​Pollinator Profile #7: Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
 
Favorite song: On the Road Again
Likes: Long, lazy sunny summer days
Dislikes: Paparazzi
Superpower: Flawless sense of direction
Dream vacation: Sunny Mexico!
 
The monarch is just about the most recognized, photographed, studied and loved North American insect.
At the SBG, we’re no exception! From maintaining our Monarch Waystation to presenting Monarch Tagging programs in the fall, we’re committed to doing our part to conserve this beautiful traveler.
 
Author: Lisa Schneider
 
 

Pollinator Profile #6: Bumble‌ ‌bee (Bombus)
Favorite‌ ‌Song:‌ ‌Singin’‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Rain‌ ‌
Likes:‌ ‌Early‌ ‌mornings,‌ ‌late‌ ‌nights
Party trick: Buzz pollination
Motto: It’s‌ ‌hard‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌humble‌ ‌when‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌as‌ ‌gifted‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌bumble!‌ ‌
 
 
Bumble‌ ‌bees‌ ‌are‌ ‌probably‌ ‌our‌ ‌best-known‌ ‌native‌ ‌bee.‌ ‌These‌ ‌fuzzy‌ ‌friends‌ ‌are‌ ‌hard-working,‌ ‌versatile‌ ‌pollinators. Early‌ ‌risers,‌ ‌they’re‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌forage‌ ‌when‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌too‌ ‌cold‌ ‌or‌ ‌wet‌ ‌for‌ ‌other‌ ‌bees.‌ ‌And‌ ‌as‌ ‌generalists,‌ ‌they‌ ‌pollinate‌ ‌a‌ ‌wide‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌plants. Growers of tomatoes and other veggies in the Solanaceae family especially appreciate their special talent for buzz pollination, or sonication. By unhooking their wings from their thoracic muscles, bumble bees can vibrate their entire bodies rapidly, thus shaking the pollen out of hard-to-reach flowers.
But it’s not all work and no play in the bumbleverse! At the SBG, we recently observed a throng of ecstatic bumbles having a party on the wild rose (Rosa virginiana). The fragrant blooms really seemed to give them an extra-special ‘buzz’!
 
Author:  Lisa Schneider
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​Pollinator Profile #5: Metallic Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon sp.)
Favorite song: Let’s Get Physical
Guilty pleasure: Salty snacks
Motto: Good things come in small packages!
With its shiny green head and thorax, the metallic green sweat bee glistens like a jewel among the flowers of the SBG. Look more closely at this tiny visitor, and you’ll see how its contrasting striped abdomen perfectly completes its fashion statement. It may look decorative, but this beautiful bee is working hard, too—much pollen is carried on the scopal hairs of its back legs.
One of the most well-known traits of sweat bees is their supposed attraction to human perspiration, which contains both the moisture and salts that they need. Although scientists continue to debate the veracity of this claim, there’s no doubting one thing: This little bee’s attraction to humans gives us a great opportunity for up-close and personal appreciation!
Author: Lisa Schneider

​Pollinator Profile #4: Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Nickname: Fennel Fiend
Motto: Keep Calm and Carrot On
Superpower: Built-in pepper spray!
It’s easy to confuse the spicebush swallowtail with the black swallowtail (Papilo polyxenes) as both species have dark forewings and iridescent blue on their hindwings. However, Black Swallowtails are readily distinguished by the bold yellow band that parallels the row of marginal yellow spots on both fore and hind wings.
Also, while the larvae of our Spicy friend prefer spicebush as a host plant, the black swallowtail comes into our gardens to lay its eggs on carrots, dill, parsley and other members of the Umbelliferae family. At the SBG, bronze fennel is a favorite.
And while spicebush caterpillars have distinctive fake eye spots to ward off predators, black swallowtails have an equally ingenious defense mechanism. The osmeterium is an organ attached to the back of the caterpillar’s head that mimics the forked tongue of a snake. When the caterpillar is disturbed, the osmeterium extends and releases a foul-smelling chemical repellant. Harmless to humans, it sends common insect predators packing in a hurry!
Author: Lisa Schneider

​Pollinator Profile #3: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp.)
Nickname: Gentle Giant
Favorite color: Anything but red
Favorite binge-watch: Log Cabin Living
Carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) are the largest native bees in the United States.
These gentle giants get their common name from their habit of using their strong mandibles to excavate precisely rounded tunnels inside wood. They prefer soft wood for this purpose, such as standing dead trees. If this is not readily available, some species (like our eastern Xylocopa virginica) may decide to take up residence in fence posts or structural timbers such as deck or porch railings, and become a minor nuisance. (To deter them, simply apply paint or stain to any exposed wood.)
Inside the tunnel, the female deposits loaves of ‘bee bread’—balls of pollen and nectar-- upon which she lays her giant eggs (up to 15 mm long!). She forms partitions between each egg cell by mixing her saliva with sawdust, creating a substance very similar to particle board. Thus, each larva is supplied with ‘a room of its own’, along with all the food it will need.
In spring, you’ll often see several of these large bees zooming about, buzzing loudly. They may seem threatening, but these are just territorial males who are out to impress the ladies. And rather than representing a threat to us, they’re all talk—male carpenter bees don’t even have stingers!
In our gardens, carpenter bees are generalists and may be found foraging and pollinating a wide variety of plants.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo credits: Denise Holden

Pollinator Profile #2: Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio Troilus)
Favorite song: Spice Spice Baby
Nickname: Spice Girl, Sassyfrass
My Motto: Goofy to Glamorous in less than 2 months!
The Spicebush swallowtail is one of our most beloved visitors at the SBG. Its adorable caterpillar can be found hiding out inside curled leaves of the Spicebush or sassafras. Those fake eye spots might scare predators-- but to us, they just look cute!
As for the adult butterfly, its look has been described as a “cityscape at night”, with a dramatic wash of blue, along with white spots, standing out against its dark wings. Both are a welcome sight in the Garden.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo credit: S. Krotzer

​Pollinator Profile #1: Leafcutter bee (Megachile sp.)
Theme Song: If You Leaf Me Now
Pet peeve: shoddy construction
Nickname: Cheeto Tummy
My friends say I’m: A perfectionist.
Leafcutter bees (Megachile sp.) are solitary cavity-nesting bees who construct and provision their nests without the support of a colony or hive. If you’ve ever seen rose or redbud leaves that look like someone has used a hole-punch on them—you’ve probably been looking at the work of a leafcutter bee! These leaf parts will be used to line the insides of the nursery chamber, which is located inside a ready-made cavity such as a hollow plant stem. Each ‘room’ will be provisioned with a ball of ‘bee bread’, a mixture of nectar, pollen and saliva. An egg is laid on top of the bee bread and the chamber is sealed—basically forming a little ‘Bee burrito’!
In addition to being solicitous moms, Leafcutter bees are exceptionally efficient pollinators, as they carry pollen on their entire abdomen rather than just on their legs. Referred to as a ‘pollen brush’, this feature is a great way to help the observer identify this pollinator friend.
Author: Lisa Schneider