Checker spot, Queen, Nokomis
Fritillary, and Anise Swallowtail.
They usually look for flowers that
provide a good landing platform.
Moths - Moths are most
easily distinguished from
butterflies by their antennae.
Butterfly antennae are simple with a
swelling at the end. Moth antennae
differ from simple to featherlike,
but never have a swelling at the
tip. In addition, butterflies typically
are active during the day; moths at
night. Butterfly bodies are not very
hairy, while moth bodies are quite
hairy and stouter.
Colorado’s Native
Pollinators
Beetles - Beetles also play a role
in pollination. Some beetles have
a bad reputation because they can
leave a mess behind, damaging
plant parts they eat. Beetles are not
as efficient as other pollinators. They
wander between different species
of flowers, often dropping pollen
as they go. Beetle-pollinated plants
tend to be large, and strong scented.
anyone would want to attract
flies to the garden. However, like
beetles, the number of fly species
and the fact that flies are generalist
pollinators should encourage
people to leave flies alone. Let
them do their job as a pollinators!
• Wasps, beetles, and flies Bats - Bats also play an important
• 11 species of migrating
hummingbirds, which
arrive in April and usually
leave in September
Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom
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Birds - Hummingbirds are the
• 250 species of
butterflies and over
1000 species of moths
• 946 species of native bees
Write the name of pollinator,
described in the text to the left,
that is shown in each picture.
Flies - It’s hard to imagine why
primary bird to play a role in
pollination. Their long tongues draw
nectar from tubular flowers. Pollen
is carried on both the beaks and
feathers of different hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds can see the color
red; bees cannot. A few of the
nectar plants growing in Colorado
include thistle, paintbrush, and
larkspur. These plants attract black-
chinned and other hummingbirds.
Colorado is home to a large
and diverse community
of native pollinators
that consists of:
Identify the
Pollinators
role in pollination. The long-
nosed bats’ head shape and long
tongue allows it to delve into
flower blossoms and extract
both pollen and nectar.
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