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Home , Bombus impatiens, Hemaris thysbe, Western honey bee

The Clearwing ( thysbe) Notes: The Pollinator Pantry Ambassadors of The White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) St. Louis County

The Snowberry Clearwing Moth ()

Nine-Spotted Ladybug Beetle ( Coccinella novmnotata)

314-615-4FUN www.stlouisco.com/ Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Just who are the "primary " in the St. Louis Country's pan- try? Let's meet them and their "ambassadors"! These mentioned representatives, our pollinator "ambassadors" were chosen ""-cause they are the most familiar, most efficient, most common, least aggressive, sometimes truly unique or just the easiest to recognize " transporters". These pollinators are also the easiest to attract. They are fun to watch visiting our flowers and need a place to call "home" in our Hoverfly landscape. These all can "bee" a welcomed part of our neighbor- ( Toxomerus sp. Diptera) hoods!

These are our St. Louis County Pollinator Pantry Ambassadors.

The Butterfly and Skipper Ambassadors: The Mason and Leaf Cutter Bee Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Ambassador: Silver-spotted Skipper ( Epargyreus clarus) Orchard (Osmia lignaria) The gentle orchard bee represents the mason The Moth Ambassadors: and leaf cutter bees (Osmia spp. and Megachile spp.) Silver-spotted Skipper The Snowberry Clearwing Moth Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria) ( Epargyreus clarus) (Hemaris diffinis) The Bee Ambassador: The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Western (Apis mellifera) (Hemaris thysbe) The ambassador for honey bees is the busiest of The White-lined Sphinx bees, the western or European honey bee. It is the most (Hyles lineata) common of the species of honey bees. The real value of the honey bees is not the pro- The Hummingbird Ambassador: duction of honey. The honey bee, our most beneficial in- The Ruby-throated Hummingbird sect, is a grand pollinator. In crops like apples, (Archilochus columbris) peaches, watermelons, cantaloupes, squash and cucumbers are all heavily dependent on the honey bee for . The Bumble Bee Ambassador: The Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus ) The Bee Mimic Ambassador: The “to busy to care about us” Eastern Bumble Bee Hoverfly (Toxomerus sp. Diptera) (Archilochus columbris) ( Apis mellifera) represents the six most common and very subtly different This most varied group includes all that species of bumble bees in Missouri, (Bombus spp.) We've pollinate and have the warning markings of a bee. Most are also grouped the "he's got nothing but moves" Carpenter flies. They do NOT have ! Bee (Xylocopa virginica) with the bumbly bumble bees! The Ladybug Beetle Ambassador: The Mining Bee Ambassador: The nine-spotted Ladybug beetle Bunny –Hole Bee (Andrenid) (Coccinella novemnotata) The Bunny-Hole Bee representing the many type The Nine-Spotted Ladybug Beetle represents the of very docile mining bees many flower beetles that do NO harm to plants OR blos- soms. These pollen-powered sometimes nectar sipping beetles, tumble, tromp and transfer pollen in the process of eating pollen. Some also eat other insects and so are Eastern Bumble bee very beneficial and provide natural pest control! Bunny-hole Bee () ( Andrenid)