Identification guide

Meet the eight groups

You don't need to name the species. Just decide which of these eight groups each visitor belongs to.

Counting tip

Not sure? Flies have big eyes and short antennae; bees and wasps have long antennae and a more defined waist.

Large bees that look like bumble bees but for one giveaway: a shiny, hairless black abdomen. Often seen hovering near wood structures.

Large, round, very fuzzy bees with black-and-yellow bands and an audible buzz. Slower, deliberate fliers.

Slender, amber-brown bees with a lightly fuzzy thorax. Watch for full pollen baskets on the hind legs.

Bees under about a centimeter — including sweat bees, some a brilliant metallic green. Quick and easy to overlook.

Smooth, slender insects with a narrow waist and little hair. Legs often dangle in flight.

Two wings instead of four, short antennae, and large eyes. Many mimic bees — the single pair of wings and hovering give them away.

Scaled wings and a coiled feeding tube. Butterflies hold wings up at rest; moths rest with wings flat.

Anything visiting that is not one of the seven groups above — beetles, ants, true bugs, dragonflies and more. If it lands on your plant, it counts.