by Mary Free, Extension Master Gardener
Take our Pollinator Week challenge and test your knowledge of plants and insects. Click on the letter above the picture to find out if your answer is correct or to learn more about each species (extra kudos if you know the species’ Latin and/or common names). To see the image details better, click on the pictures to enlarge.
1. You may recognize these popular summer-blooming flowers or even grow them in your own garden. They all perform well in the Mid-Atlantic region and attract and support myriad pollinators and other wildlife. Do you know which species is NOT native to Virginia?
2. During the Mt. Cuba Center 2018–2020 Echinacea Trial, a number of cultivars outperformed the straight species of Echinacea purpurea in terms of habit, vigor, floral display, and disease resistance, but only one cultivar attracted more pollinator visits. Select the Echinacea cultivar below that is LEAST attractive to pollinators.
3. Most bees are either generalists or specialists. Generalists visit a wide variety of plant species while specialists limit their visits to just one or to a few plant species with which they have developed a mutualistic relationship. Identify the GENERALIST bee below.
4. Most of the circa 500 bee species in the Mid-Atlantic region build their nests in the ground. Leafcutter (Megachile) bees build their nests in aboveground cavities lined with leaves that females cut to size with their large mandibles. Female leafcutters carry pollen to provision their nests under their abdomens. Identify the EXCEPTION—the parasitic female cuckoo leafcutter bee—that lacks pollen-carrying hairs, since she lays her eggs in nests prepared and provisioned by other bees.
5. Select the SOLITARY flower below.
6. Floral nectar rewards animals that perform pollination while visiting the flower. The shape of the flower determines what type of insects can access its nectar. Some insects, though, that don’t fit a particular flower have found a way to steal its nectar without picking up or transporting pollen. Find the bee that is NOT a nectar robber.
7. More flies visit flowers than do bees. Insects in the Syrphidae (syrphid fly family) are important pollinators, including of some agricultural crops. Like some other flies, many mimic bees and wasps but do not sting or bite. Choose the mimic that is NOT a syrphid fly.
8. Wasps are mainly predatory or parasitic insects, but adults are still important pollinators, visiting a variety of flowers for nectar, which fuels their flight. Which of these pollinators is NOT a wasp?
9. An invasive plant is a non-native species likely to harm the economy, environment, or human health. Invasive plants threaten the entire ecosystem including what, when, and how a pollinator pollinates. Select the plant species NOT listed as invasive in the City of Alexandria and in Arlington County.
10. Some insects, like the European honey bee, are introduced to the United States from abroad intentionally. Others hitch a ride and arrive accidentally. Like invasive plants, some introduced insects can harm the ecosystem. They can displace native insects, transmit diseases, and destroy native plants. Of the bees and wasps below, identify the species NATIVE to Virginia.
Photo Attributions
Photos © Mary Free unless otherwise indicated below:
- (1B) Echinacea purpurea – Photo © Christa Watters.
(1C) Asclepias incarnata – Photo © 2015 Henry Staples and Claudia Gerwin.
(1D) Monarda fistulosa – Photo © Elaine Mills. - (2B) Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel’ – Photo © David J. Stang CC BY-SA 4.0.
(2C) Echinacea ‘Balsomemy’ (SOMBRERO® Lemon Yellow) – Photo © Elaine Mills
(2D) Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Double Delight’ – Photo © Elaine Mills. - (3C) Habropoda laboriosa – Photo © Judy Gallagher CC BY 2.0.
- (5C) Paeonia suffruticosa – Photo © Christa Watters.
(5D) Zinnia – Photo © Christa Watters. - (9A) Alliaria petiolata – Photo courtesy of Cbaile19.
(9B) Rosa multiflora – Photo courtesy of AnRo0002.
(9C) Ailanthus altissima – Photo © Elaine Mills.
References
Baker A.M, Potter DA. 2020. Invasive paper wasp turns urban pollinator gardens into ecological traps for monarch butterfly larvae. Sci Rep 10(9553). doi.org: 10.1038/s41598-020-66621-6.
BugGuide. Department of Entomology. © 2003-2022 Iowa State University. [accessed February 17–22, 2023].
Cicada Killer Wasps. BugInfo. Smithsonian. (accessed February 21, 2023).
Eastern Ecological Science Center. Quick Background on the Mid Atlantic region’s native bees. USGS. [accessed February 18, 2023].
Echinacea for the Mid-Atlantic Region. 2018-2020. Trial Garden. Mt. Cuba Center.
European Hornet. Updated. 2021. PennState Extension.
Fowler J, Droege S. 2020. Pollen Specialist Bees of the Eastern United States.
Frankie GW, Coville R, Niemela A, Thorp R, Witt S, Chase M, Verduzco I. Specialists vs. Generalists. US Berkeley Urban Bee Lab. [accessed February 18, 2023].
Free M. 2020. Flowers That Attract Pollinators and Robbers to a Garden. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
Garvey KK. 2016. And Along Came A Wasp… Bug Squad. UCANR.
Invasive Plants and Better Alternatives. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. (accessed February 21, 2023).
Lewis D. 2016. European Paper Wasps Are Widespread. Horticulture and Home Pest News. Iowa State Extension and Outreach.
Marshall SA. 2009. Insects, Their Natural History and Diversity. Firefly Books. ISBN-13: 978-1-55297-900-6.
McAfee A. November 2020, The Problem with Honey Bees. Scientific American.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. (accessed February 17, 2023).