Native Insect Pollinators Of the Southeastern United States

Beyond the Honey Bee

When people think about pollination, the honey bee immediately comes to mind. But honey bees are not native to the Americas. 

There are many other native insects that also provide the valuable 

service of plant pollination. Just about any insect that moves from 

flower to flower is capable of serving as a pollinator. Actually, it is really 

incredible how many insect species do pollinate. More than 4,000 

species of bees, 750 species of butterflies, and thousands of species 

of wasps, flies and beetles act as pollinators for 75 percent of U.S. 

flowering plant species. 

Native pollinators are extremely important because they maintain 

productive, diverse plant communities and help pollinate many of 

our agricultural crops. Unfortunately, native pollinator populations 

have declined in many parts of the United States. Land development, 

agricultural practices, habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, and climate 

change are some of the factors shown to cause native pollinator decline. 

Consequently, the growing network of yards, community greenspaces, 

rights-of-way, and agricultural systems in conjunction with wild lands 

is becoming an ever more important resource for pollinators.

Provide 

nesting habitats

Set out hollow bamboo 

sticks and drilled, 

untreated wood blocks

as habitat for many 

beneficial native bees 

and wasps. 

Leave bare ground 

and do not till the soil.

This allows groundnesting bees and other 

pollinators to maintain 

and establish new 

nesting sites. 

Leave some organic 

debris on the ground. 

Many pollinating flies 

and beetles use dead 

vegetation or wood for 

habitat. 

PARTRIDGE PEA

Chamaecrista fasciculata

Spray wisely and minimize mowing

Limit pesticide use in the landscape. When pesticides 

are used, application should occur during early 

morning, late afternoon, or at night, when pollinator 

activity is low. Always follow label directions. 

Many so-called “weeds” also provide forage for 

multiple bees and other flower-visiting insects. 

Therefore, minimizing mowed areas is a great way 

to enhance pollinator activity.

Butterflies need 

host plants

Butterflies have four life stages: 

1) egg, 2) caterpillar, or larva, 3) pupa,

and 4) adult. During the larval stage, the

caterpillar feeds on certain plants in order

to grow and eventually pupate.

Underground bee nest 

showing the life cycle 

of a ground-nesting bee

6

MONARCH

CATERPILLAR

1

BLACKEYED SUSAN

Rudbeckia hirta

SPOTTED BEEBALM

Monarda punctata

3

Select Native Wildf1owers

Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)

Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

Trumpetweed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

Aster (Symphyotrichum spp.)

Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

INDIAN BLANKET

Gaillardia pulchella

How can we help native pollinators?

Plant native wildflowers

Wildflowers bloom at different times of 

the year, so plant a variety to provide 

food throughout the spring, summer 

and fall. Many species of wildflowers are 

easy to grow. Their variety of shapes and 

colors attract a multitude of different 

pollinators.

2

SWAMP

MILKWEED

Asclepias incarnata

OBEDIENT PLANT

Physotegia virginica

BUTTERFLY 

MILKWEED

Asclepias tuberosa

Honey

bee

Green-eyed 

wasp

Native Insect Pollinators Of the Southeastern United States
NATIVE BEES and WASPS

Look-alikes

and others

Many flower-visiting 

flies strongly resemble 

bees and wasps. This 

protects the flies from 

sting-wary predators, but 

also makes identification 

challenging. 

FLIES

Good providers

Bees feed their young 

pollen and nectar, while 

wasps feed their young 

spiders and/or insects. 

Wasps are good natural 

enemies of garden and 

agricultural pests.

BEETLES BUTTERFLIES and MOTHS

Meal time

Flower-visiting beetles, 

flies and bees gather 

pollen and nectar, 

while butterflies, moths 

and most wasps take 

only nectar.

A natural “straw”

Butterflies and moths have 

long, tubular mouthparts 

they use to draw out 

nectar that many other 

insects cannot reach. 

Potter

wasp

Sweat

bee

Cuckoo wasp

Leaf-cutting bee

Sand wasp

Bee fly

Featherlegged fly

Green bottle fly

Longhorned beetle

Metallic wood-boring beetle

Tumbling flower beetle

Scarab beetle

Soldier 

beetle

Hawkmoth

Skipper

Swallowtail

Sulphur Hairstreak

No hive required

Unlike honey bees, 

most native bees and 

wasps are solitary and 

build their nests in the 

ground or in tunnelshaped cavities. 

Hover fly

Joshua W. Campbell, James D. Ellis, Jaret C. Daniels and Cherice Smithers, UF/IFAS

This educational resource was developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and 

Agricultural Sciences in cooperation with the Florida Museum of Natural History (www.

flmnh.ufl.edu), U.S. Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us), and Butterfly Conservation Initiative 

(www.mybfci.org). Photo credits: Mary Keim, Loret T. Setters, Giff Beaton, Lesley Wilson, Bob Peterson, Mary Derrick, Bill Boothe, Amy Evenstad, Stephen Cresswell, August Norman, Jaret Daniels, Douglas Peters

Flesh fly

Know Your Pollinators Know Your Pollinators

Learn to identify the many native pollinators 

you may encounter in the great outdoors.