Potential Pollinating Insects
Butterflies
Numerous butterflies feed on nectar from flowers as adults, but some may use sap, fruit, aphid honeydew, mud, dung, carrion, or blood. Most adults are spurious pollinators, because food intake is not always necessary and are opportunistic, with each individual visiting perhaps dozens of plant species. The larvae typically feed on the flowers, fruits, stems, or roots of their host plants and in some species, the adult will feed on the nectar of the host plant and may aid in the pollination of that plant.
Butterfly families and genera often visiting flowering plants and their larval host plants (click on the insect names in table to view images if available):
| Family | Genus | Larval host plants |
|---|---|---|
|
Hesperiidae
|
Carterocephalus | Calamagrostis purpurascens, Bromus spp. |
| Hesperia | Poa spp. | |
| Polites | Phleum pratense, Poa spp. | |
| Thymelicus | Phleum pratense | |
| Thorybes | Trifolium repens | |
|
Lycaenidae
|
Lycaena | Rumex spp. Ericaceae |
| Plebeius | Lupinus spp. | |
| Callophrys | Arceuthobium spp., Pinus contorta, P. ponderosa, P flexis. flexis | |
| Euphilotes | Erigonium spp. | |
|
Nymphalidae
|
Boloria | P. bistortoides, V. scoparium, Salix spp. |
| Cercyonis | Gramineae | |
| Erebia | Gramineae, Cyperaceae | |
| Nymphalis | Urtica dioica | |
| Oeneis | Gramineae | |
| Phyciodes | Aster spp. | |
| Polygonia | Ericaceae, Ribes spp. | |
| Speyeria | Viola spp. | |
| Vanessa | Cirsium spp., A. margaritacea, A. millefolium, Lupinus spp. | |
|
Papilionidae
|
Parnassius | Sedum lanceolatum |
|
Pieridae
|
Colias | Vaccinium spp. |
| Anthocharis | Arabis spp. | |
| Pieris | Cruciferae, Thlaspi arvense |
Moths
Many moth species feed on nectar from flowers as adults. Most adults are spurious pollinators, because food intake is not always necessary, and opportunistic, with each individual visiting perhaps dozens of plant species. The larvae typically feed on the flowers, fruits, stems, or roots of their host plants and in some species, the adult will feed on the nectar of the host plant and may aid in the pollination of that plant. Much of their pollinating activity takes place during dusk or at night when it is difficult to observe. Of the many moth species that pollinate only a few geometer (Geometridae), owlet (Noctuidae), and sphinx (Sphingidae) moth species have been regularly studied and are considered some of the most efficient moth pollinators.
Moth families and genera often visiting flowering plants and their larval host plants (click on the insect names in table to view images if available):
| Family | Genus | Larval host plants |
|---|---|---|
| Arctiidae | Gnophaela | Epilobium spp., Mertensia spp., Arabis spp. |
|
Noctuidae
|
Heliothis | Salicaceae |
| Schinia | Asteraceae | |
| Autographa | many plant species | |
| Sesiidae | Albuna | Epilocium spp., Barbareae spp. |
| Sphingidae | Sphinx |