iceland
Figure 1. This is an aerial view of Skeiðarárjökull, a modern glacial outwash plain of the larger Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland, as of 2005. This landscape shows how meltwater from a retreating glacier spreads sediment across a flat plain — an analog for the glacial outwash and tillplain left behind in Indiana at the end of the last Ice Age. Image copyright Henry Loope, used with permission courtesy of Indiana Geological and Water Survey.


Below are opportunities to contribute your photos of pollinators and other beneficial insects that inhabit your yard or local park. By uploading these photos to the iNaturalist projects below, you will bring your insect observations to the attention of scientists studying the insects of the tillplain region of Central Indiana.

Bumble Bees

  • Backyard Bumble Bee Count
    July 23–August 1, 2026

  • Bumble Bees of IA,IL, and IN
    How many kinds of Bumble bees can be found in your backyard or local park? What floral resources are these Bumble bees using? The photos you take of local Bumble bees visitng flowers can be uploaded to iNaturalist. There, your photos will attract the attention of bee researchers who are trying to understand what influences bee diversity and bee-plant interactions in rural, suburban and urban locations. Observations are most useful that include several cropped photos that show the bee from different angles and the flower it is visiting. Additional information can be provided by adding these observation fields:

    Interaction→Visited flower of:
    Pollen present in corbicula or scopa:

  • Queen Quest
    In Central Indiana, the spring emergence of bumble bee queens typically begins in mid-to-late March when temperatures consistently rise above 50°F. Photos uploaded to iNaturalist of early spring bumble bee queens in rural, suburban, or urban areas are needed to detect changes in the timing of queen emergence and the appearance of spring flowers.
    Early spring bumble bee queens are engaged in the energy-demanding tasks of finding and constructing summer nests, laying eggs and incubating larvae, all without the help of workers. Your photos can provide information on the floral resources queens are using to fuel these important activities by adding these observation fields to your observation:

    Interaction→Visited flower of:
    Pollen present in corbicula or scopa:

    Observations are most useful that include several clear, cropped photos that show the bee from different angles and the flower it is visiting.


Solitary Bees


Butterflies


Dragonflies


Damselflies


Fireflies


Ladybugs


Praying Mantids


Wasps


iNaturalist Help

Making Observations

Adding Observation Fields


Identification Help


Inspiration