Flower phenology and pollen choice of Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Central Virginia. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 81: 419-427. Foraging ecology of the bee Habropoda laboriosa (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae), an oligolege of blueberries (Ericaceae: Vaccinium) in the southeastern United States. National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution WEB RESOURCESĬane, J. Learn more about the pollinator lifecycle here and how you can help protect them here! POLLINATOR IDENTIFICATIONĪll plant specimen images courtesy of the U.S. In the United States, pollination by honeybees and other insects produces $40 billion worth of products annually. Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend. Pollination ensures that a plant will produce full-bodied fruit and a full set of viable seeds. The transfer of pollen in and between flowers of the same species leads to fertilization, and successful seed and fruit production for plants. Plants can also be pollinated by wind and water. The rest are insects like beetles, flies, bees, ants, wasps, butterflies and moths. Of those, hundreds are hummingbirds, bats, and small mammals such as mice. Almost 90% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators for fertilization, and about 200,000 species of animals act as pollinators. Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from flower to flower by wind, water, or pollinating animals. Native flowering trees are not only beneficial to foraging bees and other insects but also to the larvae of many native butterflies and moths that feed upon tree foliage, much like the Painted Lady, Vanessa sp., featured on the poster. The Eastern Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica, seen on the poster is an example of a bee that relies on trees for nesting. Dead trees, trunks, or branches that contain old beetle borings serve as nesting substrates for cavity-nesting bees as well. Trees also provide nesting opportunities for bees that make their nests in holes, hollows, or crevices in tree branches and trunks. Summer-flowering trees provide a meal of nectar and pollen during the hottest months of the year after spring flowers have bloomed. Trees that bloom early in spring give a boost to bees that have depleted their stores of honey during the winter. Bees rely on food sources throughout the year. Foraging efficiency for the bees is beneficial as it requires less energy searching for further food sources and reduces stress. Trees densely covered with thousands of flowers give pollinators an abundant source of nectar and pollen in one place. With their profusion of flowers, trees are a convenient food source for bees and other pollinators. They may be less familiar with the fact that bees forage for pollen and nectar up in the tree canopy. Most people are familiar with the flowering annual and perennials in their flower beds that attract bees and other pollinators.
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