Butterflies and moths follow bees in their pollinating abilities.
Photo by Martha Wirth Photography
caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly, eggs and can reach as high as 11,000 feet into the air. Their wings are made up of a transparent protein layer covered in scales that reflect light in different colors, making them brilliantly diverse and vivid in their plumage. Butterflies can be raised in captivity but releasing them into the wild can cause great harm to wild populations. While some of the 75,000 wasp species are bee predators and extremely aggressive towards humans, many wasps are still pollinators. Other insects that we consider pests, like flies, midges, mosquitos and beetles also play roles in this important task. So, the next time you go on a mission to kill as many “pests” as possible, remember
tubes, find a mate, lay her eggs and then die. You can keep mason bees as well! They are gentle and don’t have stingers. There are so many fascinating bees to discover, but I’m only going to talk about one other one here: the bumblebee. These fat, hairy banded bees are probably my favorite. For a number of years, I’ve witnessed a growing population of orange- belted bumblebees in my garden and seeing their little butts wiggling in the center of a rhododendron bloom just makes me smile. Bumblebees also live only for a season and build colony nests of 70-2,000 bees close to the ground. That little tail wiggle? Well, that’s their vibrating “buzz buzz” that shakes the pollen and makes them incredible and efficient
pollinators. Although females have stingers, they are much more laid back than honeybees, so you most likely won’t be stung by one. They are hardy, tenacious and gentle, and they love flowers, all flowers, any flowers. >> Non-Bee Insect Pollinators Butterflies and moths are the most prolific pollinators after bees. Although there are 20,000 species of butterflies in the world, only 750 pollinate in North America. Some butterflies, like the Idaho Monarch, migrate to warmer climates when it gets cold. Others hibernate in leaves while some die off in the harsh weather. They favor wildflower pollen and taste with all six of their feet. They have a life cycle of
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