Water Bees
At least two bee species depend on our aquatic plants.
One solitary bee, Dufourea novaeangliae depends on Pickerel Weed flowers for its supply of pollen. The bee forms pollen balls that are stored in a nest tunnel in sandy banks along with an egg. When the egg hatches, the larva will get a vital protein boost from that pollen for its early life. Without Pickerel Weed, this solitary bee species would not survive.
A small “sweat bee”, Lasioglossum oenothererae, is strictly dependent on the White Water Lily for the pollen supply to support its larvae. Another of our pollinators vitally linked to an aquatic plant.
Other insects, such as many beetles also pollinate these aquatic plants but these two bees can’t survive without them
IMAGES HERE copyright Gray Merriam
EDITORS: Free images at www.stockfreeimages.com/p1/water-lily-bee.html