Agricultural-pollinator
Guides
Bombus affinis
Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Bombus affinis, the rusty-patched bumble bee, is a large eusocial bumble bee endemic to North America. Once among the most common bumble bees in the eastern and upper Midwest United States and southern Canada, it has declined by approximately 87-90% across its historical range since the late 1990s. It was listed as endangered in Canada in 2010 and became the first bee in the continental United States to receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act in January 2017. The species is distinguished by a distinctive rust-colored patch on the second abdominal segment of workers and has notably shorter tongues than other bumble bee species.
Bombus bimaculatus
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus, the Two-spotted Bumble Bee, is a social bumble bee native to eastern North America. The species is distinguished by two prominent yellow spots on its abdomen, which give it its common name. Unlike many Bombus species, B. bimaculatus has shown relative stability in population trends. It is an important pollinator in its native range, contributing to both wild plant reproduction and agricultural crop pollination.
Bombus terricola
Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumblebee
Bombus terricola, the yellow-banded bumble bee, is a North American bumble bee native to southern Canada and the eastern and midwestern United States. The species has experienced significant population declines since the late 1990s, with range contractions particularly severe in its southern distribution. It is now classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and listed on the Xerces Society Red List of endangered bees. The species exhibits complex behavioral traits including thermoregulation for cold-weather flight and adaptive responses to queenless nests.
Derelomini
Palm Flower Weevils
Derelomini is a tribe of flower weevils (Curculionidae: Curculioninae) commonly known as palm flower weevils. Members are associated with reproductive structures of plants, particularly inflorescences. The tribe includes genera with specialized brood pollination mutualisms with palms (Arecaceae) and other monocots, as well as genera associated with dicotyledonous plants. Genera include Derelomus, Elaeidobius, Hypoleschus, Notolomus, Phyllotrox, and several recently described genera including Ebenacobius, Cyclanthura, Ganglionus, and Staminodeus.
Eupithecia flavigutta
Eupithecia flavigutta is a small moth in the family Geometridae, first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1896. It is restricted to montane forest habitats in the southwestern United States, specifically Colorado, eastern Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico. The species has a wingspan of 16–20 mm. Members of the genus Eupithecia, commonly called 'pug' moths, are recognized by their narrow wings and distinctive resting posture.
Lithurgopsis gibbosa
Southeastern Woodborer, Gibbous Woodborer Bee
Lithurgopsis gibbosa is a large, robust solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Southeastern Woodborer or Gibbous Woodborer Bee. It is one of the largest native bees in eastern North America and is notable for its distinctive humped thorax and wood-boring nesting behavior. The species occurs primarily in the southeastern United States, where females excavate nest tunnels in dead wood and provision cells with pollen and nectar.
Megachile perihirta
Western Leafcutter Bee, Western leafcutting bee
Megachile perihirta, commonly known as the Western Leafcutter Bee, is a solitary bee native to western North America. It is an important pollinator of alfalfa and other crops, recognized by its distinctive leaf-cutting behavior where females cut circular pieces from leaves to line nest cells. The species nests in pre-existing cavities in soil, sand, gravel, or rotting wood, and carries pollen on a scopa located on the underside of the abdomen rather than on the hind legs.
Megachile pugnata
Pugnacious Leafcutter Bee, Sunflower Leafcutting Bee
Megachile pugnata is a solitary, cavity-nesting leafcutter bee native to North America. Females construct nests in preexisting hollow cavities using cut leaves to line brood cells, which are partitioned by plugs of mud, sand, or vegetation. Adults feed exclusively on flowers in the Asteraceae family, making them particularly effective pollinators of sunflowers. The species exhibits strong instinctive aggregation behavior, with females preferentially nesting near conspecifics even when cavities are abundant. Males emerge before females in spring, mate quickly, and die, while females live approximately two months and produce 35-40 eggs across multiple nests.
Melissodes bimaculatus
Two-spotted Longhorn Bee, two-spotted longhorn
Melissodes bimaculatus, commonly known as the two-spotted longhorn bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Apidae. It is a member of the long-horned bee tribe Eucerini, characterized by males having exceptionally long antennae. The species is native to North America and has been documented as an early-season pollinator in agricultural settings, particularly in pumpkin patches. It is one of the bee species used in mark-recapture studies to evaluate wild bee sampling protocols.
Osmia
Mason Bees
Osmia is a large genus of solitary bees in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as mason bees. The genus includes approximately 500 species worldwide, with many species native to North America. Mason bees are named for their use of mud or other masonry materials to construct and seal nest cells. They are important pollinators of agricultural crops and native plants, and several species are managed commercially for orchard pollination. Unlike honey bees, mason bees are solitary, do not produce honey, and rarely sting.
Osmia aglaia
Oregon berry bee
Osmia aglaia is a solitary mason bee native to the western United States. It is commonly known as the Oregon berry bee due to its specialized role as a pollinator of brambles, particularly raspberries and blackberries. The species exhibits metallic coloration and nests in pre-existing wood tunnels. Adults are active in late spring, coinciding with Rubus bloom periods.
Peponapis pruinosa
eastern cucurbit bee, squash bee, hoary squash bee
Peponapis pruinosa is a solitary ground-nesting bee specialized on cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, and gourds). It is an oligolege, collecting pollen exclusively from Cucurbita species. The species expanded its range dramatically following human cultivation of squash throughout North America. It is an effective pollinator of cultivated cucurbits and often completes its entire life cycle within agricultural fields.
Svastra obliqua expurgata
sunflower bee, long-horned digger bee, female long-horned bee
Svastra obliqua expurgata is a subspecies of long-horned bee in the family Apidae, native to western North America. It is commonly known as the 'sunflower bee' due to its strong preference for foraging on sunflowers and other members of the Asteraceae family. The species has been reclassified taxonomically, with some authorities placing North American species formerly in genus Svastra into the genus Epimelissodes. It is a solitary, ground-nesting bee that plays an important role in pollinating native and agricultural plants in its range.
Xenoglossa
Squash Bees and Allies, Squash Bees
Xenoglossa is a genus of large bees in the family Apidae, commonly known as squash bees. Species in this genus are oligolectic pollen specialists, with most species foraging exclusively on Cucurbita crops (Cucurbitaceae). Some species, such as X. (Cemolobus) ipomoeae, specialize on Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) instead. These solitary, ground-nesting bees are native to North America and are important agricultural pollinators. Adults are active for a brief period in summer, coinciding with host plant bloom.
Xenoglossa angustior
Red-tailed Squash Bee
Xenoglossa angustior, the Red-tailed Squash Bee, is a specialist pollinator of cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) in the tribe Eucerini. It is native to North and Middle America and shares the common name "squash bee" with the related genus Peponapis. Both genera are oligoleges that pollinate exclusively squash, pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, and zucchini.
Xenoglossa strenua
Nimble Squash Bee
Xenoglossa strenua is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae, native to North and Central America. It is an oligolectic pollinator specialized on the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae), including pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers, and zucchini. The species is active early in the morning, visiting flowers as soon as they open, before most other bee species begin foraging.
Xenoglossodes
Xenoglossodes is a subgenus of long-horned bees in the genus Xenoglossa (family Apidae). Established by Ashmead in 1899, it is currently recognized as a subgenus rather than a full genus. The taxonomic status has been historically unstable, with Xenoglossodes excurrens (Cockerell, 1903) now treated as a synonym of Melissodes subagilis. Members are specialist bees associated with cucurbit flowers.