Flower-Visiting Insects
of Prairie
Sundrops
Oenothera pilosella (Prairie Sundrops)
(Long-tongued bees suck nectar and/or collect pollen; short-tongued bees collect pollen and they are mostly non-pollinating; flies and beetles feed on pollen and they are non-pollinating; other insects suck nectar. This plant was originally described as Oenothera fruticosa by Charles Robertson, but he was probably referring to Oenothera pilosella. Observations are from Robertson, Moure & Hurd, and Wilhelm & Rericha as indicated below.)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus pensylvanicus sn cp fq (Rb); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina calcarata (WR), Ceratina dupla dupla sn cp fq (Rb), Ceratina strenua (WR); Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Synhalonia speciosa sn cp (Rb); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile brevis brevis sn (Rb), Megachile montivaga sn fq (Rb, WR), Megachile policaris sn (Rb); Megachilidae (Osmiini): Hoplitis pilosifrons cp (Rb)
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon virescens cp np fq (Rb), Augochlorella striata cp np fq (Rb), Halictus confusus cp np (Rb), Halictus ligatus cp np (Rb), Halictus parallelus cp np (Rb), Halictus rubicundus cp np (Rb), Lasioglossum albipenne cp np (Rb), Lasioglossum atwoodi (WR), Lasioglossum oenotherae cp olg (MH), Lasioglossum pectorale cp np (Rb), Lasioglossum versatum cp np (Rb), Lasioglossum viridatum (WR)
Ants
Formicidae (Myrmicinae): Crematogaster cerasi sn np (WR), Myrmica AF-scu sn np (WR)
Flies
Syrphidae: Eristalis dimidiatus fp np (Rb), Eristalis stipator fp np (Rb), Eupeodes americanus fp np (Rb), Sphaerophoria contiqua fp np (Rb), Tropidia mamillata fp np (Rb); Tachinidae: Gymnoclytia immaculata fp np (Rb)
Butterflies
Papilionidae: Battus philenor sn (Rb); Pieridae: Pontia protodice sn (Rb)
Skippers
Hesperiidae: Polites peckius sn (Rb), Polites themistocles sn (Rb)
Beetles
Cantharidae: Chauliognathus marginatus fp (WR), Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus fp (WR); Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica undecimpunctata fp np (Rb); Curculionidae: Odontocorynus scutellum-album fp np fq (Rb)