Pollinating Insects
Nectar and pollen feeders that pollinate plants
200 species in this collection
African Net-winged Beetle
Lycus trabeatus
A brightly orange-red beetle with distinctive net-like wing venation and broad expanded elytra. It is toxic and serves a...
Annulated Longhorn
Chloridolum annulare
A slender metallic green longhorn with distinctive dark rings on the antennae, giving it its common name. Found in subtr...
Ant-like Flower Beetle
Anthicus antherinus
A tiny beetle resembling an ant, found on flowers and under debris. Has a distinctive narrowed 'neck' between head and t...
Bee Beetle
Trichius fasciatus
A fuzzy, yellow-and-black banded beetle that closely resembles a bumblebee. Adults visit flowers and feed on pollen....
Bee Chafer
Trichius rosaceus
A furry bumblebee-mimicking flower beetle with yellow and black bands. Visits roses and other garden flowers....
Black and Yellow Longhorn
Rutpela maculata
A slender wasp-mimicking beetle with yellow elytra marked with black bands and spots. It is a common flower visitor in E...
Brazilian Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus flavipes
A South American soldier beetle with yellow-orange elytra and dark markings. It is commonly found on flowers in the Atla...
Cardo Longhorn
Agapanthia cardui
A strikingly patterned longhorn with alternating bands of grey and dark pubescence on the elytra. It specializes on this...
Colorado Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus basalis
A soft-bodied beetle with orange and brown elytra commonly found on flowers. It is an important pollinator and predator ...
Common False Blister Beetle
Oedemera lurida
A small olive-green or brownish beetle found commonly on flowers across Europe. Unlike the related O. nobilis, both sexe...
Common Pollen Beetle
Brassicogethes aeneus
A tiny iridescent green-black beetle that congregates in yellow flowers to feed on pollen. It is a major pest of oilseed...
Dark Soldier Beetle
Cantharis obscura
A dark-colored European soldier beetle often found on umbelliferous flowers. Its entirely dark elytra distinguish it fro...
Delta Flower Scarab
Trigonopeltastes delta
A small triangular beetle marked with a distinctive delta-shaped pattern in yellow and black. It is a common flower visi...
Denticulate Soldier Beetle
Silis percomis
A small, rarely noticed soldier beetle found in grasslands of the midwestern United States. Males have distinctive tooth...
Desert Longhorn Beetle
Crossidius hirtipes
A hairy, brightly marked longhorn beetle of the American Southwest. Adults visit desert wildflowers for pollen and necta...
End Band Net-Winged Beetle
Calopteron terminale
A net-winged beetle with orange elytra that become black at the tips, common in eastern North American forests. It forms...
European Flower Beetle
Tropinota hirta
A hairy black beetle with scattered white spots that feeds deep inside flowers. It is an important pollinator of fruit t...
Firefly
Photinus pyralis
Famous for bioluminescent signals produced by a chemical reaction in their abdomen. Each species has a unique flash patt...
Flower Chafer
Oxythyrea funesta
A small black flower beetle dotted with white spots, widespread across southern Europe and North Africa. It can be found...
Flower Rove Beetle
Eusphalerum luteum
A small, yellowish omaline rove beetle that is unusual among staphylinids for being a regular flower visitor. It feeds o...
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus
A familiar autumn beetle of eastern North America, commonly seen in large numbers on goldenrod flowers. Its yellow-and-b...
Green Protea Beetle
Smaragdesthes oertzeni
A small but brilliantly metallic green beetle found in Central African forests. It is a frequent visitor to flowering tr...
Haldeman's Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordella haldemani
A small black tumbling flower beetle found in eastern North America. It is commonly seen on composite flowers in summer ...
Indian Blister Beetle
Mylabris pustulata
A striking beetle with black elytra marked with bright red or orange bands and spots. It produces cantharidin, a powerfu...
Indian Rose Chafer
Oxycetonia versicolor
A compact, shiny beetle with variable coloring ranging from metallic green to dark bronze. Adults are frequently found n...
Locust Borer
Megacyllene robiniae
A striking yellow-and-black wasp mimic that attacks black locust trees in North America. Adults appear in autumn and are...
Margined Leatherwing
Chauliognathus marginatus
An early-summer soldier beetle found across eastern North America with yellow elytra edged in dark margins. It visits a ...
Marshalli Flower Beetle
Smaragdesthes africana
A small brilliant green flower chafer commonly found on flowers in open woodland. It is an important pollinator of savan...
Monkey Beetle
Hopliini scolioides
A hairy scarab beetle that pollinates flowers in South African fynbos....
Mountain Flower Rove Beetle
Eusphalerum alpinum
A small, dark omaline rove beetle adapted to alpine environments, where it visits flowers above the treeline. It is one ...
Net-winged Beetle
Calopteron reticulatum
A toxic beetle with raised net-like veins on its elytra and aposematic coloration....
Noble Chafer
Gnorimus nobilis
A scarce metallic green beetle with small white flecks on the elytra. It is associated with old orchards and ancient fru...
Patterned Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordella fasciata
A small black beetle with distinctive pale zigzag bands formed by pale pubescence on the elytra. It visits a wide range ...
Pink-Spotted Lady Beetle
Coleomegilla maculata
An oblong, pink-red ladybird with twelve black spots found across North America. It is unusual among ladybirds because i...
Red Soldier Beetle
Rhagonycha fulva
A very common soldier beetle in Europe with orange-red elytra tipped in black. It is one of the most familiar beetles on...
Red-legged Jewel Beetle
Castiarina rufipennis
A medium-sized jewel beetle with reddish-brown elytra and metallic green thorax. It visits flowers in eucalypt woodlands...
Red-spotted Jewel Beetle
Castiarina erythroptera
A strikingly beautiful jewel beetle with bright red elytra spotted with dark markings. It is commonly found visiting wil...
Red-tipped Flower Beetle
Malachius bipustulatus
A small metallic green beetle with bright red tips on each elytron. Males can evert orange vesicles from their thorax as...
Red-tipped Flower Longhorn
Stictoleptura rubra
A sexually dimorphic flower longhorn where males have tawny-yellow elytra and females are bright red. Common across Euro...
Scarlet Malachite Beetle
Malachius aeneus
A small beetle with brilliant red and metallic green coloring. Males have peculiar orange head appendages used during co...
Short-Winged False Blister Beetle
Oedemera femorata
A dark-colored oedemerid with gaping elytra that do not cover the full abdomen. Males have conspicuously thickened hind ...
Silver-Haired Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordellistena argentata
A tiny tumbling flower beetle covered in fine silvery pubescence across Europe. Larvae develop in the stems of various h...
Small Hive Beetle
Aethina tumida
A small dark beetle native to sub-Saharan Africa that is a serious pest of honeybee colonies. It has spread to North Ame...
Snout Beetle
Rhinotia hemistictus
An elongated Australian weevil with a remarkably long snout and metallic blue-green coloring with orange spots. It is fo...
Spotted Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordellistena pumila
A tiny tumbling flower beetle found on composite flowers in summer. Larvae develop in plant stems. One of the smallest a...
Sulphur Beetle
Cteniopus sulphureus
A bright sulphur-yellow beetle that looks more like a flower beetle than a typical darkling beetle. It is common on coas...
Synchronous Firefly of India
Pteroptyx maipo
A small firefly known for its remarkable ability to synchronize its flashing with neighboring individuals. Mangrove tree...
Thalassine Green Longhorn
Chloridolum thalassinum
A beautiful sea-green longhorn beetle found in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Its coloration closely mimics lichen-c...
Thick-legged Flower Beetle
Oedemera nobilis
A metallic green beetle with splayed elytra that expose the wings. Males have distinctively swollen hind femora....
Tres Marias Firefly
Photinus knabi
A small firefly native to Mexico with a yellowish-green flash. It has a dark body with a pale-bordered pronotum and is f...
Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordella aculeata
A small, humpbacked beetle that tumbles erratically when disturbed. Adults are commonly found on flowers where they feed...
Variegated Flower Beetle
Gnorimus variabilis
A dark brown or black beetle with variable yellow-white spots on the elytra. It is extremely rare and tied to ancient ho...
Yellow False Blister Beetle
Oedemera flavipes
A slender yellowish-brown oedemerid beetle found across Europe. It is a frequent visitor to umbelliferous flowers in lat...
Garden Springtail
Bourletiella hortensis
A globular springtail commonly found in gardens and agricultural fields. It has a distinctive dark body with yellow mark...
Alpine Hover Fly
Sericomyia silentis
A large hover fly with bold yellow-and-black banding mimicking a wasp. It visits alpine flowers for nectar in mountain m...
Alpine Soldierfly
Oxycera morrisii
A small, brightly patterned soldierfly found near mountain springs and seepages. Its larvae develop in calcareous spring...
Arctic Flower Fly
Platycheirus melanopsis
A small hover fly with a dark body and distinctive pale facial markings. It is an important pollinator of Arctic wildflo...
Australian Hoverfly
Simosyrphus grandicornis
A common Australian hoverfly with orange-yellow markings on a dark abdomen. It is an important pollinator and aphid pred...
Banded General Soldier Fly
Stratiomys potamida
A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aquatic larvae are elo...
Bee Fly
Bombylius major
A fuzzy bee mimic with a long fixed proboscis used for hovering in front of flowers to drink nectar. Despite its innocen...
Bristly Tachinid Fly
Nowickia ferox
A large, heavily bristled tachinid fly with a gray-checkered pattern on the abdomen. It is conspicuously spiny and frequ...
Common Thick-headed Fly
Sicus ferrugineus
A distinctive orange-brown fly with a disproportionately large, inflated head and a curved abdomen. It perches conspicuo...
Dance Fly with Feathered Legs
Rhamphomyia sulcata
A small dance fly where females have distinctive feathered or pennate leg scales used to attract males. Females inflate ...
Dark-edged Bee-fly
Bombylius major discolor
A subspecies of the bee-fly with slightly different wing patterning found in eastern populations....
Dotted Bee Fly
Bombylius discolor
A spring-flying bee fly distinguished from its commoner relative by spotted wings and a darker fur coat. Its larvae para...
Drone Fly
Eristalis tenax
A large hoverfly that is an excellent mimic of the honey bee, complete with similar coloring and buzzing flight. Its aqu...
Eastern Calligrapher
Toxomerus geminatus
A tiny hoverfly with intricate black calligraphic markings on a yellow abdomen. It is one of the most abundant flower fl...
Eye Gnat
Liohippelates pusio
A tiny, shiny black fly attracted to eye and wound secretions of humans and animals. It is a suspected mechanical vector...
Fever Fly
Dilophus febrilis
A small, shiny black march fly with spiny front tibiae used for digging. It was once believed to cause fevers in humans,...
Giant Tachinid Fly
Tachina grossa
The largest tachinid fly in Europe, covered in dense black bristles. It parasitizes large moth caterpillars and is often...
Golden-tailed Hoverfly
Chrysotoxum cautum
A wasp-mimicking hoverfly with bold yellow and black bands and long antennae. It flies with a distinctive slow, wasp-lik...
Greater Bee Fly
Bombylius canescens
A pale greyish bee fly with a long proboscis and clear wings. It parasitizes ground-nesting bees in arid Mediterranean h...
Heath Bee Fly
Bombylius minor
A small, late-summer bee fly with greyish fur and clear wings. Its larvae parasitize solitary wasps in sandy habitats....
Heineken Hoverfly
Rhingia campestris
An unmistakable hoverfly with a long, beak-like snout used to reach nectar in tubular flowers. It has an orange abdomen ...
High-altitude Hover Fly
Platycheirus alpinus
A small hover fly with flattened front legs, found in alpine and arctic habitats. It is an important pollinator of mount...
Hover Fly
Syrphus ribesii
A bright yellow and black banded hoverfly that is an excellent wasp mimic. It hovers motionless in sunbeams before darti...
Hoverfly
Episyrphus balteatus
Excellent Batesian mimics of wasps and bees. Important pollinators often overlooked. Can hover perfectly stationary in m...
Long Hoverfly
Sphaerophoria scripta
A small, elongated hoverfly with a slender yellow-and-black striped abdomen. Males have an abdomen longer than their win...
Lovebug
Plecia nearctica
A small black march fly famous for flying in mated pairs connected end to end for days. Massive swarms occur twice yearl...
Marmalade Hoverfly
Episyrphus balteatus balteatus
A common hoverfly with distinctive double black bands on an orange abdomen. One of the most effective migrant pollinator...
Mexican Cactus Fly
Copestylum mexicanum
A large, dark hoverfly whose larvae develop in decaying cactus tissue. Adults are strong fliers visiting flowers in arid...
Mountain Hover Fly
Arctophila superbiens
A furry, bumblebee-mimicking hover fly of alpine meadows. Its dense body hair helps it retain heat in cold mountain envi...
Narcissus Bulb Fly
Merodon equestris
A bumble bee-mimicking hoverfly that comes in multiple color forms matching different bumblebee species. Its larvae bore...
Narrow-banded Hoverfly
Meliscaeva auricollis
A small hoverfly with narrow yellow crescent markings on a dark abdomen. It is among the first hoverflies to appear in s...
Narrow-winged Bee Fly
Systoechus vulgaris
A small, hairy bee fly with a rounded body and a short proboscis compared to Bombylius species. It hovers at flowers in ...
Parasitic Bee Fly
Winthemia rufopicta
A medium-sized tachinid fly that parasitizes armyworm caterpillars and other crop pest larvae. It is found across multip...
Phasia Tachinid
Phasia hemiptera
A parasitic fly with distinctive dark-tipped wings that parasitizes shieldbug species. Males have broader wings than fem...
Plain-faced Dronefly
Eristalis arbustorum
A small, dark dronefly with a distinctive bare facial stripe. It is one of the most common hoverflies visiting garden fl...
Progressive Bee Fly
Exoprosopa fasciata
A large bee fly with boldly banded wings in dark brown and clear patterns. It is a fast and agile flyer, frequently hove...
Soldier Fly
Odontomyia tigrina
A brightly colored soldier fly with aquatic larvae that filter-feed in ponds....
Tapered Drone Fly
Eristalis pertinax
A large hoverfly resembling a honeybee but distinguished by its yellow-tipped front tarsi. It is active from early sprin...
Tiger Hoverfly
Helophilus pendulus
A distinctive hoverfly with bold yellow and black stripes on the thorax. It breeds in muddy, organically enriched water....
Twin-spot Centurion
Sargus bipunctatus
A metallic bronze-green soldier fly with two characteristic pale spots on the frons. It is one of the most common strati...
Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly
Chrysotoxum bicinctum
A striking wasp-mimicking hoverfly with bold yellow and black banding. Distinguished from wasps by its hovering flight a...
White-banded Hoverfly
Leucozona lucorum
A dark hoverfly with a broad white band across the abdomen. It is associated with shaded habitats and visits white umbel...
Yellow Dance Fly
Empis stercorea
A medium-sized dance fly with a yellowish body commonly found on spring flowers. Males present prey items as mating gift...
Yellow-legged Dance Fly
Empis livida
A medium-sized dance fly with yellowish legs, a grayish body, and a distinctive long proboscis. It forms conspicuous mat...
Zodion Thick-headed Fly
Zodion cinereum
A small, grayish-brown conopid fly with a slightly swollen head and prominent proboscis. It is commonly found on flowers...
Ambush Bug
Phymata americana
A small crab-like bug that waits motionless on flowers to ambush visiting pollinators....
Pennsylvania Ambush Bug
Phymata pennsylvanica
A small chunky yellow and brown bug with thickened raptorial forelegs that hides in flower heads to ambush pollinators. ...
African Bulldog Ant
Myrmecia regularis
A large aggressive ant with excellent vision and powerful mandibles. It can leap and deliver a painful sting when threat...
African Fig Wasp
Ceratosolen capensis
A tiny wasp with an obligate mutualistic relationship with African fig trees. Females enter figs through a narrow openin...
African Honey Bee
Apis mellifera scutellata
The African subspecies of the western honey bee, known for its defensive behavior and high productivity. It is slightly ...
African Mud Dauber
Sceliphron spirifex
A slender black and yellow wasp with an extremely narrow petiole waist. It constructs mud nests on walls and ceilings, p...
African Sand Wasp
Bembix capensis
A fast-flying sand wasp with black and yellow banding that nests in sandy ground. Females provision nests with captured ...
African Scoliid Wasp
Megascolia vittata
A very large black and yellow-banded scoliid wasp from sub-Saharan Africa. It parasitizes goliath beetle and other large...
African Stingless Bee
Meliponula bocandei
A small dark stingless bee that nests in tree hollows and produces a prized thin honey. Colonies can number several thou...
African Velvet Ant
Dasylabris maura
A large black and white velvet ant found across North Africa and the Mediterranean. Females are densely covered in silve...
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Megachile rotundata
A small solitary bee that cuts precise circular pieces from leaves to construct nest cells. It is the most important man...
Alpine Bumblebee
Bombus alpinus
A large bumblebee with distinctive orange-red tail and dark body covered in dense fur. It is found at high elevations in...
American Bumble Bee
Bombus pensylvanicus
A large bumble bee with a yellow thorax, black band between the wings, and a mostly yellow abdomen. Once one of the most...
American Xyelid Sawfly
Xyela bakeri
A minute primitive sawfly native to western North America with the family's characteristic elongated third antennal segm...
Anthricinan Yellow-Faced Bee
Hylaeus anthracinus
One of seven Hawaiian yellow-faced bees federally listed as endangered. These small native bees are critical pollinators...
Apache Paper Wasp
Polistes apachus
A large paper wasp of the American Southwest with yellow and reddish-brown coloring. It constructs open paper comb nests...
Arctic Bumblebee
Bombus polaris
A large, densely furred bumblebee with yellow and black banding adapted to extreme cold. Its thick pile of hair provides...
Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria
A striking black and grey solitary bee with silvery-white hair bands on its thorax. It nests in compacted soil and is on...
Asian Mud Dauber
Sceliphron curvatum
A dark-bodied mud dauber originally from Central Asia now invasive across Europe. It builds mud nests inside buildings a...
Australian Flower Wasp
Campsomeris tasmaniensis
A hairy black and orange scoliid wasp endemic to Australia. Males patrol flowers while females dig into soil to parasiti...
Australian Large-headed Bee
Stenotritus greavesi
A robust, fast-flying bee endemic to Australia with a disproportionately large head and powerful mandibles. It belongs t...
Banded Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis africana
A wingless wasp covered in dense orange and black velvety hair. Despite the name, it is actually a solitary wasp, not an...
Bicolored Pennant Ant
Tetraponera rufonigra
A large, slender arboreal ant with a painful sting found across tropical Asia. Workers are bicolored with an orange head...
Bicolored Trailing Ant
Monacis bispinosa
A neotropical dolichoderine ant with two prominent spines on its thorax. It forms long foraging trails on tree trunks an...
Black and Gold Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla nigripes
A medium-sized velvet ant with golden-orange hair on the thorax contrasting with its black legs and abdomen. It is found...
Blue Ant
Diamma bicolor
Despite its name, the Blue Ant is actually a wingless flower wasp, not an ant. Females are metallic blue-green with a po...
Blue Mason Bee
Osmia caerulescens
A small, metallic blue-black solitary bee that nests in pre-existing cavities in wood and walls. It is common in gardens...
Blue Orchard Bee
Osmia lignaria
A metallic dark blue solitary bee that nests in pre-existing holes in wood. It is an exceptionally efficient pollinator ...
Blue-Banded Bee
Amegilla cingulata
A striking Australian native bee with iridescent turquoise bands on its abdomen. They are important buzz pollinators of ...
Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp
Scolia dubia
A black and reddish-brown wasp with iridescent blue wings commonly seen on flowers in late summer. It parasitizes green ...
Blunthorn Bee
Melitta haemorrhoidalis
A late-summer specialist bee that collects pollen almost exclusively from bellflowers. It has a distinctively short tong...
Boreal Bumblebee
Bombus borealis
A medium-sized bumblebee with yellow bands on the thorax and a white-tipped abdomen. It nests underground in abandoned r...
Brazilian Stingless Bee
Melipona quadrifasciata
A robust stingless bee with a dark body and four pale abdominal bands. It is the most culturally important stingless bee...
Broad-faced Sweat Bee
Lasioglossum platycephalum
A rare and distinctive European furrow bee with an unusually broad, flattened head. It nests in sandy or gravelly soils ...
Broad-footed Colletes
Colletes halophilus
A rare coastal specialist plasterer bee that forages on sea aster in saltmarsh habitats. It is restricted to a narrow ba...
Bronze Furrow Bee
Halictus tumulorum
A small, dark metallic furrow bee with a subtle bronze sheen widespread across the Palearctic. It is primitively eusocia...
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Bombus terrestris
A large, familiar bumblebee with black fur, a yellow collar, a yellow abdominal band, and a distinctive buff-white tail....
Bulldog Ant
Myrmecia gulosa
A large aggressive ant with long mandibles and excellent vision found in Australia. It can jump and sting simultaneously...
Bullet Ant
Paraponera clavata
Named for its extremely painful sting, rated 4+ on the Schmidt Pain Index. Indigenous Satere-Mawe people use them in war...
Cape Honey Bee
Apis mellifera capensis
A unique honey bee subspecies where workers can lay diploid female eggs without mating. It is restricted to the winter r...
Cape Oil-collecting Bee
Rediviva neliana
A South African oil-collecting bee with extraordinarily long front legs used to extract floral oil from deep-spurred Dia...
Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa violacea
A large, robust bee with an entirely black body showing violet-blue iridescent wings. It excavates nest tunnels in dead ...
Cellophane Bee
Colletes thoracicus
A spring-flying plasterer bee native to eastern North America with dense reddish-brown thoracic hair. It lines its brood...
Chocolate Mining Bee
Andrena scotica
A medium-sized bee with warm brown fur, common across the British Isles. It visits a wide range of spring and early summ...
Clarke's Mining Bee
Andrena clarkella
An early spring bee with females covered in bright orange-red fur. It is closely associated with willow catkins for poll...
Coccygomimus Wasp
Pimpla turionellae
A cosmopolitan black ichneumonid used in biological control of pine shoot moths. Females sting and paralyze host pupae b...
Colorful Ichneumon
Ichneumon sarcitorius
A medium-sized ichneumon with a black body, yellow scutellum, and orange-tipped abdomen. It is one of the most commonly ...
Common Carder Bee
Bombus pascuorum
A fluffy ginger-brown bumblebee that builds nests on the ground surface using moss and grass. It has one of the longest ...
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
A robust fuzzy bumble bee with a black body and yellow thoracic band that is widely used as a commercial greenhouse poll...
Common Furrow Bee
Halictus rubicundus
A widespread sweat bee found across the Northern Hemisphere that displays flexible social behavior. In warmer regions th...
Common Green Furrow Bee
Lasioglossum malachurum
A small, primitively eusocial sweat bee in which a single queen overwinters and founds a colony with successive worker b...
Common Potter Wasp
Eumenes fraternus
A North American potter wasp that builds small globular mud cells on plant stems and twigs. The female suspends her egg ...
Copper-tailed Cuckoo Wasp
Chrysis succincta
A medium-sized cuckoo wasp with a metallic green forebody and a warm coppery-gold abdomen. It parasitizes the nests of c...
Coppery Sweat Bee
Augochloropsis sumptuosa
A stout metallic bee with brilliant coppery-green iridescence found across South America. It is a solitary ground-nestin...
Crotch's Bumblebee
Bombus crotchii
A western North American bumblebee that has declined by over 90% from its historical range. Once common in California's ...
Cuckoo Bee
Nomada flava
A slender, wasp-like bee with yellow and black banding that lacks pollen-collecting structures. It is a brood parasite t...
Cuckoo Wasp
Chrysis ignita
A stunning metallic jewel-toned wasp that lays eggs in other wasps nests. Can curl into an armored ball when attacked. I...
Davies' Colletes
Colletes daviesanus
A small solitary bee that lines its nest cells with a cellophane-like secretion. It often nests in mortar joints of old ...
Dawson's Burrowing Bee
Amegilla dawsoni
A large solitary bee endemic to Western Australia that nests in massive aggregations in hardpan clay. Males engage in vi...
Desert Cuckoo Bee
Nomada texana
A parasitic wasp-like bee that lays its eggs in the nests of other desert bees. Its larvae consume the host's pollen pro...
Desert Digger Bee
Centris pallida
A large, fuzzy solitary bee of the Sonoran Desert that nests in burrows in hard-packed soil. Males patrol nesting areas ...
Desert Globe Mallow Bee
Diadasia diminuta
A specialist solitary bee that visits only globe mallow flowers in the American Southwest. It lines its underground nest...
Desert Honeybee
Apis mellifera jemenitica
A small, heat-tolerant subspecies of honeybee native to the deserts of Africa and Arabia. It can forage at temperatures ...
Desert Large-headed Bee
Ctenocolletes nigricans
A dark-bodied, heat-tolerant bee found in arid inland Australia. It forages during the hottest parts of the day when mos...
Double-banded Scoliid
Scolia bicincta
A robust black wasp with two prominent yellow bands across the abdomen. It is a beneficial garden insect that parasitize...
East African Sugar Ant
Camponotus maculatus
A large, polymorphic ant with major workers having disproportionately large heads. Workers vary in color from reddish-br...
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
A large robust bee that resembles a bumble bee but has a shiny black hairless abdomen. It excavates nesting tunnels in w...
Emerald Cockroach Wasp
Ampulex compressa
A brilliant emerald-green wasp that zombifies cockroaches. It delivers precise stings to the cockroachs brain, removing ...
Emerald Cuckoo Wasp
Stilbum cyanurum
One of the largest and most spectacular cuckoo wasps with a vivid metallic green and blue body. It parasitizes mud daube...
Erratic Ant
Tapinoma erraticum
A small dark ant common in southern Europe that runs in characteristic erratic zigzag patterns. It nests in dry, warm ha...
European Corn Borer Parasite
Macrocentrus grandii
A slender braconid wasp introduced to North America to control the European corn borer. It lays polyembryonic eggs that ...
European Melittid
Melitta leporina
A medium-sized oligolectic bee that specializes on legume flowers, particularly alfalfa and clovers. It nests in the gro...
European Oil Bee
Macropis europaea
One of only two Northern Hemisphere bees that collect floral oils instead of nectar as a food provision. It collects oil...
Executioner Wasp
Polistes carnifex
The largest Neotropical paper wasp, with a sting that produces immediate searing pain and potentially causes tissue necr...
Fig Wasp
Ceratosolen fusciceps
A tiny wasp that pollinates a single species of fig in an obligate mutualism....
Fiji Tree Ant
Paraparatrechina oceanica
A native ant species found in tropical forests of Fiji, where it nests in tree cavities and under bark. Pacific Island a...
Florida Twig Ant
Pseudomyrmex ejectus
A small yellowish ant that nests in dead twigs in the canopy of southeastern US forests. It is arboreal and rarely desce...
Forelius Ant
Forelius pruinosus
A tiny fast-running ant found across the Americas that is often the first to discover food sources. It has a pruinose co...
Four-banded Furrow Bee
Halictus quadricinctus
A large, robust halictid bee with four prominent white hair bands across its dark abdomen. It is one of the biggest swea...
Four-spotted Cuckoo Bee
Nomada leucophthalma
A wasp-like cuckoo bee with reddish-brown and yellow markings that parasitizes Andrena mining bees. It is one of the ear...
Four-toothed Mason Wasp
Monobia quadridens
A solitary black and white mason wasp that nests in hollow stems and old carpenter bee tunnels. It provisions cells with...
Franklin's Bumble Bee
Bombus franklini
The world's most range-restricted bumble bee, found only in a small area between southern Oregon and northern California...
Fringed Leafcutter Bee
Megachile fidelis
A western North American leafcutter bee recognized by the dense fringe of golden hairs on its hind legs used for pollen ...
Giant Honey Bee
Apis dorsata
The largest honey bee species, building huge exposed single-comb nests on cliff faces and tall buildings. Colonies can c...
Giant Resin Bee
Megachile sculpturalis
A large solitary bee originally from East Asia now invasive in North America and Europe. It uses tree resin and mud to s...
Giant Twig Ant
Pseudomyrmex spinicola
One of the largest acacia-ant species, nesting in the massive swollen thorns of Central American bullhorn acacias. Queen...
Gold Cuckoo Wasp
Chrysis fasciata
A brilliant green and gold metallic cuckoo wasp found across southern Europe. It parasitizes the nests of potter wasps a...
Gold-fringed Mason Bee
Osmia aurulenta
A distinctive solitary bee that nests inside empty snail shells on warm hillsides. Females cover the shell with grass an...
Golden Northern Bumble Bee
Bombus fervidus
A large bumble bee with an almost entirely yellow-furred thorax and anterior abdomen. It is a generalist pollinator foun...
Golden Orchid Bee
Eufriesea surinamensis
A stunningly beautiful orchid bee with a metallic golden-green body and reddish legs. It is a solitary nester that build...
Golden Spiny Ant
Polyrhachis ammon
A striking Australian spiny ant with golden pubescence covering a black body. Workers have prominent paired petiolar spi...
Golden-tailed Bull Ant
Myrmecia chrysogaster
A strikingly coloured bull ant with a distinctive golden-yellow gaster and reddish-brown head and thorax. Like other Myr...
Graceful Twig Ant
Tetraponera aethiops
A slender black African twig ant that nests in hollow stems and branches. Workers are elongate with a narrow waist and d...
Great Banded Furrow Bee
Halictus scabiosae
One of Europe's largest halictid bees, with prominent white abdominal hair bands. It is a eusocial species expanding its...
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus
A large solitary wasp with a golden-furred thorax and orange-red legs that digs burrows in sandy soil. It provisions its...
Green Metallic Bee
Augochloropsis metallica
A large, robustly built metallic green sweat bee common throughout eastern North America. It is a ground-nesting communa...
Green Tree Ant
Oecophylla smaragdina subnitida
An Australian subspecies of the Asian weaver ant with distinctive bright green coloring. Indigenous Australians have tra...
Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Bombus bohemicus
A social parasite that invades colonies of other bumble bees, killing the queen and enslaving the workers. Females lack ...
Hairy-footed Flower Bee
Anthophora plumipes
A fast-flying, plump solitary bee with males covered in tawny hair and females jet black. It is one of the earliest spri...
Hairy-legged Mining Bee
Melitta tricincta
A rare and declining bee that is a strict specialist on red bartsia flowers. It has distinctive hairy hind legs used for...
Hairy-saddled Colletes
Colletes succinctus
A late-summer plasterer bee that is a specialist on heather, secreting a cellophane-like lining in its underground nest ...
Hawaiian Assimulans Yellow-faced Bee
Hylaeus assimulans
A rare endemic bee from the Hawaiian Islands, once found on several islands but now severely reduced in range. It nests ...