understanding and sustaining insect pollinators insect ... · understanding and sustaining insect...

Understanding and sustaining insect pollinators in your garden

Celeste A. Searles Mazzacano, Ph.D.Presented for EMSWCD

yellow-faced bumble bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano© 2017 C. A. Searles Mazzacano

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A. Importance of pollinators

B. Cast of characters

C. Creating habitat

D. Sustaining habitat

E. Projects & resources

Insect Pollinators

Mining bee; CASM

Flower scarab; CASM

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• pollination: transfer of pollen within or between flowers for fertilization, seed & fruit set

• wind, insects, birds, mammals

Why are pollinators important?

honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Bumble bee on echinacea; Wikimedia Commons

Bat Conservation International

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• 70% of flowering plants pollinated by insects

- most pollinated by bees

• 87 of 115 leading US food crops depend on insect pollinators

Why are pollinators important?

Importance of bees to food production

(from Wilson & Carrill, 2016)

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Who pollinates?

More than insects!!!!!

• Bats

• Hummingbirds

Anna;s Hummingbird;C.A.S. Mazzacano

Tayler/naturepl.com

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Who pollinates?More than bees!!!!!

• Wasps

• Flies

• Beetles

• Moths & butterflies

sand wasp; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Bee fly; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Who pollinates?

More than European honey bees!!!!!

- > 4,000 spp. of native bees in North America

‣ bumble, mining, mason, leafcutter, orchard, sweat, digger, and carpenter bees

Bumble bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Sweat bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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“Managed” bees areeconomically important

• honey bees, bumble bees, orchard mason bees, alfalfa leafcutter bees

Who pollinates?

CA almond grove; Kathy Keatley Garvey

summer leafcutter bee, Crown Bees catalog

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Many stressors

• habitat loss

• pesticides

• diseases (viruses, fungi, bacteria)

• parasites (varroa mite, tracheal mite)

Challenges for pollinators

Varroa mite on bee pupa; Jason Graham, Univ. of FL

foulbrood-infected larvae; Univ. of GA

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• Colony Collapse Disorder (2006) in managed honey bee hives

• many bumble bees are also declining

• much less known about status of other wild bees

Challenges for pollinatorsdead bees; Rodale’s

Franklin’s Bumble Bee; Dana Campbell

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• managed bees may spread & intensify disease in wild bees

• wild bees pollinate many plants more efficiently than honey bees


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Center for Biological Diversity (2017)

• 749 of 1,437 native bee species assessed are declining (52%)

• many more species lacked population data to assess

• habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, urbanization


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Bees

C.A.S. MazzacanoC.A.S. Mazzacano

C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano

C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Bees

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Bees

short-tongued Sphecodes cuckoo sweat bee; Tom Murray

Types of flowers pollinated vary

• short- vs. long-tongued bees

• generalist vs. specialist foragers

long-tongued Eastern Bumble Bee; sankax, Flickr

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BeesCoelioxys cuckoo bee; Laura Clark, iNaturalist

Not all bees are pollinators

• nest parasites (cuckoo bees)

• “nectar robbers”

nectar-robbing hole; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Social vs. solitary bees

• solitary: each female builds & provisions own nest

• social: shared nests, castes with different roles

mining bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

wild honey bee nest; vickbird

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drone & workers; Max Westby, EoL

Social (honey bees, bumble bees, some sweat bees)

• several generations at onetime in colony or nest

• members care for offspring that aren’t theirs

• division of labor

Bumble bee nest; Panoramedia

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Miner bee on nest; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Solitary bees (mining bees, mason bees, sweat bees, plasterer bees)

• female provisions “cells” in nest where she lays eggs

• plant- and ground-nesting

Colletes nest aggregation; bumblebee.orgCellophane bee brood cell;NatureWorks

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Bees• Carpenter, bumble, squash,

long-horned, and honey bees (Apidae)

• Sweat bees (Halictidae)

• Mining bees (Andrenidae)

• Mason, carder, leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae)

• Polyester & yellow-faced bees (Colletidae)

• Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae)

Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Eucera; Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons

Long-horned bees

Melissodes; Laura Jansen Simpson, iNat

Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL

Small carpenter bees

Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL

Anthophora; Hank Wallays, EoL

Digger bees

Anthophora digging out nest tunnel; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Carpenter bees

Xylocopa; C.A.S. MazzacanoXylocopa varipunctata;

Barbara Vance, iNaturalistNomada;

Discover Life

Cuckoo bee

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Bees• Carpenter, bumble, long-horned,

squash, and honey bees (Apidae)

- medium to large; fuzzy/hairy

- have hair bands, stripes

- long-tongued

- carry pollen on hind legs

Peponapis squash bee; Holly Prendeville, U of NE

long-horned bee; Kathy Keatley Garvey

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BeesHoney bees (Apis mellifera)

• medium size; hairy body & eyes

• brown/black with golden bands

• visit a variety of flowers

• carry pollen in corbiculae

• less effective pollinators for some crops than many native bees

Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

wild honey bee hive; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Bees

Bumble bees (Bombus)

• medium to large; robust, hairy

• yellow, black, orange, white, or brown hair bands

• carry pollen & nectar mix in stiff hairs (scopa) in concave basket on hind legs (corbiculum)

California Bumble Bee;C.A.S. Mazzacano

Tri-colored Bumble Bee; themountaincampus, iNat

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BeesBumble bees (Bombus)

• visit wide range of plants

• active in cooler, wetter weather than honey bees can tolerate

• buzz pollination

Nevada Bumble Bee; Mike Patterson, iNat

Fog-belt Bumble Bee; Cara Fitchett, iNat

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Agapostemon odoratissimus; Mary Keim, EoL

Metallic green bees

Agapostemon; Darwin Bell

Sweat bees

Halictus ligatus; Ricardo Ayala, EoL

Lasioglossum; Stephen Cresswell

Nomia melanderi (alkali bee); Entomology Today

Dieunomia nevadensis; John Ascher, Discover Life

Dufourea; Cory Sheffield

Xeralictus; Laurence Packer, Discover Life

Augochlora pura; Sam Kieschnick, EoL

Sphecodes davisii; Ilona Loser, Discover Life

Sweat bees

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Bees• Sweat bees (Halictidae)

- range of sizes & colors

- may be metallic, striped

- short-tongued


- most are ground-nesting; varying sociality

Agapostemon splendens; Sean McCann, EoL

Dieunomia; Anne Reeves

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Andrena barbilabris; Henk Wallays, EoL

Andrena prima; Oklahoma Panhandle State Univ.

Andrena cerasifolii; Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life

Panurginus; Jules Barlet

Protandrena abdominalis; Smithsonian

Macrotera; Discover Life

Calliopsis puellae; Lynette Schimming, Discover Life

Protoxaea; John Ascher, Discover Life

Mining bees

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Bees• Mining bees (Andrenidae)

- range of sizes & colors

- red, orange, cream, dark blue, striped

- short-tongued


- ground-nesting

Perdita minima; Jillian Cowles, Discover Life

Protoxaea gloriosa; Robert Behrstock, Discover Life

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Anthidium; Miroslav Deml, EoLOsmia ribifloris; USDA Megachile rotundata; spider-bite, iNaturalist

Lithurgopsis apicalis; Bob O’Kennon, iNaturalist

Hoplitis hypocrita; Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life

Ashmeadiella xenomastax; Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life

Atoposmia copelandica; Laurence Packer, Discover Life

Heriades leavitti; John Ascher, Discover Life

Coelioxys sayi; John Ascher, Discover

Life

Mason, carder, resin, & leafcutter bees

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Bees• Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees

(Megachilidae)

- small to medium

- moderately hairy head & thorax

- robust, cylindrical; yellow & black stripes/spots, brilliant metallic colors

- long-tongued

Anthidium; Anita Gould, iNaturalist

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Bees• Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees

(Megachilidae)

- carry pollen beneath abdomen

- solitary nesters in existing tunnels in soil, wood, stems

Megachile periharta; North Thurston HS Science Club, BugGuide.net

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Wasps

Wasps vs. bees

• less hairy

• more pronounced “waist”

• brighter color patterns

• most are predators, but some types feed young on pollen & nectar

BEE WASP

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Wasps

Pollen wasps (Pseudomasaris)

• black or brown; yellow, white or red bands; clubbed antennae

• pollen & nectar in internal crop

• solitary nesters

Pseudomasaris coquilletti; Mathesont

Pseudomasaris vespoides; Hartmut WischPseudomasaris vespoides nest;

USDA Bee Lab

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Flies

Flies vs. bees

• only 1 pair of wings that stick out to side when perched

• big round eyes dominate head

• shorter, thinner antennae

• may be bare or hairy

Villa lateralis; Linda Dahlberg, Discover Life

Eristalis arbustorum; Hadel Go, Discover Life

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FliesFlower flies (Syrphidae) & bee flies (Bombyliidae)

• bee & wasp mimics

• adults eat nectar, pollen, honeydew

• larvae predators (flower fly) or parasites (bee fly)

Helophilis flower fly; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Chrysanthrax cypris bee fly; Royal Tyler

Toxomerus syrphid; MJ Hatfield

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Beetles• adults eat nectar, pollen,

and often other insects

• bright colors & patterns

• larvae may be predators, wood-borers, or parasites

Margined Leatherwing; David Hebert

Anthocomus soft-winged flower beetle; oldbilluk, iNaturalist

Texas Flower Scarab; vadalton, iNaturalist

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Beetles• Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae)

• Long-horned Beetles (Cerambycidae)

• Blister Beetles (Meloidae)

• Flower Scarabs (Scarabaeidae)Kern’s Flower Scarab;

C.A.S. Mazzacano

Red-eared Blister Beeetle; Ken-ichi Uchida

Locust Borer; Bruce Marlin

Pennsylvania Leatherwing; Sheryl Pollock, Discover Life

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Beetles• Checkered Beetle (Cleridae)

• Soft-winged Flower Beetle (Melyridae)

• Tumbling Flower Beetle (Mordellidae)

Hoshihananomia perlata; Stanislav Ktejcik, EoL

Ornate Checkered Beetle; Ken-ichi Ueda, iNaturalist

Four-spotted Collops; Ken-ichi Ueda, iNaturalist

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Moths & ButterfliesButterflies

• perch with wings held vertically

• sip nectar with long, straw-like proboscis

Zabulon Skipper; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Western Pine Elfin; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Great Arctic; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Gray Hairstreak; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Moths & ButterfliesMoths

• feathery antennae; wings rooflike or flat when perched

• often night-flying

• can be important pollinators of night-blooming plants

White-banded Black Moth; C.A.S. Mazzacano

LeConte’s Haploa; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Yucca Moth; Ann Cooper

Hera Buck Moth; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Creating habitat

Portland OR; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Planting for pollinators• Nectar & pollen sources

- diverse

- long bloom time

- native plants

- species groupings

- low & tall plants

Flower Fly; Pat Reed

Sweat bees swarming red osier dogwood; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Planting for pollinatorsFlowers for bees

• purple, yellow, blue flowers; often sweet-scented

• nectar-rich

• landing platform

Foxglove; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Small-flowered penstemon; Paul Noll

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• may reflect UV light

• can have nectar guides

• often with bilateral symmetry

day lily, visible vs. UV light; David Kennedy checkermallow;

Portland Nursery

Blue-eyed Mary; USDA

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Planting for pollinators

Flowers for bees

• short-tongued bees prefer clusters of tiny flowers (herbs, daisy, marigold, phlox)

Phlox; C.A.S. Mazzacano

English thyme; milkandhoneyherbs

Fleabane (Erigeron); Max Licher

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• long-tongued bees can access tubular flowers (penstemon, foxglove)

Woodland Penstemon; Lyn TopinkaGrand Collomia; Mark Turner

Seep monkeyflower; Russ Kleinman

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Planting for pollinatorsFlowers for beetles

• dull white, green, or reddish flowers; can smell fruity, spicy, or bad

• often with open bowl shape; may lack nectar

• magnolia, aster, sunflower, rose, goldenrod, Spirea

Prickly Poppy; CASM

Magnolia; Portland Nursery

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Planting for pollinatorsFlowers for flies

• small shallow flowers

• drab; pale or brown/purple

• bad odor

• elderberry, skunk cabbage

Tachninid on catmint; Beatriz Moisset, USDA

Red trillium; USDA Plants

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Planting for pollinatorsFlowers for butterflies

• composite flowers; orange, yellow, pink, blue

• perching platform

• light scent

• sages, manzanita, trumpet flower, rock cress

Blanketflower; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Showy Milkweed; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Funereal Duskywing; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Planting for pollinatorsFlowers for moths

• white or pale flowers in clusters

• open late afternoon or night

• strong sweet smell

• pink honeysuckle, evening primrose, yucca

White-lined Sphinx on California fuschia; Las Pilitas Nursery

pink honeysuckle; Las Pilitas Nursery

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Planting for pollinatorsSpring bloom with natives

• red-flowering currant, vine maple, western crabapple, Scouler’s willow, red twig dogwood, Oregon grape, kinnikinnik, camas, globe gilia

Oregon grape; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Globe gilia; Jeffrey Caldwell

Western crabapple; Heidi Bohan

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Planting for pollinatorsSummer bloom with natives

• mock orange, twinberry, salal, lupine, Douglas & birch-leaved spirea, native roses and berries, showy milkweed, Oregon sunshine, penstemon

mock orange; C.A.S. Mazzacano

penstemon; C.A.S. MazzacanoOregon sunshine; Portland Nursery

lupine; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Planting for pollinatorsLate summer/fall bloom with natives

• Douglas’ aster, Canada goldenrod, coyote brush, pearly everlasting, seaside daisy, Oregon stonecrop

Douglas’ aster; nwplants.com

Canada goldenrod; Univ. of Waterloo Pearly everlasting;

Paul Slichter Coyote brush;calflora.net

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Beyond the bloom• water & nutrients

- safe access for small insects

- “puddling” sources for butterflies

• sun

- warming in the morning, refuge in the afternoon

Western Tiger Swallowtails “puddling” for minerals; C.A.S. Mazzacano

beneficial insect “bath”

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Beyond the bloom

• shelter & nesting sites

- dead snags (mason & leafcutter bees)

- rotting logs (sweat bees, flower flies)

- old rodent burrows (bumble bees)

standing snag; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Beyond the bloom• shelter & nesting sites

- rock & brush piles (beetles, caterpillars, pupae)

- undisturbed soil(ground-nesting bees, beetle & fly larvae)

- grass clumps (nesting & overwintering)

Flower Fly; Pat Reed

prairie junegrass; Paul Slichter

brush pile; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Beyond the bloom• Nesting & egg-laying sites

- stem bundles & bee blocks

- open at 1 end only

- tunnels <1⁄4” diameter, 3-5” deep; if >1⁄4”, then 5-6” deep

Leafcutter bees; Kathy Keatley Garvey/

UC Davis

Osmia rufa in nesting tube; BioImages

Alfalfa leafcutter nest board; USDA ARS

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Sustaining habitat

Integrated pest management (IPM):

• ecosystem-based strategy

• long-term prevention of pests/damage using multiple techniques

- biological control, habitat manipulation, planting & watering practices, pest-resistant varieties

- preserve natural system as much as possible

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Sustaining habitat

• build healthy soil

• proper plant placement & irrigation

• plant mostly natives

• “scout” your gardens

• tolerate some damage

Cluster Rose; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Black Twinberry; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Sustaining habitat

• Reduce/eliminate pesticides

- disrupts natural enemies

- pests faster to disperse & re-colonize treated areas than natural enemies

ichneumonid wasp attacking cabbage white larvae; Wageningen Univ.

wasp attacking navel orangeworm; UC Statewide IPM Project

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Sustaining habitat

• Reduce/eliminate pesticides

- removing natural enemies may allow additional pests to establish

- non-lethal levels can impair pollinator brood-rearing, production of females, & foraging

Bumble & honey bees on artichoke; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Convergent lady beetle; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Creating & maintaining habitat

• IF pesticides used, treat to suppress target organism only

• minimize risks to human health, non-target organisms, & environment

• use least toxic alternative (insecticidal oils & soaps, microbials)

Oleander aphids on rush milkweed; C.A.S. Mazzacano

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Common name bloom time

meadowfoam* summer

globe gillia* spring

meadowfoam* spring

farewell-to-spring* early summer

Phacelia late summer

yarrow summer

Oregon sunshine summer

showy milkweed summer

lupine summer

Douglas aster fall

Canada goldenrod fall

blue wild rye N/A

*annual

• can plant as seeds or starts

• soil preparation & weed control important during establishment

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• create planting plan

• prepare planting area

• plant, mulch, water, monitor

Laren Leland, Portland OR Laren Leland, Portland OR

Laren Leland, Portland OR

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Prepare planting area

• exhaust weed seed bank

- till-water-mow-weed (hand pull, spot-treat)

Fabian Menalled, MSU Extension, MT

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Creating & maintaining habitatPrepare planting area

• sheet composting, a.k.a.“lasagna bed”

• solarization

- clear plastic = soil sterilization

- black plastic = kills grass

Sustainable Living Center Oregon

UC Master Gardener-Sonoma Co.

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Creating & maintaining habitatSeeding

• aerial/broadcast or seed drill

• even distribution, good contact with soil

• mix with bulking agent (sand, sawdust)

• seed from 2 different directions

Texas A&M Univ.

wildflower seed mix; Central Coast gardening

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Seeding

• sow perennial seeds in early fall in PNW (Sept. to mid-Oct.)

• 2 oz wildflower seed per 1000 sq. ft

Texas A&M Univ.

wildflower seed mix; Central Coast gardening

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spring early summer

pollinator demonstration

garden

late summer

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OSU Extension

Pollinator pathway; Kim Smith Design

central CA pollinator garden; Megan O’Donald

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Creating & maintaining habitatnative pollinator garden, Los Angeles CA; Carol Bornstein

mining bee tunnels in garden path; Megan O’Donald

bee block; Oregon Metro

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Resources

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Resources

Great Sunflower Project

Encyclopedia of Life

Koch, Strange, & Williams; USFS

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Resources

www.oregon.gov/ODA

entomology.oregonstate.edu

$3.99; iOS only

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Resources

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Resources

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Visit emswcd.org to find more workshops and resources!

* annual plant sale!

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Projects

bumblebeewatch.org

greatsunflower.org

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Questions?

Yellow-faced Bumble Bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Western Swallowtail, C.A.S. MazzacanoFlower scarabs; C.A.S. Mazzacano

Netwinged Beetle, C.A.S. Mazzacano

Celeste A. Searles Mazzacano, [email protected]

Copyright © 2017 Celeste A. Searles Mazzacano. All rights reserved. This presentation or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

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