White tail bumblebee (Bombus lucorum ) on Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) Bumblebees are likeable insects and there are many common attractive species. They are friendlier than honeybees and do not sting unless severely molested. Larger and furrier than honeybees, their deep buzzing work habits grace town and country gardens worldwide.
				White tail bumblebee foraging on purple hat (Echinacea purpurea) Most of the bumblebees we see in the garden are foraging workers, who’s only task is the collection of nectar and pollen to supply themselves and their colony members. They are probably the most important pollinators of garden plants and wildflowers in far northern latitudes because they are active at lower temperature and work longer days that most other insect pollinators, including honeybees.
				Dangerous flower. Crab spiders commonly wait for prey on flowers. They usually are well camouflaged and so presumably have a long evolutionary history as predators in flowers, but how do the spiders effect their pollinator prey? Do crab spiders limit pollinator visits? Are hovering-to-feed behavior, an exceptionally long tongue, and long legs in certain bee flies (Bombylius ), for example, adaptations to avoid predation by crab spiders?

			Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) caterpillar. Flowers bring color to the countryside while butterflies, more than other pollinators, bring grace to the landscape. Adult butterflies depend on nectar to fuel flight and their larvae on certain plants to satisfy life-cycle needs. To invite the beauty of butterflies into your garden, plant their larval foodplants and nectar-rich flowers.
			A hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) perches on a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) to feed on pollen at the top of an anther tube.
			Honeybee foraging on dahlia (dahlia pinnata) and carrying a load of pollen. The best pollinators among the insects are the hairy bodied bees. Although carbohydrate-rich nectar is a principal food requirement of adult winged insects, bees differ from other insects in that their larvae feed on flower foods collected by adults. Because bee larvae require protein-rich pollen in order to feed their young as well as themselves, bees make far more visits to flowers than do other insects. As well, most bees are covered with branched hairs to carry pollen. They also have mouth parts and legs constructed as tools for extracting and transporting their floral rewards.