POLLINATORS WE LOVE

Who’s Who

 

Essential to Ecosystems

Bees / Butterflies / Wasps / Moths

Pollinators are one of the most important groups on the planet. This group — including bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, beetles, moths, bats, and birds — plays an essential role in our ecosystems. Pollinators are necessary for the reproduction of more than 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including most crop species. Read on to learn more about some of our favorite pollinators and what you can do to help them.

Rusty-patched bee on pink flower by Heather Holm

Bees

More than 20,000 species of bees exist worldwide. That includes 4,000 species of bees in North America and 460 bee species native to Minnesota – like the rusty patched bumble bee pictured at left.

Photo: © Heather Holm

 

Bees are unique among pollinators.

Bees sip nectar to fuel their flight and actively gather large amounts of pollen – inadvertently moving pollen from flower to flower – to feed themselves.

Black, yellow, and beyond

Black and yellow coloration is common in bees, but many species also come in a variety of colors, including green, blue, red, or black. Some even have a metallic sheen.

The truth about stinging

Only female bees sting, and most wild bees are unlikely to sting unless threatened.

Bees Matter

One in three bites of food depends on bee pollination, including 75 percent of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the United States. In North America, it’s an ecological contribution valued at $20 billion a year.

Endangered Status

Since 2017, the rusty-patched bumble bee – Minnesota’s state bee – has been listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In 2021, Franklin’s bumble bee became the ninth bee to join the endangered species list. Many other native bee species are declining worldwide at record rates.

Bee-Friendly Actions

The decline of bees affects everyone, and we can all do our part to help them rebound from the challenges they face. Taking a few simple steps can make a big difference.

  • Plant native flowering plants such as wild geranium 

  • Provide flowers all season long – April to October

  • Avoid pesticide and herbicide use

  • Leave some leaf litter and dead branches for pollinator habitat

  • Join monitoring efforts like the Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas

Find more information on bee-friendly actions on our Community Resources page.

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Butterflies

More than 17,000 species of butterflies exist worldwide, including about 750 in the United States. The most well-known may be monarch butterflies. Their vivid markings set them apart for their beauty, but monarchs also contribute to the health of our planet by pollinating many types of wildflowers and providing an important food source for birds and small animals.

 

Monarchs fly thousands of miles — from Mexico to your milkweed.

Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico for the winter and return to Minnesota around April, when they’ll be on their 4th generation.

Specific habitat

Although adult monarchs feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers, they breed only in areas with milkweed.

Milkweed to metamorphosis

For many butterflies, a single plant is required as a food source for their larval form: the host plant. Milkweed is the monarch butterfly host plant. The larva would not be able to develop into a butterfly without it.

Monarchs Matter

Monarchs play a vital role in ecosystems and the food web by pollinating plants — and also capturing the imagination of humans. Besides being a striking indicator that a habitat is friendly to pollinators, monarchs inspire interest in nature with their astonishing migration pattern, providing a way to teach the next generation about science and caring for the environment.

Endangered Status

The monarch butterfly population has seriously declined, requiring urgent conservation efforts. Other butterflies are in trouble, too. In the United States alone, 30 butterflies are listed as endangered and four are listed as threatened.

Monarch-Friendly Actions

No effort is too small when it comes to helping monarchs. By making some changes and additions right outside your door, you can aid in their recovery and add beauty to your landscape.

Find more information on monarch-friendly actions on our Community Resources page.

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Wasp on white flower by Heather Holm

Wasps

Approximately 103,000 species of wasps exist in the world. More than 300 species have been identified in Minnesota, including the smoky winged beetle bandit wasp at left. Although they aren’t known to be as efficient as bees at pollination, they provide the added service of attacking agricultural pests.

Photo: © Heather Holm

 

Most wasps are solitary and rarely sting.

Each solitary wasp has its own nest – either in the ground or in cavities in wood or plant stems.

Distinguishing features

While some solitary wasps may be confused with bees, they have smooth, shiny, bodies with few hairs. They range in color from black and yellow and black and orange to iridescent black or purple.

Social vs. solitary

Social wasps like yellowjackets live together in one nest. Only about 1,000 wasp species are social. While many people are most familiar with yellowjackets, they are only a small portion of Minnesota’s wasp species.

Wasps Matter

While adult wasps provide pollination services, many also provide a form of pest control by hunting the emerald ash borer, reducing the need for insecticides. They also provide food for wildlife, and even people. In addition, wasp venom is being studied for a variety of medical uses.

Endangered Status

No wasp species have been listed as endangered.

Wasp-Friendly Actions

Serving roles as pollinators and hunters of insect pests, wasps protect crops and gardens. They require much of the same support as their bee cousins.

  • Select native plants that will attract wasps

  • Avoid pesticide and herbicide use

  • Ignore and tolerate wasps whenever possible

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Snowberry clearwing moth in calibrachoa flowers by Bill Johnson

Moths

There are at least 150,000 moth species worldwide, including more than 12,000 species in North America. Minnesota alone is home to more than 800 species. That includes the snowberry clearwing at left, a type of hummingbird moth.

© Bill Johnson Nature Stock Photography, Inc.

 

Moths pollinate a large variety of plant species.

Distinctive wings

Moths and butterflies differ from other insects in that they have scales covering their wings, although the hummingbird moth loses the scales during its first flight.

Moths vs. butterflies

Where moths usually have feather-like antennae that come to a point, butterflies usually have club-like antennae with a bulb at the end.

Moths Matter

Moths pollinate a large number and variety of plant species as adults. Even though many species pollinate during the day, moths and bats work the night shift: When other pollinators go to sleep, they visit night-blooming plants. Moths and their caterpillars also provide a key food source for many wildlife species.

Endangered Status

Moths are among the insect populations declining globally. The United States has listed Blackburn’s sphinx moth as an endangered species, and the Kern primrose sphinx moth as threatened. In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the bog buck moth as endangered.

Moth-Friendly Actions

Not a lot of space is needed to create a moth-friendly habitat. The more important consideration is support for their entire lifecycle — providing pollen and nectar sources as well as nesting sites.

  • Select a variety of native plants

  • Include plants with light-colored, pale flowers

  • Avoid pesticide and herbicide use

  • Educate others about moths’ importance as pollinators

  • Share moth sightings with researchers

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