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Which insect pollinates the cardboard palm Zamia furfuracea?
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Cycadophyte
Cycas circinalis.
The cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea) is pollinated by a small snout weevil known as Rhopalotria mollis.1
These insects play a vital role in the plant's reproductive cycle by laying their eggs and completing their development within the male cones of the cycad. Once the adults emerge, they carry pollen to the female cones, facilitating the necessary pollination of the ovules. While the massive amount of pollen produced by many cycads might suggest wind dispersal, research indicates that insect vectors are essential for effective fertilization in most, if not all, cycad species.1