Secret Pollinators

Kelly Parks
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Home & Garden
  • Series

Native pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat — yet most of them are disappearing because nobody knows they exist. The Secret Pollinators is the native bee podcast that changes that, one tiny hero at a time. Each episode reveals the secret world of native bees, bumblebees, wild bees, butterflies, beetles, and the other lesser-known pollinators doing the real heavy lifting in American gardens, farms, and wild landscapes. Spoiler alert: that tomato on your plate was probably pollinated by a native bee, not a honeybee. The blueberry on your morning oatmeal? Almost certainly a bumblebee. Host Kelly - a Certified Pollinator Steward and published science writer based in Montana - is on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of native pollinators through short, mind-blowing episodes about the 4,000+ species of native bees you've never heard of. Mason bees that build with mud. Leafcutter bees that scissor flower petals. Ground-nesting bees that live underground by the millions. Bumblebees so specialized they only forage from a single wildflower. Plus the butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators working overtime in your backyard. Every episode is packed with bee science, surprising natural history, and simple actions you can take to support these essential creatures — whether you live in a big-city apartment or on a sprawling farm. Warning: you might become slightly obsessed with spotting bumblebees everywhere you go. Kelly definitely is. When that happens, visit secretpollinators.com to dig deeper into the world of native bees and wild pollinators. www.secretpollinators.com

  1. Episode 1

    The Tomato Conspiracy

    Your tomato flowers are keeping a secret. They lock their pollen inside a sealed yellow cone and offer no nectar at all, waiting for a visitor that can shake the pollen loose. In this episode, we explore buzz pollination: how bumblebees fire their flight muscles with their wings folded to vibrate flowers open, why there's no single magic frequency, why honey bees don't do it, and how this trick evolved about forty-five separate times across bees. We look at what a buzzing bee actually adds to a tomato that can pollinate itself, how bumblebees transformed greenhouse tomato growing, and how to hear buzz pollination happening in your own garden. www.secretpollinators.com KEY SOURCES & DOIs Tomato flower structure and self-pollination AHDB, "Tomato flower structure and fertilization" (anthers release pollen through longitudinal slits). https://potatoes.ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/tomato-flower-structure-and-fertilisationSwitzer, C.M., & Combes, S.A. (2017). Bumblebee sonication behavior changes with plant species and environmental conditions. Apidologie, 48, 223–233. DOI: 10.1007/s13592-016-0467-1 (~8% of flowering plants, ~20,000 species, with poricidal anthers)University of Maryland Extension, "Tomato Pollination and Bumblebee Visits" (2023) (wind is usually enough for field pollination; bees increase fruit set)Buzz mechanics Woodrow, C., Jafferis, N., Kang, Y., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2024). Current Biology, 34(18), 4104–4113. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.044 (buzz bursts of 100–400 Hz lasting 200–2,000 ms; used here for background only)Rosi-Denadai, C.A., et al. (2020). Buzz-pollination in Neotropical bees: genus-dependent frequencies and lack of optimal frequency for pollen release. Insect Science, 27, 133–142. DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12602Pritchard, D.J., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2020). Floral vibrations by buzz-pollinating bees achieve higher frequency, velocity, and acceleration than flight and defense vibrations. Journal of Experimental Biology, 223, jeb220541. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220541Harder, L.D., & Barclay, R.M.R. (1994). The functional significance of poricidal anthers and buzz pollination: controlled pollen removal from Dodecatheon. Functional Ecology, 8, 509–517. DOI: 10.2307/2390076Morgan, T., Whitehorn, P., Lye, G.C., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2016). Floral sonication is an innate behavior in bumblebees that can be fine-tuned with experience in manipulating flowers. Journal of Insect Behavior, 29, 233–241. DOI: 10.1007/s10905-016-9553-5Honey bees and evolution King, M.J., & Buchmann, S.L. (2003). Floral sonication by bees: mesosomal vibration by Bombus and Xylocopa, but not Apis, ejects pollen from poricidal anthers. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 76, 295–305Stroh, E.L. (2025). Characterizing bee communities and pollen limitation in Indiana specialty crops. PhD thesis, Purdue University. https://hammer.purdue.edu/articles/thesis/Characterizing_bee_communities_and_pollen_limitation_in_Indiana_specialty_crops/27910515Stroh, E., Leach, A., Mateos-Fierro, Z., & Kaplan, I. (2024). Distinct pollinator communities persist among co-flowering specialty crops in Indiana. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 37, 269–283. DOI: 10.26786/1920-7603(2024)808Cardinal, S., Buchmann, S.L., & Russell, A.L. (2018). The evolution of floral sonication, a pollen foraging behavior used by bees (Anthophila). Evolution, 72, 590–600. DOI: 10.1111/evo.13446Cooley, H., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2021). Journal of Economic Entomology, 114(2), 505. DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab009 ("more than half of all bee species can buzz pollinate")What the buzz is worth, and greenhouse history Cooley, H., & Vallejo-Marín, M. (2021). Buzz-pollinated crops: a global review and meta-analysis of the effects of supplemental bee pollination in tomato. Journal of Economic Entomology, 114(2), 505. DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab009 (71 experiments; +64.72% fruit weight with buzz-pollinating bees, +85.37% with open pollination; non-buzzing bees, auxin, and mechanical vibration not significant)Velthuis, H.H.W., & van Doorn, A. (2006). A century of advances in bumblebee domestication and the economic and environmental aspects of its commercialization for pollination. Apidologie, 37, 421–451 (40,000 ha of tomatoes pollinated by bumblebees in 2004)Ohio State University Extension, "Bumble Bee Pollination in Tomato Greenhouses," ENT-0092 (common eastern bumblebee most widely used in North America)Precision pollination review, Agronomy 12(2):518 (2022), citing truss-vibration and pulsating air-jet studies (historical mechanical pollination). https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/518Cool-weather flight Heinrich, B. (2004). Bumblebee Economics (rev. ed.). Harvard University Press (pre-flight warm-up by shivering flight muscles)#GardenTruth #PollinatorFacts #MindBlown #s #SecretPollinators #Bumblebees #BuzzPollination #WildBees #NativeBees #TomatoGarden #BeeScience #BeeBehavior #SciencePodcast #tomatoes #buzzpollination #gardens #wildbees #vegetablegarden

    The Tomato Conspiracy

  2. Episode 2

    Underground Heros - Mining Bees

    Those tiny volcanoes of soil in your spring lawn are front doors. Behind each one, a female mining bee is building an underground nursery. Here's what those holes really are, why you won't see them in late summer, why these bees are gentle, how their timing shifts with the weather, and how to find them next spring. www.secretpollinators.com KEY SOURCES & DOIs Mining bee biology and nest structure Michener, C. D. (2007). The Bees of the World, 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press. Andrenidae; scopa and pollen transport.Danforth, B. N., Minckley, R. L., & Neff, J. L. (2019). The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press.Schrader, M. N., & LaBerge, W. E. (1978). The nest biology of the bees Andrena (Melandrena) regularis Malloch and Andrena (Melandrena) carlini Cockerell. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes 108. Nest depth of 6–7 inches.Missouri Department of Conservation. Andrenid Bees (Miner Bees). Branching tunnels ending in brood cells; waterproof cell lining secretion.Cane, J. H. (1991). Soils of ground-nesting bees: texture, moisture, cell depth and climate. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 64(4), 406–413.Ground-nesting prevalence and nesting habitat Antoine, C. M., & Forrest, J. R. K. (2021). Nesting habitat of ground-nesting bees: a review. Ecological Entomology, 46(2), 143–159. DOI: 10.1111/een.12986Xerces Society (2017). Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. xerces.org. Tillage destroys ground nests.Wild Pollinator Partners / Fletcher Wildlife Garden: tilling destroys andrenid nests.Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: Mining Bees. Grass is thin before the bees arrive; entrances are not damaging; sting risk is low.Aggregations and communal nesting Paxton, R. J., Thorén, P. A., Tengö, J., Estoup, A., & Pamilo, P. (1996). Mating structure and nestmate relatedness in a communal bee, Andrena jacobi (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae), using microsatellites. Molecular Ecology, 5(4), 511–519. Shared entrances with independent provisioning.Hoge, S., Kueneman, J., Fordyce, R., Dobler, C., Odanaka, K., & Danforth, B. N. (2026). Emergence dynamics and host-parasite associations in a large aggregation of Andrena regularis (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Andrenidae). Apidologie. DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01256-6. The E37 cemetery study.Emergence timing Cane, J. H. (2021). Global warming, advancing bloom and evidence for pollinator plasticity from long-term bee emergence monitoring. Insects, 12(5), 457. DOI: 10.3390/insects12050457. Four ground-nesting species over 12–24 years; first emergence varied 4–6 weeks and tracked thermal cues.Pollination Russo, L., Park, M. G., Blitzer, E. J., & Danforth, B. N. (2017). Flower handling behavior and abundance determine the relative contribution of pollinators to seed set in apple orchards. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 246, 102–108. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2017.05.033Park, M. G., Raguso, R. A., Losey, J. E., & Danforth, B. N. (2016). Per-visit pollinator performance and regional importance of wild Bombus and Andrena (Melandrena) compared to the managed honey bee in New York apple orchards. Apidologie, 47, 145–160.Schrader & LaBerge (1978), above: A. regularis as a blueberry pollinator.Park, M. G., Blitzer, E. J., Gibbs, J., Losey, J. E., & Danforth, B. N. (2015). Negative effects of pesticides on wild bee communities can be buffered by landscape context. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 282(1809), 20150299. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0299. Wild bee abundance and species richness declined linearly with pesticide use one year after application; fungicides contributed significantly; surrounding natural habitat buffered the effect. Abstract verified.Tang, J., Quan, Q.-M., Chen, J.-Z., Wu, T., & Huang, S.-Q. (2019). Pollinator effectiveness and importance between female and male mining bee (Andrena). Biology Letters, 15(10), 20190479. PMCID: PMC6832193. Reviews Andrena as efficient pollinators of apple, pear, apricot, sweet cherry, blueberry and oilseed rape.Tepedino, V. J., Alston, D. G., Bradley, B. A., Toler, T. R., & Griswold, T. L. (2007). Orchard pollination in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA. Honey bees or native bees? Biodiversity and Conservation, 16, 3083–3094. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-007-9164-8Garratt, M. P. D., et al. (2023). Addressing pollination deficits in orchard crops through habitat management for wild pollinators. Ecological Applications. DOI: 10.1002/eap.2743. Ground-nesting Andrena identified as especially important UK apple pollinators.Garibaldi, L. A., et al. (2013). Wild pollinators enhance fruit set of crops regardless of honey bee abundance. Science, 339(6127), 1608–1611. DOI: 10.1126/science.1230200. 41 crop systems worldwide.Specialist mining bees 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. Aster-family specialists (subgenus Callandrena) with branched scopal hairs. #WildBees #NativeBees #MiningBees #GroundNestingBees #SolitaryBees #SecretPollinators #BeeScience #Pollinators #WildBeeWonder #UndergroundHeroes

    Underground Heros - Mining Bees

  3. Episode 3

    The Leafcutter Bee Vandals

    Perfect semicircular cuts in your rose leaves look like vandalism. They aren't pest damage at all — they're evidence of one of the most precise construction projects in the insect world. Leafcutter bees shear pieces of leaf with toothed mandibles, carry them off, and use them to build overlapping, water-resistant nursery cells inside hollow stems and old beetle tunnels. This episode covers how to tell a leafcutter cut from actual pest damage, why the pollen brush on a leafcutter's abdomen makes her a more effective pollinator than a honey bee, when and where to watch for her, and why the genus Megachile includes both the largest bee on Earth and a non-native species now spreading across North America. www.secretpollinators.com KEY SOURCESLeafcutter bee biology and nesting Michener, C. D. (2007). The Bees of the World, 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press — Megachilidae and Megachile.Sheffield, C. S., Ratti, C., Packer, L., & Griswold, T. (2011). Leafcutter and mason bees of the genus Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Canada and Alaska. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, 18.USDA Forest Service, Leaf Cutting Bees (Megachile spp.). fs.usda.gov — about 242 Megachile species in North America; females carry pollen on the furry underside of the abdomen rather than in leg baskets.Oregon State University Extension, PNW 692, Megachilid Bees in the Pacific Northwest: An Introduction. extension.oregonstate.edu — mandibles are large and sharply toothed for chewing leaves; scopa on the underside of the abdomen is the key identification feature; some species have slightly upturned abdomens that aid pollen collection.NC State Extension, Leafcutter Bees. content.ces.ncsu.edu — females have a conspicuous abdominal scopa and pointed abdomens; males are smaller, with hairy faces, no scopa, and no stinger.Minnesota Bee Atlas, Megachile rotundata. minnesotabeeatlas.umn.edu — leaf pieces used for cells and nest plugs, with visible veins in overlapping plugs.Cane, J. H., Griswold, T., & Parker, F. D. (2007). Substrates and materials used for nesting by North American Osmia bees. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 100(3), 350–358.Nest architecture and leaf use Horne, M. (1995). Leaf area and toughness: effects on nesting material preferences of Megachile rotundata. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 88(6), 868–875.MacIvor, J. S. (2016). DNA barcoding to identify leaf preference of leafcutting bees. Royal Society Open Science, 3(3), 150623. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150623Pollination Pitts-Singer, T. L., & Cane, J. H. (2011). The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata: the world's most intensively managed solitary bee. Annual Review of Entomology, 56, 221–237. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120709-144836Parker, F. D., Batra, S. W. T., & Tepedino, V. J. (1987). New pollinators for our crops. Agricultural Zoology Reviews, 2, 279–304.Nesting habitat and bee hotels Xerces Society (2017). Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. xerces.orgMacIvor, J. S., & Packer, L. (2015). 'Bee hotels' as tools for native pollinator conservation: a premature verdict? PLOS ONE, 10(3): e0122126. #SecretPollinators #NativeBees #LeafcutterBee #Megachile #WildBees #PollinatorGarden #NativePollinators #BeeFacts #SolitaryBees #GardenScience #Entomology #PollinatorHabitat #BeeIdentification #WallacesGiantBee

    The Leafcutter Bee Vandals

  4. Episode 4

    The Squash Bee Smackdown

    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 KEY SOURCESSquash 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.2016.08.002USDA 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 #secretpollinators #squashbees #nativebees #pollinators #wildbees #natureeducation #savethepollinators #organicgardening #fallgardening #gardening #rewilding #regenerativefarming #nativespecies

    The Squash Bee Smackdown

  5. Episode 5

    The Night Shift Conspiracy - Moths

    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 KEY SOURCESMoths 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.xBanza, 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.12134Walton, 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/nature23288Macgregor, 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.13371Macgregor, 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/ecs2.2550van 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.aaa3042Raguso, 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.38.091206.095601Kaiser, 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.0800016Bat 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

    The Night Shift Conspiracy - Moths

  6. Episode 6

    The Metallic Marvels - Sweat Bees

    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 KEY SOURCESHalictid 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.2013.05.002Social 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.51.110104.150950Richards, 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: 10.1088/0034-4885/71/7/076401Seago, 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. #SecretPollinators #MetallicBees #SweatBees #HalictidBees #NativeBees #Pollinators #MetallicMarvels #GardenJewels #TinyPollinators #NatureEducation #PodcastLife #Biodiversity #BackyardWildlife #GreenBees #BuzzPollination

    The Metallic Marvels - Sweat Bees

  7. Episode 7

    The Great Hover Fly Con

    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 KEY SOURCESHoverfly 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.2020.0508Rader, 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-011019-025055Rader, 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.1517092112Dual 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.2019.05.036Larval 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

    The Great Hover Fly Con

  8. Episode 8

    The Aster Party Crashers

    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 KEY SOURCESAster 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.infoTimberlake, 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

    The Aster Party Crashers
See All (63)

About

Native pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat — yet most of them are disappearing because nobody knows they exist. The Secret Pollinators is the native bee podcast that changes that, one tiny hero at a time. Each episode reveals the secret world of native bees, bumblebees, wild bees, butterflies, beetles, and the other lesser-known pollinators doing the real heavy lifting in American gardens, farms, and wild landscapes. Spoiler alert: that tomato on your plate was probably pollinated by a native bee, not a honeybee. The blueberry on your morning oatmeal? Almost certainly a bumblebee. Host Kelly - a Certified Pollinator Steward and published science writer based in Montana - is on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of native pollinators through short, mind-blowing episodes about the 4,000+ species of native bees you've never heard of. Mason bees that build with mud. Leafcutter bees that scissor flower petals. Ground-nesting bees that live underground by the millions. Bumblebees so specialized they only forage from a single wildflower. Plus the butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators working overtime in your backyard. Every episode is packed with bee science, surprising natural history, and simple actions you can take to support these essential creatures — whether you live in a big-city apartment or on a sprawling farm. Warning: you might become slightly obsessed with spotting bumblebees everywhere you go. Kelly definitely is. When that happens, visit secretpollinators.com to dig deeper into the world of native bees and wild pollinators. www.secretpollinators.com

Information

You Might Also Like