Meet Six Pollinators

Ever talked to an insect? Now’s your chance! Listen to six insect pollinators share their unique lifestyles, voiced by BBG staff and guides.

• American Sand Wasp (Bembix americana)

  I am an American sand wasp. Hold on—let me climb out of my tunnel so you can hear me a little better.

  Transcript ›

  I am an American sand wasp. Hold on––let me climb out of my tunnel so you can hear me a little better.

  I live right over there in some sandy soil, just me and my larvae. I’m found throughout North America and the Caribbean, and I have big green eyes and a long striped abdomen. I hunt flies, so if you’re attracting lots of flies with your food, you might see me hovering nearby. But don’t worry: I won’t sting you! I’m gentle and low-key. Unless you step on me! I visit lots of different wildflowers for their nectar, and I’m considered a pretty decent pollinator.

  Wait, I see a juicy fly! I’m going to go grab it and feed it to my kids.

• Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

  I’m a black swallowtail butterfly. Well, almost! I’m near the end of my 10-30 days as a caterpillar, which I spent eating parsley, dill, and other plants in the carrot family to get ready for metamorphosis.

  Transcript ›

  I’m a black swallowtail butterfly. Well, almost! I’m near the end of my 10-30 days as a caterpillar, which I spent eating parsley, dill, and other plants in the carrot family to get ready for metamorphosis.

  I can release a nasty scent to scare away predators, but I still have to watch my back. Spiders, wasps, frogs… all sorts of creatures could try to eat me!

  I'm looking for a space that will protect me when I’m a chrysalis. I will need a thin plant stem, or something similar that I can hang from. My favorite are the stems of parsley, dill, or the Golden Alexander flower, so something of that diameter would be perfect. Then I can finally become a butterfly, and get to work as a pollinator.

• Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens)

  I am a common Eastern bumble bee. My ancestors are from North America, and we like to live in woodlands and fields in underground nests.

  Transcript ›

  I am a common Eastern bumble bee. My ancestors are from North America, and we like to live in woodlands and fields in underground nests. I leave the nest to look for pollen and nectar for my mother and the rest of my family, using my sense of smell to search for flowers. Like other bees, I can also see ultraviolet light on the flowers, which guides me to its pollen and nectar.

  I hate to brag, but I am a very important pollinator of food crops. As I’m grabbing nectar, pollen sticks to my furry body. I also put pollen in my pollen basket, which is a curved area on my back legs, to bring back for my little sisters.

  To release pollen from some stubborn flowers, I can perform a trick called “buzz pollination,” in which I grab the flower’s anthers in my mouth and shake my body. It takes practice, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

• Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica)

  I am an Eastern carpenter bee. I only have a little bit of time to talk, so I’ll try to make this quick!

  Transcript ›

  I am an Eastern carpenter bee. I only have a little bit of time to talk, so I’ll try to make this quick!

  I look a bit like a bumble bee, but our lifestyles are very different. I live with my family inside a hunk of wood. I started my nest by chewing a hole into the cleanest, straightest piece of cedar wood I could find.

  Using my powerful mandibles, I can dig about one inch of tunnel per day. My offspring live in one tunnel, my food goes in another, and I have other tunnels for the female bees who are here helping me out. When I’m not digging, I collect pollen from many different crops and flowers to feed everyone.

  My two years of life have been tough. But my little nest has grown large, and I did my best to make it as cozy as possible.

  Okay––gotta go! Bye!

• Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus)

  I am a goldenrod soldier beetle. I look a little bit like a firefly.

  Transcript ›

  I am a goldenrod soldier beetle. I look a little bit like a firefly. I love goldenrod flowers, but you might find me on other flowers, too.

  I spend most of my days burrowing through the soil, feeding on the nectar and pollen of flowers, and hunting aphids and other insects. I spend a lot of time on flowers. Not only for the food, but because they’re a great place to get to know potential partners!

  Eventually, my mate will lay eggs in the soil, under the leaf litter, or in decaying logs, which will provide warmth and protection through the winter. Our larvae will dine on grasshopper eggs and other small insects.

• Primrose Moth (Schinia florida)

  I am a primrose moth. At dusk, when the sun dips under the horizon, I wake up from my slumber and crawl out of my closed evening primrose flower, which serves as my home while I rest.

  Transcript ›

  I am a primrose moth. At dusk, when the sun dips under the horizon, I wake up from my slumber and crawl out of my closed evening primrose flower, which serves as my home while I rest. I naturally gravitate towards the evening primrose, which is my namesake. Its bright colors offer camouflage and shield me from predators.

  I have a lot of work to do in the evenings. I travel from flower to flower to eat, and look for more evening primrose plants to lay my eggs on. This will hopefully help my offspring survive. As caterpillars, their green bodies will be camouflaged by the flowers’ stems. And when they become moths like me, they’ll eventually use the flower as shelter, too.