Pollination

Adult butterflies forage for nectar from hundreds of flowers per day. These pollinators have a long proboscis to suck nectar from deeper, skinnier blooms that other nectar-foraging insects may have trouble reaching. Butterflies like plants with “landing pads,” which are essentially blooms on the end of strong stems that can support the weight of adult butterflies; purple prairie clover, globe thistle, and echinacea provide this type of structure. The viceroy (pictured left), is one of the common butterflies of North Dakota, along with the monarch, red admiral, and painted lady.

Discover the most common butterflies of North Dakota here:

Insert Link to Butterflies & Moths Page

Of all the living vectors which carry pollen, the most prolific pollinators are bees. Bees are driven to visit flowers to collect pollen as a source of protein for themselves and their young. Bees possess special anatomical properties such as body hair and pollen sacks which equip them to collect and transfer pollen.

• Honey Bees
• Bumble Bees

There are an estimated 20,000 species of bees worldwide, and 90% of those species are solitary. This category of bee does not live in a communal hive. Instead, the female of the species builds her own nest in which to lay and provide for her offspring. Without a hive to protect, the solitary bee is much gentler than the honey bee and sting only if handled. Many are highly efficient pollinators, visiting more flowers per minute than honey bees.

• Mason
• Leafcutting
• Sweat
• Carpenter

For more information on bees in North Dakota, check out these resources:

• Insects That Look Like Bees
• North Dakota’s Rare and Endangered Insect Pollinators

A wasp’s primary job in the garden is to manage populations of destructive insect pests, but some crops rely almost entirely on wasp pollination to reproduce. For example, fig wasps are the exclusive pollinators of many fig species, and date palms also depend on wasps for effective pollination. These highly specialized relationships highlight how even less-celebrated insects are vital to the foods people enjoy around the world.

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Hoverflies, bee flies, and other fly species are effective pollinators, especially in cooler weather or early spring when bees are less active. Some flies mimic bees in appearance, but their short, quick visits to flowers still transfer plenty of pollen.

To discover more species with bee-like attributes, check out the publication “Insects That Look Like Bees”

Beetles were among the first insect pollinators in evolutionary history. They are clumsy visitors, often chewing flower parts while feeding on pollen or nectar. Despite this, they are essential pollinators for certain native plants such as magnolias and pawpaws.