Horsemint at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

The native bee Perdita gerhardi is a specialist (oligolege) on horsemint, pictured here, exhibiting a strong preference for collecting pollen from this plant species. Horsemint grows well on disturbed sandy soils and can occur in developed areas where such soil disruption can be common. This type of soil disturbance can, therefore, be associated with frequent observation of Perdita gerhardi.