen from the body of the pollinator as the pollinator attempts to remove nectar from the flower. Figure 7. illustrates some of these stigmas. Pollen on the stigma of the flower grows to the ovary, where seeds are formed. A list of pollinators that are commonly used by plants, and some characteristics of these pollinators are given below.