Native Plant Guide Version 10-06-2023 | Page 77

WHO ARE OUR LOCAL POLLINATORS ?
WHO ARE OUR LOCAL POLLINATORS ?
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS
• One of the most diverse groups of organisms on the plant
• 4,300 spedies found within North America
• Butterflies are active during the day , while moths are active at night
BEES
• Polinate one in three bites of food we eat and are essential to the health and prosperity of countelss ecosystems
• Approximately 3,600 species of native ground and twig nesting bees are found in the United States
• Some bees form colonies while others live and work a solitary life
HUMMINGBIRDS
• Key pollinators of wildflowers
• The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird found in the eastern United States
• Consume several times their body weight in nectar to meet their high energy needs
• Remember where every flower in their territory is and how long it takes to refill with nectar after they have fed
BEETLES
WASPS
FLIES
• Among the first pollinators of prehistoric flowering plants in the late Jurassic era , around 150 million years ago
• SHaped early plant-insect pollination relationships
• Over 30,000 species are found in the United States
• Some of the best known beetle-pollinated plants are magnolias
• In the same family as bees and ants
• Very high energy needs that must be met for their survival
• Need key resources such as pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers
• Have stingers that they use to capture insects or spiders for food for their larvae
• Play an essential role in the pollination of wild and cultivated plants
• Visit 70 % of all wildflowers and crops
• Provide multiple ecosystem services , such as pest control and the degradation of decaying matter , as well as pollination
72