He-Huckleberry is the only species of Lyonia occurring in Vermont. Its a mid-sized shrub related to blueberries that is fond of wet forests and marshes, and found primarily in southwestern VT. It blooms mid June through early July and is host to three specialist bees. All of them occur in Massachusetts but are yet to be found here.
Melitta melittoides
One of three species of Blunt-horned Bees (genus Melitta) that might occur in the state. Image courtesy of Michael Veit.
Colletes productus
Image courtesy USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
Perdita novaengliae
This very tiny bee is rarely found anywhere but is known to occur sporadically in Massachusetts so might also be in Vermont. Image courtesy of Michael Veit.
Distribution: To see the global Lyonia distribution, check out the iNaturalist account, and toggle the GBIF layer on the map.
