Flower-Visiting Insects
of Heath Aster


Aster ericoides (Heath Aster)
(Bees suck nectar and/or collect pollen, flies and beetles suck nectar or feed on pollen, while other insects suck nectar, except for a predatory assassin bug. Observations are from Robertson, Reed, Petersen, Grundel et al., Williams, Stevens, Wilhelm & Rericha, and Rightmyer as indicated below.)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apini): Apis mellifera sn cp (Rb, Pt, Re, Gnd, WR); Apidae (Bombini): Bombus impatiens sn fq (Rb, Re, WR), Bombus pensylvanicus sn (Rb), Psithyrus variabilis sn (Rb); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina sp. (Re), Ceratina strenua (WR); Anthophoridae (Epeolini): Triepeolus pectoralis sn (Rtm); Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes druriella cp olg (WR), Melissodes rustica sn cp (Rb, Re); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile latimanus (Re, Stv), Megachile relativa (Stv)

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon sericeus (Re), Agapostemon virescens (Re, WR), Augochlora pura (Gnd), Augochlorella aurata (Gnd, WR), Augochlorella persimilis (WR), Augochlorella striata (Re), Augochloropsis metallica metallica (Re), Halictus confusus (WR), Halictus ligatus (Re, WR), Halictus parallelus (Re), Lasioglossum sp. (Re), Lasioglossum acuminatum (Re), Lasioglossum anomalum (Re, WR), Lasioglossum illinoense sn cp (Rb), Lasioglossum lineatulum (Re), Lasioglossum obscurum sn cp (Rb), Lasioglossum pilosum sn (Rb, Re), Lasioglossum rohweri (Re), Lasioglossum versatum sn cp fq (Rb), Paralictus platyparius sn (Rb); Colletidae (Colletinae): Colletes americanus sn cp (Rb, Re, WR), Colletes compactus sn (Rb), Colletes simulans armata cp olg (Re); Colletidae (Hylaeinae): Hylaeus affinis (Re), Hylaeus mesillae (Re); Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena asteris cp olg (Re, Kr, Gnd), Andrena asteroides cp olg (Kr), Andrena hirticincta cp olg (Re), Andrena nubecula cp olg (Re), Andrena peckhami (WR), Andrena placata cp olg (Re), Andrena simplex cp olg (Re, Kr), Andrena ziziae (Re); Andrenidae (Panurginae): Calliopsis andreniformis (Kr), Heterosarus compositarum sn cp (Rb)

Wasps
Sphecidae (Crabroninae): Lestica confluentus sn (Rb); Sphecidae (Philanthinae): Cerceris deserta sn (Re); Sphecidae (Sphecinae): Ammophila procera sn (Rb), Eremnophila aureonotata sn (Rb), Prionyx atratus sn (Re); 
Vespidae (Eumeninae): Ancistrocerus adiabatus sn (Re), Ancistrocerus catskill sn (Rb), Stenodynerus ammonia sn (Rb), Stenodynerus anormis sn (Rb); Vespidae (Vespinae): Dolichovespula maculata sn (Rb); Vespidae (Polistinae): Polistes annularis sn (Rb), Polistes fuscatus sn fq (Rb, Re, WR); Pompilidae: Anoplius illinoensis sn (Rb), Anoplius lepidus sn (Rb), Episyron biguttatus sn (Re); Ichneumonidae: Exetastes angustoralis sn (Re)

Flies
Syrphidae: Eristalis dimidiata (Re, WR), Eristalis stipator (Re, WR), Eristalis tenax (Rb), Eupeodes americanus (Rb), Helophilus fasciatus (Re, WR), Helophilus latifrons (Re), Paragus tibialis (Rb), Sphaerophoria contiqua (Rb, Re), Syritta pipiens (Rb, Re), Syrphus sp. (Re), Toxomerus geminatus (Rb), Toxomerus marginatus (Rb, Re, WR); Bombyliidae: Sparnopolius confusus sn (Rb); Tachinidae: Archytas sp. sn (Re), Archytas aterrima sn (Rb), Gymnoclytia sp. sn (Re), Leucostoma sp. sn (Re), Spallanzania hesperidarum sn (Rb); Sarcophagidae: Helicobia rapax (Rb); Muscidae: Bithoracochaeta leucoprocta (Rb), Limnophora narona (Rb)

Butterflies
Pieridae: Nathalis iole sn (Rb), Pieris rapae sn (Rb)

Beetles
Cantharidae: Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Re, Wms); Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica sp. (Re), Diabrotica undecimpunctata (Rb)

Plant Bugs
Alydidae: Alydus eurinus (Rb), Alydus pilosulus (Rb); Reduviidae: Sinea diadema prd (Rb)


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