Pollinators

JULY 2023 – Saani Borge, a Mosaics in Science intern at San Juan Island National Historical Park, is responsible for a new generation of Very Hungry Caterpillars. Island marble caterpillars, to be precise—an endangered species found only on San Juan Island. As they mature and transform from tiny orange eggs to voracious larvae, scientists working with the captive rearing program coax them gently toward adulthood, and a brighter future for their species.

May 2018 – Butterfly abundances and plant flowering patterns are sensitive indicators of changing climates. The Cascades Butterfly Project is a long-term monitoring program where citizen scientists (volunteers) and National Park Service biologists monitor subalpine butterflies and plant phenology.

Moths are insects and members of the taxonomic order of Lepidoptera. They and their larvae provide food for other insects, fish, and animals, and they are pollinators for many nocturnally flowering plants. Over the last five years, parks in the North Coast and Cascades Network have conducted Bioblitzes to begin developing species lists of moths in our parks.

Syrphid flies, also known as hoverflies or flower flies, feed on nectar or pollen and are frequently observed on flowers in subalpine and alpine ecosystems. However, there is little research on their distribution or importance as pollinators. In 2014, Dr. Jessica Rykken conducted pollinator surveys in Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park Service Complex, and documented 57 taxa of syrphid flies.

Bees are some of the most abundant and important pollinators in the world – especially in mountainous environments. Despite the importance of bees in our natural environments, many national parks do not know what species live within their boundaries. In 2016, to celebrate the Centennial of the National Park Service, North Coast and Cascades national parks focused on inventories of pollinators, including bees.

Most flowering plants rely on insect pollinators for successful reproduction. Thus many plant-feeding animals (like bears, goats, elk) are also dependent on insect pollinators for their well-being. Still, park scientists know relatively little about the diversity of native insect pollinators. We designed a study to document the diversity of two very important groups of insect pollinators in North Cascades and Olympic National Parks: bees and flower flies.

A comprehensive list of butterfly species found in Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park Complex, Olympic National Park, and San Juan Island National Historical Park.