Flower-Visiting Insects
of Ohio Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio Spiderwort)
(Residual watery fluid and exudate accumulate in the calyces of the flowers – this is used a source of water and a minor source of food by some flower-visiting insects. Pollen is the other floral reward for such visitors. Bees suck watery fluid [swf] and/or collect pollen, flies suck watery fluid and/or feed on pollen, the butterfly and skipper suck watery fluid or explore [exp] the flowers in vain for nectar, beetles feed on pollen or gnaw on the petals and sepals of flowers. Observations are from Robertson, Grundel & Pavlovic, Grundel et al., Williams, and Wilhelm & Rericha as indicated below.)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apini): Apis mellifera swf/cp fq (Rb Gnd, WR); Apidae (Bombini): Bombus bimaculatus swf/cp (Gnd, WR), Bombus griseocollis swf/cp (Rb, WR), Bombus impatiens swf/cp (WR), Bombus pensylvanicus cp (Rb); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina calcarata swf/cp (WR), Ceratina dupla swf/cp (WR), Ceratina mikmaqi swf/cp (WR), Ceratina strenua swf/cp (WR); Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Synhalonia speciosa cp fq (Rb); Anthophoridae (Xylocopini): Xylocopa virginica swf/cp (WR); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile brevis cp (Rb), Megachile petulans swf/cp (Gnd)
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon sericeus swf/cp (WR), Agapostemon virescens swf/cp (WR), Augochlora pura swf/cp (Gnd, WR), Augochlorella aurata swf/cp (Rb, Gnd, WR), Halictus confusus cp (Rb), Lasioglossum acuminatum swf/cp (Gnd), Lasioglossum anomalum swf/cp (WR), Lasioglossum coriaceum swf/cp (WR), Lasioglossum floridanum swf/cp (WR), Lasioglossum foveolatum swf/cp (Gnd), Lasioglossum fuscipenne swf/cp (Gnd), Lasioglossum illinoense swf/cp (Gnd, WR), Lasioglossum leucocomum swf/cp (WR), Lasioglossum macoupinense cp (Rb), Lasioglossum pectorale swf/cp (Rb, Gnd, WR), Lasioglossum pilosum swf/cp (Gnd, WR), Lasioglossum subviridatum swf/cp (Gnd), Lasioglossum tegulare cp (Rb), Lasioglossum versatum cp (Rb), Lasioglossum viridatum swf/cp (WR); Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena commoda swf/cp (WR), Andrena cressonii cp (Rb), Andrena wilkella swf/cp (WR)
Flies
Syrphidae: Temnostoma trifasciatum swf/fp (WR), Toxomerus marginatus swf/fp (WR)
Butterflies
Lycaenidae: Lycaeides melissa samuelis swf/exp (GP)
Skippers
Hesperiidae: Polites peckius swf/exp (WR)
Beetles
Cantharidae: Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus fp (Wms); Curculionidae: Centrinites strigicollis gnw np (WR)