Flower-Visiting
Insects
of Blue Flag Iris
Iris versicolor shrevei (Blue Flag Iris)
(Bees usually suck nectar, although some bees collect pollen; beetles suck on nectar or feed on pollen; other insects suck nectar; only long-tongued bees are effective pollinators of the flowers; observations are from Robertson, Voss, and Wilhelm & Rericha as indicated below; Iris virginica shrevei is a scientific synonym of this plant)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus auricomus sn (Rb), Bombus bimaculatus sn (WR), Bombus griseocollis sn (Rb, WR), Bombus impatiens sn (WR), Bombus pensylvanicus sn fq (Rb); Anthophoridae (Anthophorini): Anthophora terminalis sn (WR); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina calcarata sn (WR), Ceratina dupla dupla sn (WR), Ceratina mikmaqi sn (WR), Ceratina strenua sn (WR); Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Synhalonia speciosa sn cp fq (Rb), Synhalonia rosae sn (Rb); Megachilidae (Osmiini): Osmia pumila sn (WR)
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Augochlora pura pura sn np (WR), Lasioglossum obscurum sn np (WR), Lasioglossum versatum cp np (Rb); Colletidae (Hylaeinae): Hylaeus mesillae sn np (WR), Hylaeus nelumbonis sn np (WR)
Ants
Formicidae (Formicinae): Formica glacialis sn np (WR), Lasius alienus sn np (WR)
Butterflies
Papilionidae: Papilio glaucus sn np (V); Lycaenidae: Lycaena hyllus sn np (Rb)
Skippers
Hesperiidae: Epargyreus clarus sn np (WR), Polites peckius sn np (Rb), Polites themistocles sn np (Rb)
Beetles
Cerambycidae: Anoplodera pubera np (WR), Strangalepta abbreviata np (WR); Curculionidae: Mononychus vulpeculus sn gnw np (WR); Scarabaeidae: Trichiotinus piger sn np (Rb), Trichiotinus viridans np (WR)