| Oligolectic Bees | |
| These bees are specialist pollinators of flowering plants – they visit a limited variety of plant species, often in a single genus. There is also an unusual wasp (Pseudomasaris occidentalis) that is oligolectic. All of these insects collect both pollen and nectar to feed to their larvae. An exception is Macropis steironematis, which collects pollen and floral oil for its larvae. Most of these bees are strict oligoleges – their larvae require the pollen of the preferred flowering plants in order to develop properly. Other bees are weak oligoleges – they will collect pollen from the preferred plants if it is available, otherwise the pollen of other plants can be substituted. All of these oligolectic insects are listed as flower-visitors within the database. | |
| Scientific Name | Preferred Plant Species |
| Andrena accepta | Helianthus (Sunflower) |
| Andrena aliciae | Helianthus (Sunflower), esp. Helianthus strumosus (Pale-leaved Sunflower) |
| Andrena andrenoides | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena asteris | Aster (Aster) |
| Andrena asteroides | Aster (Aster) |
| Andrena bisalicis | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena cragini | Amorpha (Leadplant) |
| Andrena distans | Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium) |
| Andrena duplicata | Helianthus (Sunflower), esp. Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower) |
| Andrena erigeniae | Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty) |
| Andrena erythrogaster | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena fenningeri (weak oligolege) | Salix
(Willow) Prunus (Plum, Peach) |
| Andrena fragilis | Cornus (Dogwood) |
| Andrena gardineri | Senecio (Ragwort) |
| Andrena geranii | Hydrophyllum (Waterleaf) |
| Andrena helianthi | Helianthus (Sunflower) |
| Andrena helianthiformis | Echinacea (Purple Coneflower), esp. Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) |
| Andrena hirticincta | Aster
(Aster) Euthamia (Grass-Leaved Goldenrod) Oligoneuron (Flat-Headed Goldenrod) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Andrena illinoiensis | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena krigiana | Krigia (Dwarf Dandelion), esp. Krigia biflora (Two-flowered Cynthia) |
| Andrena lamelliterga | Phacelia (Phacelia) |
| Andrena mariae | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena nivalis | Ribes (Gooseberry, Currant) |
| Andrena nothoscordi | Nothoscordum bivalve (False Garlic) |
| Andrena nubecula | Aster
(Aster) Euthamia (Grass-Leaved Goldenrod) Oligoneuron (Flat-Headed Goldenrod) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Andrena parnassiae | Parnassia glauca (Grass-of-Parnassus) |
| Andrena phaceliae | Phacelia (Phacelia) |
| Andrena placata | Oligoneuron
(Flat-Headed Goldenrod) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Andrena polemonii | Polemonium reptans (Jacob's Ladder) |
| Andrena quintilis | Amorpha (Leadplant, False Indigo) |
| Andrena rudbeckiae | Ratibida (Yellow
Coneflower) Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan) |
| Andrena salictaria | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena sigmundi | Salix (Willow) |
| Andrena simplex | Aster
(Aster) Euthamia (Grass-Leaved Goldenrod) Oligoneuron (Flat-Headed Goldenrod) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Andrena solidaginis | Aster
(Aster) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Andrena spiraeana | Aruncus dioicus (Goat's Beard) |
| Andrena violae | Viola (Violet) |
| Andrena ziziae | Apiaceae, including Pastinaca sativa, Polytaenia nuttallii, Sanicula, Taenidia integerrima, Thaspium, and Zizia |
| Anthedonia compta | Oenothera biennis
(Common Evening Primrose) probably other Oenothera spp. |
| Anthemurgus passiflorae | Passiflora (Passion Flower) |
| Anthophora walshii | Chamaecrista (Partridge
Pea) possibly Senna (Wild Senna) |
| Calliopsis verbenae | Verbena (Vervain) |
| Cemolobus ipomoeae | Ipomoea (Morning Glory) |
| Chelostoma philadelphi | Philadelphus (Mock Orange) |
| Colletes albescens | Dalea purpurea (Purple
Prairie Clover) probably other Dalea spp. |
| Colletes aestivalis | Heuchera (Alumroot) |
| Colletes andrewsi | Heuchera (Alumroot), esp. Heuchera richardsonii (Prairie Alumroot) |
| Colletes brevicornis | Triodanis perfoliata
(Venus' Looking Glass) probably other Triodanis spp. |
| Colletes latitarsis | Physalis (Ground Cherry) |
| Colletes robertsonii | Dalea (Prairie Clover) |
| Colletes simulans armata | Aster
(Aster) Euthamia (Grass-Leaved Goldenrod) Oligoneuron (Flat-Headed Goldenrod) Solidago (Goldenrod) |
| Colletes susannae | Dalea purpurea (Purple
Prairie Clover) probably other Dalea spp. |
| Colletes willistoni | Physalis (Ground Cherry) |
| Colletes wilmattae | Dalea (Prairie Clover) |
| Dufourea marginatus | Helianthus (Sunflower) |
| Dufourea monardae | Monarda (Bee
Balm) possibly Agastache (Giant Hyssop) |
| Dufourea novaeangliae | Pontederia cordata (Pickerelweed) |
| Heterosarus rudbeckiae | Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan) |
| Hylaeus nelumbonis | Nelumbo (Water
Lotus) Nuphar (Pond Lily, Spatterdock) Nymphaea (Water Lily) |
| Lasioglossum lustrans | Pyrrhopappus
carolinianus (False Dandelion) probably other Pyrrhopappus spp. |
| Lasioglossum oenotherae | Oenothera (Evening Primrose) |
| Lasioglossum nelumbonis | Nelumbo (Water
Lotus) Nuphar (Pond Lily, Spatterdock) Nymphaea (Water Lily) |
| Lasioglossum nymphaearum | Nelumbo (Water
Lotus) Nuphar (Pond Lily, Spatterdock) Nymphaea (Water Lily) |
| Macropis steironematis | Lysimachia (Yellow Loosestrife) |
| Megachile campanulae | Campanulastrum americanum (American Bellflower) |
| Megachile ingenua | Tephrosia (Goat's Rue), especially Tephrosia virginiana (Eastern Goat's Rue) |
| Megachile integra | Strophostyles helvola
(Fuzzy Bean) probably other Strophostyles spp. |
| Melissodes agilis | Helianthus (Sunflower) |
| Melissodes apicata | Pontederia cordata (Pickerelweed) |
| Melissodes coreopsis | Coreopsis palmata
(Prairie Coreopsis) probably other Coreopsis spp. |
| Melissodes denticulata | Vernonia (Ironweed) |
| Melissodes desponsa | Cirsium
(Thistle) possibly Arctium (Burdock) |
| Melissodes vernoniae | Vernonia (Ironweed) |
| Melitoma taurea | Ipomoea (Morning Glory) |
| Osmia distincta (weak oligolege) | Penstemon (Beardtongue) |
| Peponapis pruinosa | Cucurbita pepo (Squash) and possibly other spp. in the Cucurbitaceae |
| Perdita boltoniae | Boltonia asterioides
(False Aster) possibly other Boltonia spp. |
| Perdita halictoides | Physalis (Ground Cherry) |
| Protandrena bancrofti | Dalea (Prairie Clover) and Amorpha (Leadplant) |
| Pseudomasaris occidentalis (wasp) | Penstemon (Beardtongue) |
| Pseudopanurgus rugosus | Helianthus (Sunflower) |
| Ptilothrix bombiformis | Hibiscus (Rose Mallow) |
| Svastra atripes | Chamaecrista (Partridge
Pea) possibly Senna (Wild Senna) |
| Synhalonia rosae | Rosa (Wild Rose) |
| Xenoglossa strenua | Cucurbita pepo (Squash) and possibly other spp. in the Cucurbitaceae |
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