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Digital Distribution Maps of Important Pollinator Species

Plant pollinators play enormous ecological and economic roles in natural and cultivated landscapes. Recent studies suggest that some species of pollinators are suffering sharp population declines, highlighting the need to increase our understanding of pollinator natural history, population status, and distribution. Understanding this need, the USGS asked NatureServe to develop detailed range maps of five pollinator species, selected using several criteria: each species is a true pollinator, has a wide distribution, pollinates a broad range of plants, is not domesticated, is representative geographically and taxonomically, and is well known. Here you can view the results and download the GIS maps.

Each map was developed by consulting the scientific literature, major museums for specimen locality information, and, in the case of Anna’s Hummingbird, significant ornithological databases covering the range.

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Anna’s hummingbird is an important hummingbird pollinator of the west coast, currently ranging from southeast Alaska south to northwestern Mexico. They are known to pollinate gooseberry, monkey-flower, a penstemon, and a fuchsia. Some populations are migratory while others are sedentary. The range has expanded dramatically northward over the past century. For example, the northern extent of the range in 1930 was San Francisco.

Distribution Map of Anna's Hummingbird

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Citation: NatureServe. 2009. Digital Distribution of Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna), an Important Pollinator. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA.

Credits: We thank the curators and data managers of the following museums and organizations for making specimen and observational records available for use on this project: University of Alaska (Alaska Natural Heritage Program)  |  American Museum of Natural History  |  Arizona Game and Fish Department (Arizona Heritage Data Management System)  |  University of Arizona Museum of Natural History  |  Audubon Christmas Bird Count  |  British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas  |  California Academy of Sciences  |  UCLA Dickey Collection  |  Canadian Ministry of Environment (British Columbia Conservation Data Centre)  |  Canadian Museum of Nature  |  Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates  |  Delaware Museum of Natural History  |  eBird  |  Kansas University Natural History Museum  |  Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science  |  University of Michigan Museum of Zoology  |  Museum of Southwestern Biology  |  New Mexico Ornithological Society  |  University of New Mexico (Natural Heritage New Mexico)  |  Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas  |  Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center  |  Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History  |  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Wildlife Diversity Program)  |  United States National Museum  |  University of Washington Burke Museum, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.

Financial support for this project was generously provided by the USGS.

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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

The Eastern tiger swallowtail is an important insect pollinator of the eastern United States, ranging from North Dakota east through southern Ontario to southern New England and south to the Gulf coast.

Distribution Map of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

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Citation: NatureServe. 2009. Digital Distribution of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), an Important Pollinator. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA.

Credits: We thank Donald Chandler, University of New Hampshire, Robert Dirig, Les Ferge, John Fisher, Gary Marrone, John Nelson, Paul Opler, Mike Reese, David Wright, and Phillip deMaynadier for posting distributional information on their websites and/or responding to our inquiries about the distribution of Papilio glaucus.

Financial support for this project was generously provided by the USGS.

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Hermit Sphinx (Lintneria eremitus)

The hermit sphinx is an important insect pollinator of the eastern United States and southern Canada. Both old and recent records suggest this species was and is widespread in the northeastern USA and adjacent parts of Canada, mostly in Ontario, but occurs mostly in the mountains south of Pennsylvania. It also is widespread from Michigan through northwestern Indiana and the northern prairie region south through much of Missouri. This species is a documented pollinator of the endangered orchid Platanthera leucophaea. Platanthera orchids appear to require sphinx moths for cross pollination.

Sphinx moths have been popular with collectors since the 1800s, providing both current and historic specimen records. This sphinx is also often photographed as both adults and larvae in gardens and images easily found on the Internet (usually as Sphinx eremitus). However it does not come readily to lights so collectors sometimes overlook it.

Distribution Map of Hermit Sphinx

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Citation: NatureServe. 2009. Digital Distribution of the Hermit Sphinx (Lintneria eremitus), an Important Pollinator. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA.

Credits: We thank the curators and data managers of the following museums and organizations for making specimen and observational records available for use on this project: Academy of Natural Sciences  |  Clemson University  |  University of Connecticut  |  Field Museum of Natural History  |  University of Minnesota, St. Paul  |  Milwaukee Public Museum  |  Museum of Comparative Zoology  |  University of New Hampshire  |  New York State Museum  |  North Carolina State University  |  Philip D. Nordin private collection  |  Rutgers University  |  Science Museum of Minnesota  |  Yale Peabody Museum.

Financial support for this project was generously provided by the USGS.

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Rusty-patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis)

The rusty-patched bumble bee is an important insect pollinator of the eastern United States and southern Canada, ranging from Wisconsin east through southern Ontario and Quebec to Maine and south to western North and South Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Although this species was formerly common, there have been only a handful of current (2003-2008) collections despite substantial field effort. The Rusty-patched bumble bee also appears to be a well-defined species with clear identification characteristics.

Distribution Map of Rusty-patched Bumble Bee

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Citation: NatureServe. 2009. Digital Distribution of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis), an Important Pollinator. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA.

Credits: We thank the curators and data managers of the following museums and organizations for making specimen and observational records available for use on this project: American Museum of Natural History  |  Canadian National Collection  |  University of Connecticut  |  University of Delaware  |  Field Museum of Natural History  |  Illinois Natural History Survey  |  University of New Hampshire  |  North Carolina State University  |  Ohio State University  |  Rutgers University  |  West Virginia University  |  Yale Peabody Museum. In addition, we thank Sydney Cameron for responding to our inquiries about the distribution of this species.

Financial support for this project was generously provided by the USGS.

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Southeastern Blueberry Bee (Habropoda laboriosa)

The Southeastern blueberry bee is an insect pollinator of the coastal plain of the United States, ranging from southern New England south to the Gulf coast. This species is regarded as the most effective pollinator for two species of cultivated highbush native blueberries and jasmines. It is economically important but not cultivated or transported. There is substantial literature on its pollination ecology from the southern part of the range.

Distribution Map of Southeastern Blueberry Bee

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Citation: NatureServe. 2009. Digital Distribution of the Southeastern Blueberry Bee (Habropoda laboriosa), an Important Pollinator. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA.

Credits: We thank the curators and data managers of the following museums and organizations for making specimen and observational records available for use on this project: Academy of Natural Sciences (ANSP)  |  American Museum of Natural History  |  University of Connecticut  |  University of Delaware  |  Discover Life in America  |  Florida State University (Florida State Collection of Arthropods)  |  Kansas Natural History Museum  |  North Carolina State University  |  Rutgers University  |  United States Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service Bee Lab)  |  United States Geological Survey  |  United States National Museum (NMNH). In addition, we thank James Cane for responding to our inquiries about the distribution of this species.

Financial support for this project was generously provided by the USGS.

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