Flower-Visiting Insects
of Prairie Aster
Aster turbinellus (Prairie Aster)
(Bees collect pollen or suck nectar; flies and beetles suck nectar or feed on pollen; other insects suck nectar; most observations are from Robertson, otherwise they are from Williams as indicated below)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apinae): Apis mellifera sn cp fq; Apidae (Bombini): Bombus auricomus sn, Bombus impatiens sn cp fq, Bombus pensylvanica sn cp; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes dentiventris sn cp fq, Melissodes nivea sn cp, Melissodes rustica sn; Anthophoridae (Nomadini): Nomada placida sn; Megachilidae (Coelioxini): Coelioxys sayi sn; Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile brevis brevis sn cp, Megachile latimanus cp
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon virescens sn, Lasioglossum fuscipennis sn; Colletidae (Colletinae): Colletes compactus sn cp
Flies
Syrphidae: Dasysyrphus venustus sn, Helophilus fasciatus sn, Pterallastes thoracicus fp, Syritta pipiens sn, Toxomerus marginatus sn; Bombyliidae: Poeciloanthrax alcyon sn, Sparnopolius confusus sn, Systropus macer sn
Butterflies
Nymphalidae: Phyciodes tharos
Skippers
Hesperiidae: Atalopedes campestris
Beetles
Cantharidae: Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Rb, Wms); Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica undecimpunctata