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COLORADO POLLINATOR MONTH

Colorado Pollinator Month - Illustration of Bombus Huntii by Faith Williams Dyrsten

June is Colorado Pollinator Month

 

Since 2017, at PPAN's behest, the Governor’s office has designated the entire month of June as Colorado Pollinator Month to celebrate our state’s biodiversity and raise awareness about the important roles that pollinators play in preserving ecosystems and human health, as well as agricultural productivity.

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Participate In Colorado Pollinator Month

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Get a CO Pollinator Month T-Shirt

Every purchase supports PPAN!

Each June, Colorado takes time to celebrate our pollinators and the many ways we can help protect them. To celebrate, we're launching limited edition My MILKWEED Brings All the BUGS to the Yard t-shirts that you can only get during Colorado Pollinator Month!

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PLEDGE to Be Pesticide-Free

Sign the Pollinator-Safe Properties Pledge

Add your home, business, school,  place of worship, community garden, or farm, to a map of safe havens for people, birds, pets, and pollinators. The map provides anonymized research data and inspires neighbors to join you.  

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PROTECT Pollinators
License Plate

Every plate creates new habitat and grows this movement!

Support pollinators everywhere you go by ordering Protect Pollinator specialty plates for your car or motorcycle.
Plate donations fund PPAN's statewide Habitat Grants Program.

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PLANT a Habitat Garden

Restore biodiversity, feed the bees, and enjoy the flowers!

Whether you're 'Coloradoscaping' with all native plants, adding floral forage to your vegetable garden, or planting prairie strips on your farm, every single plant counts! Get involved in habitat gardening today!

Report Your Bug Sightings
All Month & Join Us for
The Big Day of Bugs 

 

Post your photos of pollinators daily on iNaturalist, a community science project:​

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Our June Pollinator Month Events:

EVENT CALENDAR

 Learn About Colorado’s Unique Native Pollinators
COLORADO NATIVE POLLINATING
INSECTS HEALTH STUDY

Learn more about Colorado insects on this interactive map BELOW. Roll over or click on the insects to learn more and also view the Pollinator Study and the state bill that made it possible.

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Insects, often underestimated, play a remarkable role in our state's landscapes. Not only are they cool, but they are also vital contributors to essential ecosystem services. From pollination to waste decomposition, insects support Colorado's diverse landscapes, from the mountains to the rivers. Join us as we delve into the world of this fascinating wildlife and learn about the Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Study (2024) report! 

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Margined Calligrapher Syrphid Flies (Toxomerus marginatus) are widely distributed across North America, from Canada to Mexico. 

Rollover the insects above to learn about them

Illustrations by
Faith Williams Dyrsten

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The Colorado Hairstreak butterfly (Hypaurotis crysalus) became our official state insect in 1996, thanks to a campaign led by Colorado 4th graders!

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Tegeticula yuccasella, a species of Yucca Moth, shares an important mutualistic relationship with Soapweed Yucca.

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Bombus occidentalis, the Western Bumblebee, inhabits a wide array of environments in western North America—from lowland agricultural areas to high alpine meadows.

Pueblo Digger Bee (Anthophora pueblo)

The Pueblo Digger Bee (Anthophora pueblo) is named in honor of the ancestral Pueblo peoples, who built cliff dwellings in the Four Corners region more than 700 years ago.

Osmia lignaria, Blue Orchard Bee

The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria) stands out with its eye-catching metallic blue-black color

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American Rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina americana) add a splash of color to stream and river habitats across North America.

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Dufourea maura (Black Short-faced Bees) are specialists on one of Colorado’s most eye-catching wildflowers – the Harebell
(Campanula sp.)!

Agapostemon coloradinus (the Colorado Striped Sweat Bee) is a colorful creature named after a colorful state!

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Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetles (Cicindela theatina), named for their distinctive coloring and predatory behaviors, are found only in Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park. 

The Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis) has dramatic transparent wings, fuzzy striped bodies, and a hovering flight pattern.

Xenoglossa strenua is one species of solitary, ground-nesting bees commonly known as Squash Bees.

Xenoglossa strenua, Squash Bee
Vella fallax, Antlion

Vella fallax belongs to a group of insects called Antlions. Larvae construct pit traps in loose soil and lie in wait just beneath the surface for ants or other insects to fall in.

Megachile parallela, Parallel Leaf Cutter Bee

Parallel Leaf Cutter Bee (Megachile parallela) is a solitary species with remarkable architectural skills and a strong preference for sunflowers.

Bombus huntii, Hunt's Bumble Bee

The Hunt Bumble Bee (Bombus huntii) is one of Colorado’s distinctive medium sized bumblebees with a colorful rust-orange band on their fuzzy rump.

Apis mellifera, Honey Bee

Though not native to North America, honey bees (Apis mellifera) have become integral to Colorado's agricultural landscape, particularly in alfalfa production across the state's eastern plains.

The Twelve Spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) is a large, conspicuous dragonfly commonly found around Colorado's ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams where sedges grow along the water's edge.

Libellula pulchella, Twelve Spotted Skimmer
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The Uncompahgre Fritillary (Boloria acrocnema) is one of Colorado’s rarest butterflies and is federally listed as an Endangered Species.

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