Insects Carrying Milkweed Pollinia

Texas Monarch Watch

Return to Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn

Pollinaria Primers

Brief discussion of milkweed pollination via pollinaria by Monarch Watch

Diagram of Asclepias pollinarium - Discussion of pollination of succulent Old World relatives of milkweed

This highly specialized pollen-holding structure, as a whole, is known as a pollinarium (pollinaria plural),
while the more visible pollen-holding yellow sack is a pollinium or pollinia plural.

These unique pollen structures are used in two plant families, the Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed) and the Orchidaceae (Orchids).
(Note, the Asclepiadaceae is now considered by some to be a subfamily of Apocynaceae)

Close-up photos and discussion of the development of common milkweed from flowers to seeds - Brian Johnson

Thunbnail images below are posted to BugGuide. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Please let me know of any other pollinia pix I may have missed. Thanks!

Heteroptera / Coleoptera / Diptera / Lepidoptera / Hymenoptera

References

Heteroptera - True Bugs

Lygaeidae - Seed Bugs

Large Milkweed Bug - Oncopeltus fasciatus - male - female

Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas)
Indiana

(It's not totally clear, but there appear to be pollinaria on the middle and hind tarsi of the upper bug.)

Coleoptera - Beetles

Delta Flower Beetle with pollinaria - Trigonopeltastes delta

Trigonopeltastes delta (Forster)
Texas

on Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

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Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles

Soldier beetle with a milkweed pollinium on each foot - Cantharis rufa

Cantharis rufa Linnaeus
Vermont

a milkweed pollinium on each foot

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Beetle on Milkweed in Petersburg, Virginia - Chauliognathus marginatus

Chauliognathus marginatus (Fabricius)
Virginia

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Cantharidae - Soldier Beetles

Leatherwing beetle with milkweed pollinia - Chauliognathus marginatus

Chauliognathus marginatus (Fabricius)
Tennessee

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Scarabaeidae - Scarab Beetles

Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) - Euphoria sepulcralis

Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius)
Texas

on the flower of Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula, Asclepiadaceae)

Diptera - True Flies

Tabanidae - Horse Flies

Hybomitra hinei (Johnson)
Massachusetts

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Mydidae - Mydas Flies

Mydas tibialis Wiedemann
New Jersey

"on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) in my garden. It picked up some milkweed pollinia on its tarsi."

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Syrphidae - Syrphid Flies

Syrphid Fly with Milkweed Pollinaria - Merodon equestris

Merodon equestris (Fabricius)
Illinois

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Conopidae - Thick-headed Flies

Fly from Adirondacks - Physocephala furcillata

Physocephala furcillata (Williston)
New York

On Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

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Conopidae - Thick-headed Flies

Physocephala furcillata (Williston)
New Hampshire

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Muscidae - House Flies and kin

Minnesota

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Calliphoridae - Blow Flies

Pollenia sp.
Pennsylvania

"Found this fly on Milkweed and noticed pollinia attached to its left hind leg. In the second image the pollinia are in focus."

Lepidoptera

Danainae - Milkweed Butterflies

Danaus gilippus (Cramer)
Alabama

(When enlarged, there appears to be a pollinarium on the left middle tarsus)

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Sesiidae - Clearwing Moths

Melittia cucurbitae (Harris)
Rhode Island

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Zygaenidae - Leaf Skeletonizer Moths

Harrisina americana (Guérin)
Pennsylvania

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Geometridae - Geometrid Moths

Is this a Confused Eusarca or Maple Spanworm Moth ? - Eusarca

Eusarca sp.
Ohio

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Sphingidae - Sphinx Moths

Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval)
Ohio

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Arctiinae - Tiger and Lichen Moths

Moths - Cisseps fulvicollis - male - female

Cisseps fulvicollis (Hübner)
Pennsylvania

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Noctuidae - Owlet Moths

Noctuidae: Apamea verbascoides - Apamea verbascoides

Apamea verbascoides (Guenée)
North Dakota

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Noctuidae - Owlet Moths

Variegated Cutworm with milkweed pollinia - Peridroma saucia

Peridroma saucia (Hübner)
Wisconsin

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Noctuidae - Owlet Moths

Trachea delicata (Grote)
Wisconsin

Hymenoptera - Stinging Wasps and Bees

"Symphyta" - Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps

Argidae - Argid Sawflies

Arge illuminata (D.R. Smith)
New Mexico

on Asclepias subverticillata

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Superfamily Sphecoidea

Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

Scoliid wasp, a large black wasp with four yellow spots - Campsomeris quadrimaculata

Scoliid wasp - Campsomeris quadrimaculata

Campsomeris quadrimaculata (Fabricus)
Ontario, Canada

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

wasp with pollinia - Sphex ichneumoneus - male

Sphex ichneumoneus (Linnaeus)
New York

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

GreatGoldenDiggerWasp - Sphex ichneumoneus

Sphex ichneumoneus (Linnaeus)
Pennsylvania

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

Sphex ichneumoneus (Linnaeus)
Iowa

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

Sphex ichneumoneus (Linnaeus)
California

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

Sphex pensylvanicus Linnaeus
Ontario, Canada

on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

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Sphecidae - Thread-waisted Wasps

Sphex pensylvanicus Linnaeus
New Mexico

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Superfamily Apoidea

Colletidae - Plasterer and Masked Bees

Hylaeus modestus Say
Pennsylvania

"Milkweed pollinia are attached to the mandible of this bee."

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Halictidae - Sweat Bees

Halictus rubicundus Christ
Pennsylvania

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Halictidae - Sweat Bees

Lasioglossum Sweat Bee - Lasioglossum - female

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sp.
New York

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Andrenidae - Mining Bees

Perdita sp.
California

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Megachilidae - Leaf-cutter Bees

Leaf-cutter bee. Megachile? - Megachile mendica

Leaf-cutter bee. Megachile? - Megachile mendica - female

Megachile mendica Cresson
Missouri

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Megachilidae - Leaf-cutter Bees

Megachile frigida Smith
New York

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Apidae - Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees

Nomadinae - Cuckoo Bees

Epeolini sp.
Washington

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Xylocopinae - Carpenter Bees

Xylocopa micans Lepeletier
Texas

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Xylocopinae - Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bee with pollinia - Xylocopa virginica - female

Xylocopa virginica Linnaeus - Eastern Carpenter Bee
Pennsylvania

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Xylocopinae - Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa virginica - female

Xylocopa virginica Linnaeus - Eastern Carpenter Bee
North Carolina

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Xylocopinae - Carpenter Bees

Xylocopa varipuncta Patton
California

on Mexican Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)

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Xylocopinae - Carpenter Bees

Valley Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa varipuncta - male

Xylocopa varipuncta Patton
Arizona

on Antelope Horns Milkweed

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus bimaculatus Cresson
Indiana

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bumbles on milkweed - Bombus griseocollis - male

Bombus griseocollis (DeGeer)
Missouri

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus griseocollis with pollinaria - Bombus griseocollis - female

Bombus griseocollis (DeGeer)
Texas

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer) - Bombus pensylvanicus - male

Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer)
Texas

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus perplexus Cresson
New York

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus perplexus Cresson
Virginia

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Bombus perplexus Cresson
Maryland

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Bombini - Bumble Bees

Another Bombus, the confusing one - Bombus perplexus - male

Bombus perplexus Cresson
Pennsylvania

On common milkweed

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Centridini - Centridine Bees

Centris (Paracentris) sp.
California

on Desert Milkweed (Asclepias erosa)

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Apini - Honey Bees

Honeybee (worker) - Apis mellifera - Apis mellifera - female

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Pennsylvania

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Apini - Honey Bees

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Wisconsin

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Apini - Honey Bees

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
New Hampshire

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Apini - Honey Bees

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Maine

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Apini - Honey Bees

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
New York

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Apini - Honey Bees

Honeybee snared by milkweed - Apis mellifera

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Missouri

"After the bee freed herself, I was able to get a shot of her fore and hind legs, each with a bisaccate pollinum attached."

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Apini - Honey Bees

Apis mellifera Linnaeus - Apis mellifera

Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Texas

honey bee with pollinia on antelopehorn milkweed (Asclepias asperula, Asclepiadaceae)

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Superfamily Tiphioidea

Tiphiidae - Tiphiid Wasps

Tiphid wasp - Myzinum quinquecinctum - female

Myzinum quinquecinctum (Fabricius)
Illinois

on Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

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Tiphiidae - Tiphiid Wasps

unknown wasp species - Myzinum quinquecinctum - female

Myzinum quinquecinctum (Fabricius)
Iowa

on Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

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Superfamily Pompiloidea

Pompilidae - Spider Wasps

Pepsis pallidolimbata Lucas
New Mexico

on Horsetail Milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata)

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Pompilidae - Spider Wasps

Pepsis sp.
California

on Asclepias fascicularis growing around a spring on our property; there were scores of these guys on the Milkweed.

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Scoliid Wasp - Campsomeris plumipes - female

Campsomeris plumipes (Drury)
North Carolina

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Wasp - What's going on here? - Campsomeris plumipes - male

Campsomeris plumipes (Drury)
Ohio

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Campsomeris plumipes (Drury)
Maryland

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Campsomeris plumipes (Drury) - Campsomeris plumipes - female

Campsomeris plumipes (Drury)
Texas

on flowers of green antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis, Asclepiadaceae)

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Campsomeris tolteca (Saussure) - Campsomeris tolteca - male

Campsomeris tolteca (Saussure)
Texas

middle photo shows male sleeping aggrigation

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Scoliid wasp - Crioscolia alcione - female

Crioscolia alcione (Banks)
Colorado

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Scolia nobilitata Fabricius
Colorado

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Scoliidae, dorsal - Scolia nobilitata - male

Scoliidae with pollinia - Scolia nobilitata - male

Scolia nobilitata Fabricius
Minnesota

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Scoliidae - Scoliid Wasps

Unidentified, Maybe Bee Wolf or Digger Wasp? - Trielis octomaculata - female

Trielis octomaculata (Say)
New Mexico

On poison milkweed

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Superfamily Vespoidea

Vespidae - Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps

Eumeninae - Potter and Mason Wasps

Pterocheilus quinquefasciatus Say
Oklahoma

on Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

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Eumeninae - Potter and Mason Wasps

Pterocheilus sp.
California

on Woolly Milkweed (Asclepias vestita)

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Masarinae - Pollen Wasps

Pseudomasaris coquilletti Rohwer
California

on Woolly Milkweed (Asclepias vestita)

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Masarinae - Pollen Wasps

Pseudomasaris coquilletti Rohwer
California

(majorly stuck!)

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Polistinae - Paper Wasps

Polistes aurifer de Saussure
California

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Polistinae - Paper Wasps

Is this a Paper Wasp? - Polistes dorsalis - male

Polistes dorsalis (Fabricius)
Arizona

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Polistinae - Paper Wasps

Polistes dominula (Christ)
New York

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Vespinae - Yellowjackets

Yellowjacket - Vespula sp. - Dolichovespula arenaria - male

Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius)
New York

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Vespinae - Yellowjackets

Nectar feeding wasp - Dolichovespula arenaria - female

Nectar feeding hornet - Dolichovespula arenaria

Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius)
Michigan

Selected Online and Print References of Milkweed Pollination

Compilation of Pollinator Records for 160 Milkweed Species in the Family Asclepiadaceae - Ollerton & Liede, 1997

Insects visiting Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Tall Green Milkweed (Asclepias hirtella) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Prairie Milkweed (Asclepias sullivanti) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) with and without pollinia

Insects visiting Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) with and without pollinia

Barad, G. 1990. Pollination of stapeliads. Cactus and Succulent Journal 62: 130–140.

Bertin, R.I. & M.F. Willson. 1980. Effectiveness of diurnal and nocturnal pollination of two milkweeds. Canadian Journal of Botany 58: 1744-1746.

Betz, R.F., R.D. Struven, J.E. Wall and F.B. Heitler. 1994. Insect pollinators of 12 milkweed (Asclepias) species. Pp. 45–60. In: R.G. Wickett, P.D. Lewis, A. Woodliffe & P. Pratt. (editors). Proceedings of the Thirteenth North American Prairie Conference: Spirit of the Land, Our Prairie Legacy. Windsor, Ontario: City of Windsor Department of Parks & Recreation. (Full PDF)

Bookman, S.S. 1981. The floral morphology of Asclepias speciosa (Asclepiadaceae) in relation to pollination and a clarification in terminology for the genus. American Journal of Botany 68(5): 675-679.

Borders, B. & E. Lee-Mäder. 2014. Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner's Guide. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, OR. 146 pp. (Full PDF)

Broyles, S.B. & R. Wyatt. 1990. Paternity analysis in a natural population of Asclepias exaltata: multiple paternity, functional gender, and the "pollen-donation hypotyhesis". Evolution 44: 1454-1468.

Faust, L. & H. Faust. 2014. The occurrence and behaviors of North American fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) on milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L. The Coleopterists Bulletin 68(2): 283-291.

Fishbein, M. & D.L. Venable. 1996. Diversity and temporal change in the effective pollinators of Asclepias tuberosa. Ecology 77(4): 1061-1073.

Fritz, R.S. & D.H. Morse. 1981. Nectar parasitism of Asclepias syriaca by ants: effect on nectar levels, pollinea insertion, pollinaria removal and pod production. Oecologia, 50: 316–319.

Frost, S.W. 1965. Insects and pollinia. Ecology 46: 556–558.

Harold, K. 1985. The worth of pollinarium. Asklepios 35: 29.

Ivey, C.T., P. Martinez & R. Wyatt. 2003. Variation in pollinator effectiveness in swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata (Apocynaceae). American Journal of Botany 90: 214–225.

Jennersten, O. & D.H. Morse. 1991. The quality of pollination by diurnal and nocturnal insects visiting common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. The American Midland Naturalist 125: 18-28.

Kephart, S.R. 1979. The floral ecology and reproductive isolation of three sympatric species of Asclepias. PhD thesis, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Kephart, S.R. 1983. The partitioning of pollinators among three species of Asclepias. Ecology, 64: 120-133.

Kephart, S. & K. Theiss. 2004. Pollinator-mediated isolation in sympatric milkweeds (Asclepias): do floral morphology & insect behavior influence species boundaries? New Phytologist 161: 265-277. (Full PDF)

Kunze, H. 1991. Structure and function in asclepiad pollination. Plant Systematics and Evolution 176: 227-253.

Kunze, H. & S. Liede. 1991. Observations on pollination in Sarcostemma (Asclepiadaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 178: 95-105.

Macior, L.W. 1965. Insect adaptation and behavior in Asclepias pollination. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 92: 114-126.

Morse, D.H. 1981. Modification of bumblebee foraging: the effect of milkweed pollinia. Ecology 62: 89–97.

Morse, D.H. 1982. The turnover of milkweed pollinia on bumble bees, and implications for outcrossing. Oecologia 53: 187–196.

Morse, D.H. 1985. Milkweeds and their visitors.Scientific American 253: 90-96.

Morse, D.H. 1986. Inflorescence choice and time allocation by insects foraging on milkweed. Oikos 46: 229-236.

Morse, D.H. & R.S. Fritz. 1983. Contributions of diurnal and nocturnal insects to the pollination of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) in a pollen-limited system. Oecologia, 60: 190-197.

Newton, L.E. 1984. Terminology of structures associated with pollinia of the Asclepiadaceae. Taxon 33(4): 619-621.

Ollerton, J. & S. Liede. 1997. Pollination systems in the Asclepiadaceae: a survey and preliminary analysis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 62(4): 593-610. (Abstract)

Padrón, P. 1975. Los Danaidae de las Islas Canarias. Shilap. Revista de Lepidopterología 3: 217-220.

Pleasants, J.M. 1991. Evidence for short-distance dispersal of pollinia in Asclepias syriaca L. Functional Ecology, 5: 75–82.

Pliske, T.E. 1975. Pollination of pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants by male lepidoptera. Environmental Entomology 4: 474-479.

Robertson, C. 1887a. Insect relations of certain asclepiads. I. Botanical Gazette 12: 207–216.

Robertson, C. 1887b. Insect relations of certain asclepiads. II. Botanical Gazette 12: 244-250.

Robertson C. 1891. Flowers and insects, Asclepiadaceae to Scrophulariaceae. Transactions of the Academy of Science 5: 569–598.

Southwick, E.E. 1983. Nectar biology and nectar feeders of common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 110: 324–334.

Theiss, K, S. Kephart & C. Ivey. 2007. Pollinator effectiveness on co-occurring milkweeds (Asclepias; Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 94: 507-516.

Wyatt, R. 1980. The impact of nectar-robbing ants on the pollination system of Asclepias curassavica. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 107: 24-28

Wyatt, R. & T.R. Shannon. 1986. Nectar production and pollination of Asclepias exaltata. Systematic Botany 11: 326-334

Willson, M.F. & R.I. Bertin. 1979. Flower-visitors, nectar production, and inflorescence size of Asclepias syriaca. Canadian Journal of Botany 57: 1380-1388.

Willson, M.E., R.I. Bertin, & P.W. Price.1979. Nectar production and flower visitors of Asclepias verticillata. The American Midland Naturalist 102: 23-35.