Secret Pollinators

Season 1 finale! That Chicago scientist growing native serviceberries on his third-floor balcony? The bees found him. Research proves container gardens work EVERYWHERE - cities, suburbs, even HOA-restricted areas. This episode covers fall seed planting, cold stratification (easier than you think), overwintering your pots, and why ONE native plant matters for pollinator seasonal lifecycles. Whether you've got a balcony, patio, or single pot, winter is when you plan a pollinator paradise. Includes specific native plant recommendations and the science showing why flowerpots create stepping-stone habitat networks. One pot. One native plant. One person. Real conservation impact. Thank you for helping these tiny little heroes!

https://medium.com/@kellyfrommontana/the-urban-balcony-pollinator-revolution-2025-state-of-small-space-conservation-af772a3862c5

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#SmallSpaceGardening

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#SaveTheBees

They're beautiful, Instagram-worthy, and the face of pollinator conservation. But butterflies might be the worst pollinators in your garden.

Discover why the most popular pollinators are actually the least effective, why your butterfly garden might be making things worse, and what you should be planting instead if you actually care about pollination.

This episode is going to ruffle some wings.

www.secretpollinators.com

Butterfly vs. bee pollination effectiveness

• Barrios, B., Pena, S. R., Salas, A., & Koptur, S. (2016). Butterflies visit more frequently, but bees are better pollinators: the importance of mouthpart dimensions in effective pollen removal and deposition. AoB PLANTS, 8: plw001. DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw001 — in Angadenia berteroi, the most frequent visitor group was not the most important pollinator; proboscis width correlated with pollen transfer efficiency; skippers and non-skipper butterflies frequently revisited the same flowers, while long-tongued bees rarely returned to a previously visited flower.
• Jennersten, O. (1984). Flower visitation and pollination efficiency of some North European butterflies. Oecologia, 63, 80–89. DOI: 10.1007/BF00379789
• Ne'eman, G., Jürgens, A., Newstrom-Lloyd, L., Potts, S. G., & Dafni, A. (2010). A framework for comparing pollinator performance: effectiveness and efficiency. Biological Reviews, 85(3), 435–451. — the standard treatment of single-visit deposition, visitation rate, and effectiveness metrics.
• King, C., Ballantyne, G., & Willmer, P. G. (2013). Why flower visitation is a poor proxy for pollination: measuring single-visit pollen deposition. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 4(9), 811–818. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.12074
• Willmer, P. (2011). Pollination and Floral Ecology. Princeton University Press.

Butterfly bush

• Tallamy, D. W. (2007, rev. 2009). Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Timber Press.
• Chalker-Scott, L. Butterfly Bush: Weed or Wonderful? Washington State University Extension.
• Oregon Department of Agriculture, Buddleja davidii noxious weed listing and approved sterile cultivar rules.
• Tallamy, D. W., & Shropshire, K. J. (2009). Ranking lepidopteran use of native versus introduced plants. Conservation Biology, 23(4), 941–947. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01202.x

#SecretPollinators #ButterflyDeception #Pollinators #NativeBees #PollinatorGarden #ConservationTruth #GardenMyths #ButterflyGarden #NativePlants #BeeConservation

For years, I blamed goldenrod for my fall allergies - until allergy testing proved I was wrong. Discover why this golden 'weed' is innocent, what's really making you sneeze, and why goldenrod might be the most important pollinator plant in North America. Spoiler: It's hosting the feeding frenzy of the year.

www.secretpollinators.com

Goldenrod specialist bees

• Fowler, J. (2016). Specialist Bees of the Northeast: Host Plants and Habitat Conservation. Northeastern Naturalist, 23(2), 305–320. jarrodfowler.com/specialist_bees.html — Asteraceae is the most recurrent host family among pollen specialist bees; Solidago is the single most recurrent host genus, associated with roughly 40 specialist bee species; nearly 60% of listed pollen specialists are rare.
• Fowler, J., & Droege, S. Pollen Specialist Bees of the Eastern United States. — regional specialist-host lists.
• Johnson, L., & Colla, S. (2023). A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee. Douglas & McIntyre. — goldenrod as likely host to over 40 specialist bees.
• Cane, J. H., & Sipes, S. (2006). Characterizing floral specialization by bees: analytical methods and a revised lexicon for oligolecty. In Waser, N. M., & Ollerton, J. (eds.), Plant-Pollinator Interactions. University of Chicago Press.
• Danforth, B. N., Minckley, R. L., & Neff, J. L. (2019). The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press.
• Swenk, M. H. (1906). Original description of Colletes solidaginis.

Goldenrod as a late-season resource

• Mader, E., Shepherd, M., Vaughan, M., Black, S. H., & LeBuhn, G. (2011). Attracting Native Pollinators. Xerces Society / Storey Publishing.
• Lee-Mäder, E., et al. 100 Plants to Save the Bees. Storey Publishing — average sugar concentration of some goldenrod nectar around 33%; Northeast beekeepers report colony honey gains of 50–80 pounds from goldenrod flows.
• Illinois Wildflowers, Solidago species accounts. illinoiswildflowers.info — faunal associations across bee, wasp, fly, butterfly and beetle groups.
• USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Solidago spp.

Allergy myth

• Ogren, T. L. (2015). The Allergy-Fighting Garden. Ten Speed Press.
• Bassett, I. J., & Crompton, C. W. (1975). The biology of Canadian weeds: Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. and A. psilostachya DC. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 55, 463–476. — ragweed pollen production and wind dispersal.
• Ziska, L. H., et al. (2011). Recent warming by latitude associated with increased length of ragweed pollen season in central North America. PNAS, 108(10), 4248–4251. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1014107108
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, ragweed allergy resources. acaai.org

Monarch migration and fall nectar

• Brower, L. P., et al. (2006). Fueling the fall migration of the monarch butterfly. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 46(6), 1123–1142. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icl029
• Rudolph, D. C., Ely, C. A., Schaefer, R. R., Williamson, J. H., & Thill, R. E. (2006). The Diana fritillary and great spangled fritillary: nectar plant selection. / Rudolph et al. (2006) on monarch nectar sources in Arkansas — goldenrod as a significant migratory nectar source.
• Inamine, H., Ellner, S. P., Springer, J. P., & Agrawal, A. A. (2016). Linking the continental migratory cycle of the monarch butterfly to understand its population decline. Oikos, 125(8), 1081–1091.
• Monarch Watch, monarchwatch.org

Goldenrod soldier beetle

• Illinois Wildflowers and BugGuide accounts for Chauliognathus pensylvanicus.

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Season 1 Bonus Episode: Seeds I love + Downloadable Planting Guide

Want to help pollinators but think it's expensive or complicated? Think again! I'm sharing the native seeds that transformed my Montana garden and attracted dozens of pollinator species - all on a budget and varieties for your region - you won't believe. Fall is the perfect time to start, and I'll show you exactly how.

Go to my website and sign up for my Free Native Planting Guide:

www.secretpollinators.com

Thank you for helping give a voice to the 4000 native pollinators of North America!

#SecretPollinators #SeedsILove #NativePlants #PollinatorGarden #BudgetGardening #FallPlanting #NativeSeeds #PollinatorsOnABudget #WildflowerSeeds #NativeGardening #GardenTips #SustainableGardening #BeeFriendly

Meet the bees that think sunflowers are the center of the universe! Discover the specialist bees that nest in stems, sleep in flower heads, and time their entire lives around sunflower season. From underground timing masters to aerial apartment dwellers, the Sunflower Society has secrets you never imagined.

www.secretpollinators.com

Sunflower specialist bees

• Hurd, P. D., LaBerge, W. E., & Linsley, E. G. (1980). Principal sunflower bees of North America with emphasis on the southwestern United States. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 310. — the foundational survey of Helianthus specialists.
• Fowler, J. (2016). Specialist Bees of the Northeast: Host Plants and Habitat Conservation. Northeastern Naturalist, 23(2), 305–320. jarrodfowler.com/specialist_bees.html — Helianthus associated with roughly 36 specialist bee species; Asteraceae the most recurrent host family overall.
• Neff, J. L., & Simpson, B. B. (1990). The roles of phenology and reward structure in the pollination biology of wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Israel Journal of Botany, 39, 197–216.
• Minckley, R. L., Cane, J. H., & Kervin, L. (2000). Origins and ecological consequences of pollen specialization among desert bees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 267(1440), 265–271.
• UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab, Specialists vs. Generalists. helpabee.org — Diadasia enavata as the sunflower specialist; even small sunflower patches draw it.
• Native Here Nursery, Sunflower Chimney Bee — females are oligoleges on Asteraceae and will visit Ratibida and Coreopsis when Helianthus is unavailable.

Sunflower crop pollination

• Greenleaf, S. S., & Kremen, C. (2006). Wild bees enhance honey bees' pollination of hybrid sunflower. PNAS, 103(37), 13890–13895. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0600929103
• Torretta, J. P., et al. (2019). Honey bee and native solitary bee foraging behavior in a crop with dimorphic parental lines. PLOS ONE — Melissodes dominant on male-fertile lines, gathering sunflower pollen efficiently throughout the day; honey bees dominant on male-sterile lines, mostly gathering nectar.
• Mallinger, R. E., & Prasifka, J. R. (2017). Bee visitation rates to cultivated sunflowers increase with the amount and accessibility of nectar sugars. Journal of Applied Entomology, 141(7), 561–573.

Stem-nesting bees

• Rehan, S. M., & Richards, M. H. (2010). Nesting biology and subsociality in Ceratina calcarata. The Canadian Entomologist, 142(1), 65–74.
• Rehan, S. M., & Sheffield, C. S. (2011). Morphological and molecular delineation of a new species in the Ceratina dupla species-group. Zootaxa.
• Xerces Society, Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects (2017). xerces.org

Capitulum structure and phyllotaxis

• Vogel, H. (1979). A better way to construct the sunflower head. Mathematical Biosciences, 44(3–4), 179–189.
• Heiser, C. B. (1976). The Sunflower. University of Oklahoma Press.

Native sunflowers

• USDA NRCS Plant Guides, Helianthus maximiliani and Helianthus tuberosus.
• Illinois Wildflowers, Helianthus species accounts. illinoiswildflowers.info

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#NativePlants

Think pollinator season is over? Think again! Discover the epic fall festival happening on wild asters - where native bees run the ultimate celebration circuit, and 'weedy' flowers throw the most important parties of the year. From specialized mining bees to migrating monarchs, everyone's hitting this festival scene!

www.secretpollinators.com

Aster mining bee

• Espinoza, A. C., Urban-Mead, K. R., Buckner, M. A., Flórez-Gómez, N., Kueneman, J. G., & Danforth, B. N. (2022). Biology of Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) asteris Robertson (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), an eastern aster specialist that makes a very deep nest. Northeastern Naturalist, 29(4), 474–491. — first description of nest architecture, immature stages, and pollen usage; field study near Cortland, NY, September–October 2020; previously nesting behavior had never been studied.
• LaBerge, W. E. (1967). Revision of the bees of the genus Andrena, subgenus Callandrena. — original pollen records on Symphyotrichum and Solidago.
• Larkin, L. L., Neff, J. L., & Simpson, B. B. (2008). The evolution of a pollen diet: host choice and diet breadth of Andrena bees. Apidologie, 39, 133–145.
• Bees of Canada species account, Andrena asteris — solitary, ground-nesting, narrow oligolecty, overwinters as a mature larva; brood parasites Nomada banksi and Sphecodes johnsonii observed at aggregations.
• Watching Bees, Andrena asteris species account — one generation per year, active late August through October; aggregates in compacted soils such as boat ramps and earthen parking lots; females plug nests on departure and sonicate back into the soil on return.

Asteraceae specialist bees generally

• Fowler, J. (2016). Specialist Bees of the Northeast: Host Plants and Habitat Conservation. Northeastern Naturalist, 23(2), 305–320. jarrodfowler.com/specialist_bees.html — Asteraceae supports the most pollen specialist bee species of any plant family in every US region.
• Holm, H. Specialist Bees. pollinatorsnativeplants.com — Andrena hirticincta, A. nubecula, Protandrena andrenoides as oligoleges of Symphyotrichum, Solidago, and related genera.
• Minnesota Native Bees, Andrena genus account. beesmn.org — autumnal Andrena species are Asteraceae oligoleges and often hold their wings at a 45° angle while visiting flowers.
• Danforth, B. N., Minckley, R. L., & Neff, J. L. (2019). The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press.

Asters as late-season resources

• Mader, E., Shepherd, M., Vaughan, M., Black, S. H., & LeBuhn, G. (2011). Attracting Native Pollinators. Xerces Society / Storey Publishing.
• Illinois Wildflowers, Symphyotrichum species accounts. illinoiswildflowers.info
• Timberlake, T. P., Vaughan, I. P., & Memmott, J. (2019). Phenology of farmland floral resources reveals seasonal gaps in nectar availability for bumblebees. Journal of Applied Ecology, 56(7), 1585–1596. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13403

#SecretPollinators #AsterPartyCrashers #FallPollinators #NativeAsters #PollinatorFestival #MonarchButterflies #LateSeasonPollinators #NativeBees #WildflowerConservation #PollinatorMigration

They're everywhere in your garden, perfectly disguised as bees. But these master con artists are actually flies - and they might be your garden's best-kept secret! Discover the pollinators hiding in plain sight and why their 'fake bee' act is actually saving your plants.

www.secretpollinators.com

Hoverfly pollination

• Doyle, T., Hawkes, W. L. S., Massy, R., Powney, G. D., Menz, M. H. M., & Wotton, K. R. (2020). Pollination by hoverflies in the Anthropocene. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1927). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0508
• Rader, R., Cunningham, S. A., Howlett, B. G., & Inouye, D. W. (2020). Non-Bee Insects as Visitors and Pollinators of Crops: Biology, Ecology, and Management. Annual Review of Entomology, 65, 391–407. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025055
• Rader, R., Bartomeus, I., Garibaldi, L. A., et al. (2016). Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination. PNAS, 113(1), 146–151. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1517092112

Dual role: pollination and pest control

• Wotton, K. R., Gao, B., Menz, M. H. M., et al. (2019). Mass seasonal migrations of hoverflies provide extensive pollination and crop protection services. Current Biology, 29(13), 2167–2173. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.036

Larval aphid predation

• Rojo, S., Gilbert, F., Marcos-García, M. A., Nieto, J. M., & Mier, M. P. (2003). A World Review of Predatory Hoverflies and Their Prey. CIBIO Ediciones, Alicante.
• Wnuk, A., & Fuchs, R. (1977). Prey consumption in Scaeva pyrastri — up to 550 aphids per larva.
• Bankowska, R., et al. (1978). Prey consumption in Platycheirus clypeatus — approximately 135 aphids per larva.
• Tenhumberg, B., & Poehling, H.-M. (1995). Syrphids as natural enemies of cereal aphids in Germany: aspects of their biology and efficacy in different years and regions. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 52(1), 39–43.
• Encyclop'Aphid, INRAE. Diptera: Syrphidae. eng-encyclopedie-pucerons.hub.inrae.fr — roughly 250 aphidophagous species within Syrphinae and Melisiinae; larval guilds include phytophagous, microphagous, and zoophagous types.

Mimicry

• Golding, Y. C., & Edmunds, M. (2000). Behavioural mimicry of honeybees by hoverflies. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 267(1446), 903–909.

Hovering flight

• Ellington, C. P. (1984). The aerodynamics of hovering insect flight. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 305(1122).
• Dudley, R. (2000). The Biomechanics of Insect Flight. Princeton University Press.

Identification

• Skevington, J. H., Locke, M. M., Young, A. D., Moran, K., Crins, W. J., & Marshall, S. A. (2019). Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. Princeton University Press.

#SecretPollinators #HoverFlies #Pollinators #GardenPodcast #NaturePodcast

#BiologicalPestControl #AphidControl #BeneficialInsects #OrganicGardening

Those tiny flashes of emerald and copper zipping through your garden aren't gnats - they're living jewels! Meet the metallic sweat bees that sparkle like flying gemstones and yes, some of them think you're delicious. Discover why these miniature marvels might be the most beautiful pollinators you never knew existed.

www.secretpollinators.com

Halictid biology and identification

• Michener, C. D. (2007). The Bees of the World, 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 319–412 (Halictidae).
• Zettel Nalen, C. M. Sweat Bees, Halictid Bees, Halictidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). University of Florida IFAS Extension EENY-473 — Halictinae as the family's most diverse subfamily; sweat bees as important pollinators of wildflowers and crops including stone fruits, pome fruits, alfalfa, and sunflower.
• Wilson, J. S., & Carril, O. M. (2016). The Bees in Your Backyard. Princeton University Press.
• Eickwort, G. C., & Eickwort, K. R. (1973). Notes on the nests of three wood-dwelling species of Augochlora from Costa Rica. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 46, 17–22.

Buzz pollination by sweat bees

• Minnesota Native Bees, Pollination. beesmn.org — buzz-pollinating genera include Halictus, Lasioglossum, Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochloropsis, and Augochlorella.
• Purdue University Vegetable Crops Hotline, Insect Spotlight: Lasioglossum Sweat Bees (2024) — historically overlooked due to small size, but high abundance and long per-flower visit times make them as effective or more effective than larger bees; they exhibit buzz pollination, necessary for fruit set in Solanum crops.
• Martins, D. J. (2014). Sweat Bees (Halictidae): Natural History and Pesticide Impacts — halictids as sonicating pollinators of eggplant and other Solanaceae in East Africa; Halictus tripartitus as a watermelon and prickly pear pollinator in the western US.
• De Luca, P. A., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2013). What's the buzz about? The ecology and evolutionary significance of buzz-pollination. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 16(4), 429–435. DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2013.05.002

Social variation

• Michener, C. D. (1974). The Social Behavior of the Bees. Harvard University Press.
• Schwarz, M. P., Richards, M. H., & Danforth, B. N. (2007). Changing paradigms in insect social evolution: insights from halictine and allodapine bees. Annual Review of Entomology, 52, 127–150. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.150950
• Richards, M. H., & Packer, L. (1995). Annual variation in survival and reproduction of the primitively eusocial sweat bee Halictus ligatus. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 73(5), 933–941.
• Sakagami, S. F., & Munakata, M. (1972). Distribution and bionomics of a transpalaearctic eusocial halictine bee, Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) calceatum, in northern Japan. Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University.
• Gibbs, J., Brady, S. G., Kanda, K., & Danforth, B. N. (2012). Phylogeny of halictine bees supports a shared origin of eusociality for Halictus and Lasioglossum. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 65(3), 926–939.

Structural coloration

• Kinoshita, S., Yoshioka, S., & Miyazaki, J. (2008). Physics of structural colors. Reports on Progress in Physics, 71(7), 076401. DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/71/7/076401
• Seago, A. E., Brady, P., Vigneron, J.-P., & Schultz, T. D. (2009). Gold bugs and beyond: a review of iridescence and structural colour mechanisms in beetles. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 6 (Suppl 2), S165–S184.

Attraction to perspiration

• UW-Milwaukee Field Station, Sweat Bee (Family Halictidae) — Lasioglossum landing on sweaty skin to lap salt.

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While you're inside binge-watching Netflix, there's an entire crew of pollinators working the night shift in your garden. This week, we uncover the conspiracy you sleep through every single night - and why moths are secretly better at their jobs than butterflies will ever be. Spoiler alert: your evening dog walks are about to get a LOT more interesting. Grab a red flashlight and prepare to meet the pollinator workforce that punches in when the sun goes down!

www.secretpollinators.com

Moths as nocturnal pollinators

• Macgregor, C. J., Pocock, M. J. O., Fox, R., & Evans, D. M. (2015). Pollination by nocturnal Lepidoptera, and the effects of light pollution: a review. Ecological Entomology, 40(3), 187–198. DOI: 10.1111/een.12174 — moths are the major nocturnal pollinators of flowers, and their contribution has been under-appreciated; field studies of plant–pollinator interactions almost always take place in daylight because surveying in the dark is difficult.
• Hahn, M., & Brühl, C. A. (2016). The secret pollinators: an overview of moth pollination with a focus on Europe and North America. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, 10, 21–28.
• Devoto, M., Bailey, S., & Memmott, J. (2011). The 'night shift': nocturnal pollen-transport networks in a boreal pine forest. Ecological Entomology, 36(1), 25–35. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2010.01247.x
• Banza, P., Belo, A. D. F., & Evans, D. M. (2015). The structure and robustness of nocturnal Lepidopteran pollen-transfer networks in a Biodiversity Hotspot. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 8, 538–546. DOI: 10.1111/icad.12134
• Walton, R. E., Sayer, C. D., Bennion, H., & Axmacher, J. C. (2020). Nocturnal pollinators strongly contribute to pollen transport of wild flowers in an agricultural landscape. Biology Letters, 16(5): 20190877.
• Atwater, M. M., Miller, J. Y., & Daniels, J. C. Moth-pollination through the looking glass: structure of a flower-settling moth network reveals functional groups.

Light pollution

• Knop, E., Zoller, L., Ryser, R., Gerpe, C., Hörler, M., & Fontaine, C. (2017). Artificial light at night as a new threat to pollination. Nature, 548, 206–209. DOI: 10.1038/nature23288
• Macgregor, C. J., Evans, D. M., Fox, R., & Pocock, M. J. O. (2017). The dark side of street lighting: impacts on moths and evidence for the disruption of nocturnal pollen transport. Global Change Biology, 23(2), 697–707. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13371
• Macgregor, C. J., Pocock, M. J. O., Fox, R., & Evans, D. M. (2019). Effects of street lighting technologies on the success and quality of pollination in a nocturnally pollinated plant. Ecosphere, 10(1), e02550. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2550
• van Langevelde, F., et al. (2018). Declines in moth populations stronger in nocturnal than diurnal species. — country-wide Netherlands study.
• van Geffen, K. G., et al. (2014). Artificial light at night and moth reproductive output.

Hawkmoths and long-tongued pollination

• Sponberg, S., Dyhr, J. P., Hall, R. W., & Daniel, T. L. (2015). Luminance-dependent visual processing enables moth flight in low light. Science, 348(6240), 1245–1248. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa3042
• Raguso, R. A., & Willis, M. A. (2002). Synergy between visual and olfactory cues in nectar feeding by naïve hawkmoths, Manduca sexta. Animal Behaviour, 64(5), 685–695.
• Miller, W. E. (1997). Diversity and evolution of tongue length in hawkmoths. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 51(1), 9–31.
• Alexandersson, R., & Johnson, S. D. (2002). Pollinator-mediated selection on flower-tube length in a hawkmoth-pollinated plant.

Night-blooming plants and floral scent

• Raguso, R. A. (2008). Wake up and smell the roses: the ecology and evolution of floral scent. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 39, 549–569. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.38.091206.095601
• Kaiser, R. (2011). Scent of the Vanishing Flora. Wiley-VCH.
• Willmer, P. (2011). Pollination and Floral Ecology. Princeton University Press.

Beetle pollination of ancient lineages

• Thien, L. B., Bernhardt, P., Devall, M. S., et al. (2009). Pollination biology of basal angiosperms (ANITA grade). American Journal of Botany, 96(1), 166–182. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.0800016

Bat pollination

• Fleming, T. H., Geiselman, C., & Kress, W. J. (2009). The evolution of bat pollination: a phylogenetic perspective. Annals of Botany, 104(6), 1017–1043. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp197

#SecretPollinators #NightShiftPollinators #MothsAreAwesome #NocturnalPollinators #PollinatorConspiracy #GardenSecrets

Meet the underground champions you've never heard of: Squash Bees! These native specialists have been perfectly pollinating our pumpkins for 10,000 years. Find out how they stack up against honeybees and why your garden needs both.

www.secretpollinators.com

Squash bee vs. honey bee effectiveness

• Tepedino, V. J. (1981). The pollination efficiency of the squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera) on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 54(2), 359–377. — individual visits to pistillate flowers by each species were equivalent; honey bees preferred pistillate flowers while squash bees preferred male flowers; most pollination was accomplished by squash bees before honey bees appeared in numbers.
• Martinez, M. I. Cucurbit specialist, Peponapis pruinosa, is a more effective pollinator than generalist, Apis mellifera, for cultivated squash. UC San Diego (Holway lab). escholarship.org/uc/item/8m03w8tn — female squash bee visitation had greater positive effects on pollen removal, pollen deposition, fruit set, and seed set; notes that previous studies report conflicting results.
• Warner, J. (2017). Pollinator effectiveness of Peponapis pruinosa and Apis mellifera on Cucurbita foetidissima. UC San Diego. escholarship.org/uc/item/2k10f84m — single-visit trials on buffalo gourd; female P. pruinosa produced 57.9% fruit set, males 23.5%, honey bees none.
• Artz, D. R., & Nault, B. A. (2011). Performance of Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, and Peponapis pruinosa as pollinators of pumpkin. Journal of Economic Entomology, 104(4), 1153–1161. — the Cornell work on comparative pumpkin pollination.
• Cane, J. H., Sampson, B. J., & Miller, S. A. (2011). Pollination value of male bees: the specialist bee Peponapis pruinosa at summer squash. Journal of Economic Entomology, 104(2), 614–620.
• Willis Chan, D. S., & Raine, N. E. (2021). Sharing the wealth: pollen partitioning in a Cucurbita crop pollination system with reference to the wild hoary squash bee. Journal of Pollination Ecology.

Squash bee biology and nesting

• Hurd, P. D., Linsley, E. G., & Whitaker, T. W. (1971). Squash and gourd bees (Peponapis, Xenoglossa) and the origin of the cultivated Cucurbita. Evolution, 25(1), 218–234.
• Hurd, P. D., & Linsley, E. G. (1964, 1966). Revisions of Peponapis and Xenoglossa — pollen collected exclusively from Cucurbita; 11 species north of Mexico.
• Mathewson, J. A. (1968). Nest construction and life history of the eastern cucurbit bee, Peponapis pruinosa. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 41, 255–261.
• Julier, H. E., & Roulston, T. H. (2009). Wild bee abundance and pollination service in cultivated pumpkins: farm management, nesting behavior and landscape effects. Journal of Economic Entomology, 102(2), 563–573.
• Ullmann, K. S., Meisner, M. H., & Williams, N. M. (2016). Impact of tillage on the crop pollinating, ground-nesting bee, Peponapis pruinosa, in California. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 232, 240–246. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2016.08.002
• USDA Forest Service, Squash Bees pollinator profile. fs.usda.gov — if numerous, squash bees thoroughly pollinate all available flowers, rendering later honey bee visits superfluous.

Domestication history and range expansion

• López-Uribe, M. M., Cane, J. H., Minckley, R. L., & Danforth, B. N. (2016). Crop domestication facilitated rapid geographical expansion of a specialist pollinator, the squash bee Peponapis pruinosa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 283(1833): 20160443. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0443

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