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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Nectar Plants: Pale Purple Coneflower, Bergamot, Asters, Liatris spp., and White Prairie Clover
Host Plants: Wild Cherry, Birch, Ash, Basswood, Willow, Sycamore, Tulip Tree
Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
Nectar Plant: Swamp Milkweed
Host Plants: Hop Tree and Prickly-Ash
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenar
Nectar Plants: Swamp Milkweed, Latanas
Host Plants: Wild Ginger and Pipevine (N. American natives only)
Black Swallowtail
Papilio plyxenes
Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, and Red Clover
Host Plants: Fill, Fennel, Parsley, and possibly Golden Alexander
Zebra Swallowtail
Protographium marcellus
Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, and Zinnias
Host Plant: Pawpaw
Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Sunflowers, and Lantana
Host Plants: Sassafras and Spicebush
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
Nectar Plant: Blazing Stars, Milkweeds, and Coeropsis
Host Plants: Milkweeds, especially Swamp and Common MIlkweed
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus
Nectar Plants: Asters and Common Milkweed
Host Plants: Aspens, Willows, Poplar, and Apple; occasionally Cherry and Plum
Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis
Nectar Plants: Asters and Common Milkweed
Host Plants: Elms, False Nettle, and Hackberry
Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma
Nectar Plants: Over-ripe Fruit
Host Plants: Elms and False-Nettle
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Nectar Plants: Asters, Blazing Stars, Common Milkweed, and Zinnia
Host Plants: Hollyhock, Mallow, Sunflowers, Shasta Daisy, and Artemesia spp.
American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis
Nectar Plants: Asters, Common Milkweed, Goldenrod, Pale Purple Coneflower, Joe-pye Weed, and Liatris spp.
Host Plants: Ironweed, Mallow, Sunflowers, Artemesia spp.
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Nectar Plants: Asters, Common Milkweed, and Shasta Daisy
Host Plant: False Nettle
Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia
Nectar Plants: Milkweeds
Host Plants: Violets, Pansies, and Stonecrop
Baltimore Checkerspot
Euphydryas phaeton
Nectar Plant: Common Milkweed
Host Plants: Foxglove Beardtongue and Turtlehead
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos
Nectar Plants: Asters and Swamp Milkweed
Host Plants: Asters
Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne necteis
Nectar Plant: Common Milkweed
Host Plants: Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflowers, Sunflowers, and Liatris spp.
Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele
Nectar Plants: Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Swamp Milkweed, and Common Milkweed
Host Plant: Violets
American Copper
Lycaena phlaeas
Nectar Plants: Butterfly Weed, Zinnia, Yarrow, and White Clover
Host Plants: Curly Dock
Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus
Nectar Plants: Swamp Milkweed and Goldenrod
Host Plants: Curly Dock and Water Dock
Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
Nectar Plants: Milkweeds, Goldenrod, and Queen Anne's Lace
Host Plants: Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, Rose Mallow, White Clover, and Alfalfa
Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus
Nectar Plants: Common and Swamp Milkweeds
Host Plants: Oak trees
Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia
Nectar Plant: Asters, Swamp milkweed
Host Plants: Petunia,
Snapdragons, Gerardia spp., Blue Vervain, and Stonecrop
Spring Azure
Celastrina ladon
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed and New Jersey Tea
Host Plants: New Jersey Tea and Viburnums
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Asters, Coeropsis, and Zinnia
Host Plants: White Clover, Milk Vetch, and Blue False Indigo
Red Spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Lantana, and over-ripe fruit
Host Plant: Aspens, Willows, Black Cherry, Oaks, Basswood, and Hawthornes; possibly Cherry and Hornbeam
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, Zinnia, Over-ripe Fruit, Tree Sap, and Yarrow
Host Plants: Willow, Elm, Aspen, Hackberry, Paper Birch, and Cottonwood
American Snout
Libytheana carinenta
Nectar Plants: Asters, Black-Eyed Susan, Goldenrod
Host Plants: Hackberry tree
Whites and Sulphurs
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
Nectar Plants: Sunflower and Red Clover
Host Plants: Wild White Indigo and Blue False Indigo
Silver Spotted Skipper
Epargyrus clarus
Nectar Plants: Common Milkweed, and Blazing Stars
Host Plants: Blue False Indigo
Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius
Nectar Plants: Common and Swamp Milkweed, New Jersey Team and Red Clover
Host Plant: Kentucky Bluegrass
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
Hyles lineata
Nectar Plants: Columbines, Clovers, Petunia, Lilac, Thistles, and Jimson Weed
Host Plants: Willow Weed, Grape,Tomato, Evening Primrose, Apple trees, and Elm Trees
Carolina Sphinx Moth
Manduca sexta
Nectar Plants: Petunia, Japanese Honeysuckle, and Moonflower
Host Plants: Potato, Tomato, Tobacco, and Solanaceae
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
Hemaris thysbe
Nectar Plants: Bergamot, Pholx, Red Clover, Snowberry, and Thistles
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
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
Not aggressive unless being handled. Blue-winged wasps protect your garden from Japanese Beetles.
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
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
Helps pollinate flowers while feeding on nectar and pollen. Grasshopper, katydid, and cricket populations are under control when great black wasps are present.
Transverse Flower Fly
Eristalis transversa
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
Build nests where a lot of wood can be found. Very effective at pest control in gardens. They feed on caterpillars devouring gardens.
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