Flower-Visiting Insects
of Yellow Lady's Slipper


Cypripedium pubescens (Yellow Lady's Slipper)
(Insects are lured to the flower of this orchid by deception, as it provides neither nectar nor accessible pollen; some bees were successful pollinators of the flowers, while other bees did not carry any pollinia; flies and beetles were not successful pollinators; some insects became trapped in the flowers and died, or they were killed by lurking spirders; observations are from Robertson and Stoutamire as indicated below; because Stoutamire does not always distinguish between Cypripedium pubescens and Cyrpipedium parviflora, some of his observations are applicable to the latter orchid)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apinae): Apis mellifera exp (Stm); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina calcarata exp (Rb, Stm), Ceratina dupla dupla exp dead np (Rb, Stm); Megachilidae (Osmiini): Osmia sp. dead np (Stm), Osmia pumila exp (Stm)

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon splendens exp (Stm), Halictus rubicunda dead np (Stm), Lasioglossum coriaceus dead np (Stm), Lasioglossum pectoralis exp np (Stm), Lasioglossum pilosus pilosus exp np (Stm); Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena nivalis dead np (Stm)

Flies
Syrphidae: Eristalis dimidiatus dead np (Stm); Stratiomyidae: Odontomyia interrupta exp np (Stm); Conopidae: Zodion fulvifrons dead np (Stm)

Beetles
Buprestidae: Anthaxia inornata dead np (Stm)


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