Plant and Insect Field Note: Specialist Bees and Others

Plant and Insect Field Note: Specialist Bees and Others

August 13, 2021

Marirose Kuhlman shares observations of specialist and generalist pollinators and the flowers they service.

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Despite its lethality, death camas requires an insect pollinator to set seed.

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Death Camas Mining bee (Andrena astragali, above and below) collects toxic pollen and nectar from death camas flowers for its larvae to eat.

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A variety of grassland bees forage in the delicate bell-shaped blossoms of harebells

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Black Shortface bees (Dufourea maura) rely on harebells pollen to feed to their offspring.

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Globemallow bees (Diadasia diminuta) can often be found curled up inside the scarlet globemallow

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Lupines (Lupinus spp.) don’t have specialized pollinators, but their complex flowers require a bee large enough to push down the lower petals

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Large-bodied bees like bumblebees, large leafcutter bees, large mining bees, and digger bees can be found on silky lupine

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A cuckoo bee in the genus Triepeolus probes an aspen fleabane

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A carder bee (Anthidium sp.) visits giant horsemint