POLLINATOR INFORMATION
Hover over each photo to learn
more about the local pollinator
Bees
Click here for Bumble Bee Identification Guide
Click here for IL Bee Identification Guide
Click here for Bees seen around Illinois
Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
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The Easten bumble bee is a very successful pollinator. They have been introduced in the western United States and overseas to help with crop harvests.
Rusty-patched Bumble Bee
Bombus affinis
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The Rusty-patched bumble bee is on the endangered species list. They are thought to only be found in 0.1% of their historical range.
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
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The brown-belted bumble bee builds its nest underground or on the surface. They are eusocial, so they live in colonies where the work is divided between the reproductive and non-reproductive castes.
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
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Honey bees pollinate over 100 different crops in the U.S. They perform a "waggle dance" as a way to share information with other bees on where the best food source is.
Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
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Carpenter bees like to excavate holes in wood for shelter. Carpenter bees look just like bumble bees but have a shiny abdomen, instead of a fuzzy one like bumble bees.
Mason Bee
Genus: Osmia
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Mason bees are one of the more popular species of bees used in bee keeping. They nest in pre-made holes in hollow stems or or holes in wood made by wood-burrowing insects.
Sweat Bee
Family: Halictidae
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There are over 1,000 species of sweat bees in North America. They are known for their metallic colors. Sweat bees will pollinate almost every type of available flower.
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Butterflies, Moths & Skippers
Click here for Butterfly Identification Guide
Click here for Butterflies and Moths seen around Illinois
Click here for Skippers seen around Illinois
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
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Nectar Plants: Pale Purple Coneflower, Bergamot, Asters, Liatris spp., and White Prairie Clover
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Host Plants: Wild Cherry, Birch, Ash, Basswood, Willow, Sycamore, Tulip Tree
Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
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Nectar Plant: Swamp Milkweed
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Host Plants: Hop Tree and Prickly-Ash
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenar
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Nectar Plants: Swamp Milkweed, Latanas
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Host Plants: Wild Ginger and Pipevine (N. American natives only)
Black Swallowtail
Papilio plyxenes
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Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, and Red Clover
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Host Plants: Fill, Fennel, Parsley, and possibly Golden Alexander
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Zebra Swallowtail
Protographium marcellus
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Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, and Zinnias
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Host Plant: Pawpaw
Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Sunflowers, and Lantana
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Host Plants: Sassafras and Spicebush
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
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Nectar Plant: Blazing Stars, Milkweeds, and Coeropsis
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Host Plants: Milkweeds, especially Swamp and Common MIlkweed
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus
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Nectar Plants: Asters and Common Milkweed
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Host Plants: Aspens, Willows, Poplar, and Apple; occasionally Cherry and Plum
Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis
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Nectar Plants: Asters and Common Milkweed
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Host Plants: Elms, False Nettle, and Hackberry
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Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma
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Nectar Plants: Over-ripe Fruit
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Host Plants: Elms and False-Nettle
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Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
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Nectar Plants: Asters, Blazing Stars, Common Milkweed, and Zinnia
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Host Plants: Hollyhock, Mallow, Sunflowers, Shasta Daisy, and Artemesia spp.
American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis
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Nectar Plants: Asters, Common Milkweed, Goldenrod, Pale Purple Coneflower, Joe-pye Weed, and Liatris spp.
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Host Plants: Ironweed, Mallow, Sunflowers, Artemesia spp.
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Nectar Plants: Asters, Common Milkweed, and Shasta Daisy
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Host Plant: False Nettle
Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia
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Nectar Plants: Milkweeds
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Host Plants: Violets, Pansies, and Stonecrop
Baltimore Checkerspot
Euphydryas phaeton
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Nectar Plant: Common Milkweed
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Host Plants: Foxglove Beardtongue and Turtlehead
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos
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Nectar Plants: Asters and Swamp Milkweed
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Host Plants: Asters
Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne necteis
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Nectar Plant: Common Milkweed
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Host Plants: Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflowers, Sunflowers, and Liatris spp.
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Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele
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Nectar Plants: Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Swamp Milkweed, and Common Milkweed
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Host Plant: Violets
American Copper
Lycaena phlaeas
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Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Zinnia, Yarrow, and White Clover
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Host Plants: Curly Dock
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Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus
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Nectar Plants: Swamp Milkweed and Goldenrod
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Host Plants: Curly Dock and Water Dock
Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
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Nectar Plants: Milkweeds, Goldenrod, and Queen Anne's Lace
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Host Plants: Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, Rose Mallow, White Clover, and Alfalfa
Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus
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Nectar Plants: Common and Swamp Milkweeds
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Host Plants: Oak trees
Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia
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Nectar Plant: Asters, Swamp milkweed
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Host Plants: Petunia,
Snapdragons, Gerardia spp., Blue Vervain, and Stonecrop
Spring Azure
Celastrina ladon
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed and New Jersey Tea
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Host Plants: New Jersey Tea and Viburnums
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Asters, Coeropsis, and Zinnia
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Host Plants: White Clover, Milk Vetch, and Blue False Indigo
Red Spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Lantana, and over-ripe fruit
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Host Plant: Aspens, Willows, Black Cherry, Oaks, Basswood, and Hawthornes; possibly Cherry and Hornbeam
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Zinnia, Over-ripe Fruit, Tree Sap, and Yarrow
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Host Plants: Willow, Elm, Aspen, Hackberry, Paper Birch, and Cottonwood
American Snout
Libytheana carinenta
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Nectar Plants: Asters, Black-Eyed Susan, Goldenrod
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Host Plants: Hackberry tree
Whites and Sulphurs
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Host Plants: Bean family species including:
Cloudless Sulphur: Wild Senna, Clovers, and other Legumes
Clouded (Common) Sulphur: Wild Blue Indigo, Clovers, and other Legumes
Orange Sulphur: Wild Blue Indigo, White Clover, Alfalfa, and Lupine
Wild Indigo Duskywing
Erynnis baptisiae
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Nectar Plants: Sunflower and Red Clover
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Host Plants: Wild White Indigo and Blue False Indigo
Silver Spotted Skipper
Epargyrus clarus
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Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, and Blazing Stars
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Host Plants: Blue False Indigo
Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius
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Nectar Plants: Common and Swamp Milkweed, New Jersey Team and Red Clover
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Host Plant: Kentucky Bluegrass
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White-Lined Sphinx Moth
Hyles lineata
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Nectar Plants: Columbines, Clovers, Petunia, Lilac, Thistles, and Jimson Weed
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Host Plants: Willow Weed, Grape,Tomato, Evening Primrose, Apple trees, and Elm Trees
Carolina Sphinx Moth
Manduca sexta
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Nectar Plants: Petunia, Japanese Honeysuckle, and Moonflower
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Host Plants: Potato, Tomato, Tobacco, and Solanaceae
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Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
Hemaris thysbe
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Nectar Plants: Bergamot, Pholx, Red Clover, Snowberry, and Thistles
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Host Plants: Hawthorns, Cherries, Snowberry, and Honeysuckle
Other Pollinators
Click here for Wasp Identification Guide
Click here for Wasps seen in Illinois
Click here for Beetles seen in Illinois
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichnumoneus
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Not an aggressive species of wasp. Females will dig a tunnel in loose soil, lay one egg on top of a paralyzed insect, and recover the hole.
Blue-Winged Wasp
Scolia dubia
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Not aggressive unless being handled. Blue-winged wasps protect your garden from Japanese Beetles.
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
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Look similar to lightening bugs (beetles). Found often on goldenrod, but will also visit many other yellow flowers. These beetles feed on pollen and nectar, but may also eat small insects such as caterpillars.
Great Black Wasp
Sphex pensylvanicus
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Helps pollinate flowers while feeding on nectar and pollen. Grasshopper, katydid, and cricket populations are under control when great black wasps are present.
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Transverse Flower Fly
Eristalis transversa
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This flower fly (hoverfly) is a bee mimic. Some species feed on aphids in addition to nectar and pollen. They pollinate a wide arrange of wild plants, and agricultural crops.
Dark Paper Wasp
Polistes fuscatus
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Build nests where a lot of wood can be found. Very effective at pest control in gardens. They feed on caterpillars devouring gardens.
Images found on Pixabay, Flickr, Wisconsin Butterflies, and others. Click here for the links of each image.