Beyond the honeybee: Why Indiana's native pollinators need our help, too

Who Are Indiana’s native pollinators?

Indiana’s pollinator community is diverse and fascinating. 

Our native bees include bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, and the specialist squash bee, among many others. These insects, along with butterflies, moths, beetles, and flies, perform critical pollination services for crops like apples, blueberries, tomatoes, and watermelons—sometimes even more efficiently than honeybees.

Some species, like bumblebees, are capable of “buzz pollination,” a technique that helps release pollen from certain flowers—something honeybees can’t do. This makes them essential for crops like tomatoes and eggplants.

If you live in Central Indiana, chances are you’re sharing your garden with an incredible variety of native pollinators. Here are just a few you might spot:

• Bumble bees (Bombus spp.): Large, fuzzy, and social; excellent at "buzz pollination" for tomatoes and peppers
  
  

• Cellophane bees (Colletes spp.): Solitary ground nesters that line nests with a waterproof film; great for pollinating spring crops like blueberries
  
  

• Mason bees (Osmia spp.): Solitary and cavity-nesting; excellent orchard pollinators, especially for apples
  
  

• Squash bees (Peponapis spp.): Specialists that pollinate squash and pumpkin flowers early in the morning

• Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus): Known for its long migration and reliance on milkweed as a host plant
  
  

• Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus): Large yellow-and-black butterfly often seen around tulip trees and lilacs
  
  

• Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta): Striking black with red bands; often seen on nettles and composite flowers
  
  

• Pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos): Small, orange-patterned butterfly often hosted by asters
  
  

• Hummingbirds (e.g., ruby-throated hummingbird): These tiny birds pollinate tubular red flowers like columbine and cardinal flower
  
  

• Moths (e.g., hummingbird clearwing moth): Active at dusk or night, visiting evening-blooming flowers like phlox and nicotiana
  
  

Why pollinators matter?

Pollinators don’t just make our gardens beautiful—they also feed us. About one in every three bites of food we eat is made possible by pollinators. They help crops develop fruits and seeds, and they sustain wild plant communities that support birds, mammals, and other wildlife.

Pollinators are also economically valuable. Without their services, farmers would face lower yields, higher costs, and a greater dependence on artificial pollination.

The threats pollinators face

Unfortunately, native pollinators are in trouble. 

While much of the attention has gone to honeybee die-offs, the decline in native pollinator species has been even more severe. Many are losing habitat due to development and monoculture farming. Pesticide exposure, invasive plant species, disease, and climate stressors all compound the problem.

Indiana’s once-common rusty-patched bumble bee is now listed under the Endangered Species Act. Other species may soon follow.