Category: News
Latin name
Archilochus colubris
Size
7-9 cm
Flight season
April-September
Flower Preference
Red, orange, and pink tubular flowers
Habitat
Parks, gardens, meadows, woodlands, forest edges, and grasslands
Interesting fact
Their wings beat up to 80 times per second!
PHOTO by Linda Swentzel
Latin name
Papilio polyxenes
Size
8-11 cm (wingspan)
Flight season
April-October
Host Plant
plants in the carrot (Apiaceae) family, including Queen Anne’s lace, parsley, carrots, and dill
Habitat
Parks, gardens, fields, meadows, and marshes
Interesting fact
Butterflies have a tube-like tongue called a proboscis that they use to sip nectar.
PHOTO by Diana Gruberg
Latin name
Xylocopa virginica
Size: 20-25mm
Flight season: March-November
Flower preferences
Feeds on a variety of flowers, including bluebells, penstemons, and food crops
Habitat
Parks, gardens, fields, and meadows
Interesting fact
Females chew holes in dead trees, logs, or stumps to make nests. They resemble bumble bees but can be distinguished by their shiny abdomen.
PHOTO by Cindy Goulder
Latin name
Bombus impatiens
Size: 15-25mm
Flight season: March-November
Flower preferences
Feeds on a variety of flowers, including clovers, asters, goldenrods, and thistles
Habitat
Parks, gardens, fields, and meadows
Interesting fact
They are social bees that live in colonies and make their nests underground, often in old rodent holes or burrows.
PHOTO by Arsilia Derenzo