Flower-Visiting Insects
of Pasture Thistle
Cirsium discolor (Pasture Thistle)
(Long-tongued bees collect pollen or suck nectar; short-tongued bees collect pollen & are non-pollinating; Syrphid flies and beetles feed on pollen & are non-pollinating; the Ichneumon wasp is probably exploring the flowers for nectar; other insects and humminbirds suck nectar; observations are from Reed, Moure & Hurd, and Hilty as indicated below, otherwise they are from Robertson)
Birds
Trochilidae: Archilochus colubris sn (H)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus auricomus sn cp fq (Rb, Re), Bombus fervida (Re), Bombus fraternus sn cp, Bombus griseocallis sn (Rb, Re), Bombus impatiens sn cp (Rb, Re), Bombus pensylvanica sn cp fq (Rb, Re), Bombus vagans (Re), Psithyrus variabilis sn fq; Anthophoridae (Anthophorini): Anthophora terminalis (Re); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina sp. (Re); Anthophoridae (Emphorini): Melitoma taurea sn; Anthophoridae (Epeolini): Triepeolus concavus sn; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes agilis sn (Rb, Re), Melissodes coloradensis sn cp, Melissodes communis sn, Melissodes desponsa sn cp fq olg (Rb, Re), Svastra obliqua obliqua sn cp fq (Rb, Re); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile latimanus sn cp fq (Rb, Re), Megachile relativa (Re)
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon virescens (MH), Halictus confusus (MH), Halictus ligatus cp np, Lasioglossum imitatus cp np, Lasioglossum lineatulus (Re), Lasioglossum pruinosus cp np, Lasioglossum rohweri (Re), Lasioglossum versatus cp np, Lasioglossum zephyrus (Re); Colletidae (Colletinae): Colletes eulophi cp np; Colletidae (Hylaeinae): Hylaeus sp. (Re)
Wasps
Ichneumonidae: Temelucha ferrugineus exp np (Re)
Flies
Syrphidae: Epistrophe emarginata fp np (Re), Toxmerus marginatus fp np (Re); Bombyliidae: Exoprosopa fasciata sn, Systoechus vulgaris sn
Butterflies
Nymphalidae: Danaus plexippus (Rb, H), Speyeria cybele, Speyeria idalia, Vanessa cardui (Rb, H); Pieridae: Colias eurytheme (H), Phoebis sennae; Papilionidae: Papilio cresphontes, Papilio polyxenes asterias (Rb, H)
Skippers
Hesperiidae: Hesperia leonardus pawnee (Re)
Moths
Sphingidae: Hemaris thysbe, Hyles lineata
Beetles
Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica longicornis fp np