Backyard Insect Finds: Great Discoveries in Nature & VT Bees: Recorded talks

Back-to-Back Community Presentations: Backyard Insects & Vermont Bees
Two engaging, back-to-back presentations on the insects living right outside our doors.

Backyard Insect Finds: Great Discoveries in Nature (45 minutes)
Naturalist Bernie Paquette presents an image-rich look at backyard insects, highlighting surprising behaviors and overlooked species found in local yards, gardens, and trails. 

New Vermont Bee Checklist and Conservation Rankings Published (45 minutes)
Spencer Hardy (Vermont Center for Ecostudies biologist and Farm Upstream) shares highlights from a new decade-long study documenting 352 wild bee species in Vermont. The research shows 60% may need conservation action, marking a critical step toward protecting pollinators.

Discover how much nature is hiding in plain sight—right here in Jericho.

Recorded Saturday, Feb 21 

Here are the links to the recordings on YouTube & Internet Archive; please feel free to share/embed as you see fit.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7AEK3kFuuw

Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/backyard-insects-bees-jericho-02212026

Directory of neglected floral insect hosts and habitats in Vermont.

Index:

• Table 1. Directory of neglected floral insect hosts and habitats in Vt. 
• Table 2. Notes
• Table 3. Individual Plants for Specialist Bees. 
• Table 4. Bees that are not recorded in VT, but likely to be in VT. and their host plants.
• Table 5. Biophysical regions of Vermont

2026 Goal: Produce more targeted documentation of insects on neglected floral hosts and habitats.

Month(s) to Observe (VT)	Host/Habitat (Genus / Group)	Host Value	iNat Coverage	Key Genera Supported (Vermont)
March–April	Salix spp. (Sandbar willow - Salix exigua and other Salix spp.) Native Willows are among the top insect-host genera in Vermont.	Very High	Very Low	Andrena, Colletes, Perdita, Osmia, Nomada (cleptoparasites). Hosts hundreds of moths, flies, beetles, and sawflies. Note: Salix interior blooms May - July, but the fairy bee only seems to be active late June - July
April	Populus spp. (aspens & poplars)	High	Low	Andrena, Osmia, Colletes, Nomada. Hosts many moth species + leaf miners.
April–May	Viola spp. (native woodland & wetland violets)	High	Low	Andrena, Colletes, Halictus, Small sweat bees (Lasioglossum), Masked bees (Hylaeus). Required hosts for fritillaries.
May–June	Bog / Fen shrubs: Vaccinium / Ericaceae (blueberries, cranberries, Deerberry, leatherleaf - Vaccinium, Chamaedaphne). Also consider commercial blueberry grower sites.	High / Very High	Very Low / Extremely Low	Andrena, Colletes, Osmia, Lasioglossum Halictus, Hylaeus. Hosts: Carex, Parnassia, orchids, calciphiles. Insects that are often absent elsewhere.
May–June	Lupinus (lupines, e.g., Lupinus perennis where present)			Andrena, Colletes, Eucera, Melitta (if present regionally)
May–June	Fabaceae - Native lupines & other natives (if present)			Andrena, Eucera, Colletes
May–July	Fabaceae (legumes broadly; e.g., Trifolium, native Lespedeza)			Andrena, Lasioglossum, Halictus, Bombus, Nomada
May–July	Carex and graminoids (sedges, rushes) - habitat focus.	Very High	Very Low	Lasioglossum, Halictus, Hylaeus, Andrena (indirect), Bombus (nesting/foraging landscape). Essential to skipper butterflies, moths, and leafhoppers.
June	Parnassia (grass-of-Parnassus - calcareous fen specialist)			Andrena, Colletes
June–July	Wetland forbs & fen calciphiles (various forbs)			Andrena, Colletes, Halictus
June–July (short season)	Boreal habitat (dwarf willows, alpine sedges, boreal forbs)			Andrena, Colletes, Bombus, Lasioglossum
July–August	Asteraceae - Cirsium (native thistles)			Andrena, Bombus, Osmia, Melissodes
July–August	Asteraceae - Helianthus (native sunflowers)			Protandrena, Andrena, Colletes, Melissodes
July–September	Powerline corridors & old fields (native composites & legumes)			Andrena, Bombus, Lasioglossum, Melissodes
August–September	Asteraceae - Solidago (goldenrods)			Andrena, Colletes, Perdita, Melissodes, Bombus, Epeolus (cleptoparasites)
August–September	Native Goldenrods & late composites (broad Asteraceae group)			Andrena, Colletes, Perdita, Melissodes, Bombus
September	Asteraceae - Symphyotrichum (asters)			Andrena, Colletes, Perdita, Bombus
?	Betula spp (Birches)	Moderate-high	Moderate	Strong moth and beetle associations.
?	Powerline fields	Moderate	Moderate	Can hold rare asters, legumes, grasses
?	Alpine plants	Moderate	Very Low	Very specialized insects
?	Native Shrubs (Non-showy): (Spiraea alba, Diervilla lonicera, Ceanothus americanus)	Moderate-high	Low	Support specialist moths & pollinators
	Rich Hardwoods			Lots of fun bees on spring ephemerals
For Reference	Wetlands. Several wetland obligates (and many facultative wetland plants) are hosts to specialist bees.			Specialist bees…

Month(s) to Observe (VT)	Host/Habitat (Genus / Group)	Contains Specialist Bee Species? (Y/N)	Notes (specialists, habitat, visitor type, source highlights)
March–April	Salix spp. (Sandbar willow - Salix exigua and other Salix spp.) Native Willows are among the top insect-host genera in Vermont.	Y	Willows are top early-season pollen hosts; many Andrena species oligolectic on Salix; Perdita maculigera recorded on sandbar willow in VT (val, Fowler & Droege).
April	Populus spp. (aspens & poplars)	Y	Early pollen source; some Andrena show Salicaceae preferences; impactful for early-season bees (VAL, Fowler). Common on landscape, uncommon on iNat.Populus is a minor but important early pollen source
April–May	Viola spp. (native woodland & wetland violets)	Y	Viola specialists (e.g., Andrena violae); lawn violets often mask forest violets (VAL, Fowler). Forest and wetland violets are especially missing.
May–June	Bog / Fen shrubs: Vaccinium / Ericaceae (blueberries, cranberries, Deerberry, leatherleaf - Vaccinium, Chamaedaphne). Also consider commercial blueberry grower sites.	Y	Ericaceae specialists known (Andrena spp., Colletes) and important in bog/heath habitats (Fowler, VAL). Hosts: Carex, Parnassia, orchids, calciphiles. Fen: Rarest VT habitat = highest specialization. Cranberries and Deerberry are each host to rare bees not yet recorded from Vermont.
May–June	Lupinus (lupines, e.g., Lupinus perennis where present)	Y	Lupine specialists exist (Perdita, Melitta in some regions); in VT presence limited—check local range (Native Plant Trust, Fowler)
May–June	Fabaceae - Native lupines & other natives (if present)	Y	Some specialist bees tied to Lupinus and other native legumes regionally; check local occurrences (Fowler, Native Plant Trust)
May–July	Fabaceae (legumes broadly; e.g., Trifolium, native Lespedeza)	N	Many legumes attract generalist bees; some fabaceae specialists exist regionally but fewer strict oligoleges in VT (various sources)
May–July	Carex and graminoids (sedges, rushes) - habitat focus.	N	Sedges provide structure and nesting microhabitat; not major pollen hosts but crucial for wetland ecosystems (VAL notes). Sedges: Backbone hosts for wetland & forest insects. Fen & forest sedges are especially missing in iNat postings.
June	Parnassia (grass-of-Parnassus - calcareous fen specialist)	Y	Fen specialist bees (Andrena parnassiae documented on Parnassia); very high conservation value (Fowler, VAL)
June–July	Wetland forbs & fen calciphiles (various forbs)	Y	Many fen plants host specialist Andrena species; note sensitive habitat access (Fowler, UMAINE guide)
June–July (short season)	Boreal habitat (dwarf willows, alpine sedges, boreal forbs)	Y	Boreal/alpine specialists present; high-latitude species and specialists tied to boreal flora (Vermont Atlas of Life, regional studies)
July–August	Asteraceae - Cirsium (native thistles)	Y	Native Cirsium attract specialists; avoid non-native invasive thistles note (Fowler, VAL)
July–August	Asteraceae - Helianthus (native sunflowers)	Y	Helianthus associated with specialist species per Fowler; important in open habitats
July–September	Powerline corridors & old fields (native composites & legumes)	N	Habitat type that concentrates floral resources; supports both generalists and specialists depending on flora present (UMaine guide)
August–September	Asteraceae - Solidago (goldenrods)	Y	Solidago hosts many specialist bees (one of top genera for specialists per Fowler)
August–September	Native Goldenrods & late composites (broad Asteraceae group)	Y	Asteraceae as a family hosts large numbers of specialist bee spp.; goldenrods especially important (Fowler)
September	Asteraceae - Symphyotrichum (asters)	Y	Late-season important pollen resources; specialists known (Fowler)
?	Betula spp (Birches)		Gray birch & paper birch under-posted
?	Powerline fields		Excellent insect diversity
?	Alpine plants		Extremely short season
?	Native Shrubs (Non-showy): (Spiraea alba, Diervilla lonicera, Ceanothus americanus)		Bloom briefly or inconspicuously
For Reference	Wetlands. Several wetland obligates (and many facultative wetland plants) are hosts to specialist bees.		Several wetland obligates (and many facultative wetland plants) are hosts to specialist bees. Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and Water Lilies (Family Nymphaeaceae) are both reported as host plants for rare and uncommon bee species - the Pickerelweed Longhorn (Melissodes apicatus) and Water-lily Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum nelumbonis) respectively. A number of other uncommon to rare bees appear to be associated with wetlands, but not particular flowers. The Nelumbo Masked Bee (Hylaeus nelumbonis), Ocean Grove Metallic-Sweat bee (Lasioglossum oceanicum), and several others appear to be confined to wetlands. Wooded wetlands contain unique plant-bee associations—for example, Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and (Colletes banksi) and Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) and Kalmia Miner Bee (Andrena kalmiae), as well as abundant standing dead wood, which is an important nesting resource for many bees.
For Reference	VT F&W Vermont Bird and Pollinator-Friendly Perennial Species List

The lists above are of targeted plants - insects on neglected floral hosts and habitats.

The list below is of Individual Plants for Specialist Bees. 

(There is some overlap with the target list above.)

Month(s) to Observe (VT)	Host/Habitat (Genus / Group)	Key Genera Supported (Vermont)	Contains Specialist Bee Species? (Y/N)
March–April	Willows	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
May-June	Shrubby Dogwoods (the Swida group)	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
Late May-June	He-Huckleberry (Lyonia), fond of wet forests and marshes, and found primarily in southwestern VT	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
Late June/July-Aug/Sept. L.T. June-Aug	Loosestrifes. So far most of the recent VT records have been associated with Fringed Loosestrife (L. ciliata), though Whorled Loosestrife (L. quadrifolia) and Swamp Candles (L. terrestris) are also used. It is unclear if the non-native Lysimachia species are of any value to these bees.	VCE Specialist Bees: Loosestrife Bees (Genus Macropis).  They are unique in collecting oils from our native Loosestrifes (Genus Lysimachia)	Y
June-Oct	Thistle	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
June-Aug. Some through Sept/Oct	Clammy Ground Cherry (Physalis), also tomatillos and domesticated Ground Cherries	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
June-Sept	Pickerelweed	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
July-Sept (Native), May-Sept (non native)	Bellflowers, native and non-native	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
Late July-Sept	Sunflowers	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
Late July-Sept/Oct	Goldenrod	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
Aug-Oct	Asters	VCE Specialist Bees	Y
See by plant below	VCE Plants hosting a single bee species. See individual plant species below.	VCE Plants hosting a single bee species. See individual plant species below.
March–April	Spring Beauty	Spring Beauty Mining Bee (Andrena erigeniae	Y
Mid-to-late April	Trout Lily	Trout-lily Mining Bee (Andrena erythronii)	Y
April–May	Toothworts	Mustard Miner Bee (Andrena arabis)	Y
April-May	Geranium	Cranesbill Miner (Andrena distans)	Y
Late April into May	Bellwort		Y
April-June	May have a preference for the blue violet species.	Violet Miner (Andrena violae)	Y
May-June	Rockcress	Mustard Miner Bee (Andrena arabis)	Y
May-June Some spp. July-Aug	Golden Alexander	Golden-Alexanders Mining Bee (Andrena ziziae)	Y
May/June - Fall	Appalachian Barren-Strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides) & Cinquefoils (Potentilla)	Andrena ziziaeformis	Y
Late May-July	Rhododendron	Azalea Mining Bee (Andrena cornelli)	Y
Early to mid June	Virginia Waterleaf	Waterleaf Mining Bee (Andrena geranii)	Y
June-October	Viper's-Buglosses (Genus Echium)	Viper's Bugloss Small-Mason (Hoplitis anthocopoides)	Y
June/July-Sept/Oct	Common evening-primrose	Evening Primrose Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum oenotherae)	Y
June-July	American Chestnut		Y
June/July-Aug/Sept	Wild Bergamot	Beebalm Shortface (Dufourea monardae)	Y
Late June-July	Winter squash or Zucchini	Pruinose Squash Bee (Peponapis Pruinosa)	Y
Late June-July	Only known from a few sites in VT	Squash Longhorn-Cuckoo (Triepeolus remigatus)	Y
Late Aug-Sept	Fen Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia glauca). It is limited to fens.	Parnassia Miner (Andrena parnassiae)	Y

Bees that are not recorded in VT, but likely to be in VT.

Source: An Annotated Checklist of the Bees of Vermont with Conservation Status and Natural History Notes. NE Naturalist, Volume 32, Monograph 27, 2025.    - Hardy, Veit, Milam, Ascher, Sharp, et al

Bee	Host Plant (or host bee)	Common name
Andrena (Trachandrena) rehni	Castanea dentata	American Chestnut
Andrena uvulariae	Uvularia grandiflora (plant seeds in spring), Uvularia sessilifolia, Uvularia perfoliata.	merrybells or bellworts, include Large-flowered bellwort, Sessile-leaf bellwort, and Perfoliate bellwort.
Perdita (Alloperdita) novaengliae	Lyonia ligustrina	He-Huckleberry, or maleberry
Habropoda laboriosa	Vaccinium	Blueberries
Epeoloides pilosulus	Cleptoparasite of Macropis spp./   (L. ciliata),(L. quadriflora), and (L. terrestris)	Macropis needs oils to feed their young, with common host plants including Fringed Loosestrife (L. ciliata), Prairie Loosestrife (L. quadriflora), and Swamp Candles (L. terrestris), though L. ciliata seems a key one in the East
Triepeolus obliterates	Associated with Melissodes apicatus (Pickerelweed Longhorn Bee). Plant host for host bee (M.a.) is Pontederia cordata	Obliterated Longhorn-Cuckoo,(Pickerelweed)
Nomada rodecki	Cleptoparasite of Melitta spp.
Colletes productus	Lyonia ligustrina. Likely host of Epeolus inornatus	He-Huckleberry, or maleberry
Colletes validus	Vaccinium. Sand nesting, a lower Connecticut River Valley search is warranted.	cranberry, blueberry, bilberry, lingonberry, and huckleberry.
Sphecodes banksii	Possibly a Cleptoparasite of Lasioglossum vierecki	L.v. is a generalist bee
Anthidium (Anthidium) florentinum	Wool carder bee: strong preferences for flowers in the Asteraceae (sunflower/daisy family), Lamiaceae (mint family), and Fabaceae (pea/bean family).
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) nanu	Wool carder bee: primarily uses flowers from the Asteraceae family (thistles, knapweeds, sunflowers, etc.) as food sources, including Arctium, Centaurea, Cirsium, Grindelia, Helianthus, Inula, and Onopordum. They also visit legumes like Lotus corniculatus and utilize various plant stems (like thistles, raspberry
Stelis (Dolichostelis) louisae	Presumed host: Megachile campanulae. Plant: Campanula	M.c. uses Bellflowers (Campanulaspecies), especially Tall Bellflower, for pollen, though it also visits other plants like Milkweeds, Goldenrods, Mallows, and Mountain Mints, and uses plant resins for nesting.
Coelioxys (Paracoelioxys) funerarius	Cleptoparasitic on Megachile
Coelioxys (Xerocoelioxys) immaculatus	Likely associated with Megachile addenda
Chelostoma (Foveosmia) campanularum	Campanulaceae	Bellflower family
Osmia (Diceratosmia) conjuncta	Snail-nesting species.
Macropis (Macropis) ciliata	Yellow Loosestrife plants (genus Lysimachia) for vital floral oils and pollen to feed their young, with specific host plants including Fringed Loosestrife (L. ciliata), Swamp Loosestrife (L. terrestris), and Fourflower Loosestrife (L. quadrifolia), though they gather nectar from other flowers like Dogbanes (Apocynum).
Melitta (Cilissa) americana	Cranberry Specialist
Melitta (cilissa) eickworti	Vaccinium stamineum L.	Deerberry

Saxon's Hill (Essex, VT) bee records from Spencer Hardy - Species list

With an added column indicating species Bernie has not recorded anywhere.

Species	Num of Records	Status	Sand specialist	Bernie observed in VT	Months active	Prime month active
Andrena carolina	1			NO	May-June	End of May, early June
Andrena ceanothi	4	S3		NO	May-June	End of May
Andrena commoda	1	S3		NO	May-June	Mid June
Andrena miranda	1	S3		NO	June-July	Mid July
Andrena placata	7			NO	Aug-Sept	Mid Aug
Andrena regularis	1			NO	May-June	End of May
Coelioxys moestus	1			NO	June-Aug	June-Aug
Coelioxys octodentatus	1			NO	June-Aug	June-Aug
Halictus parallelus	1	S2		NO	July, Sept, Oct	July
Hoplitis pilosifrons	2			NO	June-Aug	June
Hoplitis truncata	2	S1	Yes	NO	July	July
Lasioglossum leucocomum	6			NO	May-Sept	May, July
Lasioglossum tegulare	1		Yes	NO	May-Sept	July
Lasioglossum vierecki	7	S3	Yes	NO	May-Sept	May
Megachile brevis	6			NO	May-Sept	July
Megachile frigida	1			NO	June-Aug	June, July
Nomada armatella	2	SU		NO	May-June	May
Nomada cressonii	3			NO	April-July	May
Nomada tiftonensis	1	S2?	Yes	NO	July-Aug	July-Aug
Osmia atriventris	4			NO	April-Sept	May
Osmia distincta	2	S2S3		NO	May-July	Early July
Osmia virga	4	S2?		NO	May-July	May
Pseudopanurgus aestivalis	1	S2	Yes	NO	April-Sept	August
Sphecodes aroniae	1	S1	Yes	NO	May, June, Sept	May-Sept
Sphecodes dichrous	2	S3?	?	NO	April-Aug	July-Aug
Sphecodes illinoensis	1	S2S3	?	NO	June-Sept	June=Aug
Sphecodes mandibularis	3	S2	?	NO	June-Aug, Oct	July-Aug

Biophysical regions of Vermont

Champlain Valley	Chittenden County (Northern Valley): Burlington, Colchester, Essex, Jericho, Milton, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston, Winooski, St. George, Richmond, Westford. Addison County (Central/Southern Valley): Middlebury, Vergennes, Addison, Bridport, Bristol, Cornwall, Ferrisburgh, Leicester, Lincoln, Monkton, New Haven, Panton, Shoreham, Weybridge, Whiting. Grand Isle County (Islands): Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, North Hero, South Hero. Other Towns: Charlotte, Hinesburg, Starksboro, and areas near the lake, like Panton, Orwell, and parts of the Otter Creek flow.
Champlain Hills	Covers hilly terrain between the Champlain Valley and Green Mountains, including towns like Underhill, Cambridge, Fletcher, Fairfax, and Westford
Taconic Mountain Vermont Valley	The Vermont Valley is a lowland region between the Taconic Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Bennington: Located at the convergence of the Vermont Valley and the Walloomsac River valley. Manchester: Nestled in a valley between the Green and Taconic mountains. Pittsford (including the village of Florence): The valley floor generally falls within this biophysical region. Rutland (City and Town): Situated in a broad valley carved by Otter Creek, between the Green Mountains and the Taconic Range. The Taconic Mountains region runs parallel to the Vermont Valley to the west, extending from near Brandon in the north to the Massachusetts and New York borders in the south. Danby: The mountains broaden north of here, featuring prominent peaks. Dorset: Home to Dorset Mountain, one of the tallest peaks in the range. Hubbardton: Location of the Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park. Mendon: The area where Killington meets Chittenden and Mendon is near the Taconic range. Mount Tabor: The region extends south of Danby through here. Pawlet (specifically North Pawlet Hills): Features rounded, forested peaks in the northern Taconics. Poultney: The area around Lake St. Catherine here contains extensive slate quarries and is part of the range foothills. Sunderland: Chiselville village and Kelley Stand place are in this town located in the Taconic range. Tinmouth: Tinmouth Mountain overlooks the Valley of Vermont to the east of this town. Wells: The ridgeline of Saint Catherine Mountain is visible from here.
Southern Green Mountains	The Southern Green Mountains biophysical area spans across parts of Bennington, Windham, Rutland, Windsor, and Addison counties: Andover, Arlington, Bennington, Brattleboro, Dorset, Gifford Woods (State Park in Sherburne, which is now incorporated into Killington), Jamaica, Killington (formerly Sherburne), Londonderry, Ludlow, Manchester, Mendon, Newfane, Plymouth, Pownall, Putney, Shrewsbury, Stratton, Townshend, Weston,   Wilmington
Northern Green Mountains	Towns in Vermont's Northern Green Mountains region, often highlighted along the Green Mountain Byway, include Stowe, Waterbury, Cambridge, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Morrisville, Jeffersonville, and Waitsfield
Southern Vermont Piedmont	The Southern Vermont Piedmont (SP) covers towns in southeastern Vermont, characterized by rolling hills and river valleys, including areas around the Deerfield River, with key towns like Brattleboro, Dummerston, Putney, Newfane, Marlboro, Wilmington, Halifax, and parts of Bennington County.
Northern Vermont Piedmont	The Northern Vermont Piedmont (NP) covers central Vermont's rolling hills, including major towns like Montpelier, Barre, and surrounding areas contrasting with the mountains (Green Mountains/Champlain Valley), featuring diverse forests and rivers, with towns like Marshfield, Cabot, Wolcott, Eden, and parts of Berlin, East Montpelier, and Stowe fitting within its hilly landscape.
Northeastern Highlands	The majority of towns in the Northeastern Highlands biophysical region of Vermont are located in the counties of Essex, Orleans, and Caledonia, a region often referred to as the Northeast Kingdom. The Victory Management Unit, which includes Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area and Victory State Forest, covers a large portion of the southern part of this region.  Averill, Bloomfield, Brighton (includes the village of Island Pond), Brunswick, Burke, Canaan, Charleston (eastern half is in this region), Concord, East Haven, Ferdinand, Granby, Guildhall, Kirby, Lemington, Lewis, Lunenburg, Lyndon (includes the village of Lyndonville), Maidstone, Morgan, Newark, Newport , Norton, Sheffield, Stannard, Sutton, Victory, Waterford, Westmore .