Why do scientists think insects are important pollinators for many cycads?

Scientists consider insects to be essential pollinators for most, if not all, cycads because observations and controlled experiments indicate that insect vectors are necessary for the effective pollination of their ovules.1

While cycads produce enormous quantities of pollen—a trait that might otherwise suggest wind dispersal—the actual mechanism relies on insects. For example, the cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea) is pollinated by a specific snout weevil, Rhopalotria mollis. These insects utilize the male cones to lay their eggs and complete their reproductive cycles; as the adults emerge, they carry pollen to the female cones, facilitating fertilization.1