As we near the end of Round One, we start to move into the insect brackets. Here, two flying pollinators face off: the Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens deayi) and the Pearl Crescent Butterfly (Phyciodes tharos).
The bumble bee may not enjoy the fame of the honey bee, but they remain one of the most important pollinators of eastern North America. This adaptable insect can be found in rural areas, suburbs, and even cities. They may not make honey, but greenhouses have been known to put them to work pollinating their plants, particularly tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, and pumpkins. Bumble bees do collect and store nectar for their young, but not in the way the honey bee does. They don’t make honey, and they don’t put it into long-term storage for the winter the way honey bees do. Yes, these bees defend their nest and they do sting, but only if provoked, so give them their space. You should check out the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for more information about these friends of pollinating plants.
The Pearl Crescent is a butterfly found across North America, from Mexico to southern Canada, and particularly in Ontario. Like the Monarch, the species has several broods through the year, as it migrates from Canada in April to the southern United States and Mexico in November. Like the bumble bee, the Pearl Crescent butterfly is a pollinator as it gathers nectar from such flowers as the dogbane, the swamp milkweed, asters, and winter cress. Without either of these creatures, native plants and crops would suffer, so it’s vital that we give them their space. You can learn more about the Pearl Crescent at the Alabama Butterfly Atlas.
So, now it’s time to decide which pollinator has your favour. Will the busy bumble bee fly on to round two? Or will the Pearl Crescent flutter through? The choice is yours, so cast your ballot now.