Despite sharing the same host plant, these two species have remarkably different distributions within VT. Pickerelweed can be found in emergent wetlands statewide and is often visited by a variety of bees, especially bumble bees.

Pickerelweed Shortface (Dufourea novaeangliae)

This widespread species can often be found in swarms around its host plant, and less often on nearby plants such as Button Bush and White Sweet Clover. Image courtesy Spencer Hardy

Pickerelweed Long-horned Bee (Melissodes apicatus)

Males and females of this localized species are roughly this size of a worker bumblebee. Males often move at high speeds between plants in search of females, making photographing them nearly impossible without a net. Image courtesy Michael Veit.

Pontederia cordata Distribution: To see the global distribution, check out the iNaturalist account, and toggle the GBIF layer on the map.