An in-depth study of the insects associated with the transfer of pollen in the American lotus was undertaken in a selected population on the Upper Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin. The study showed that members of the Coleoptera (Coleomegilla fascilabris Malsant, Diabrotica unidecimpunctata howardi Barber, D. virgifera Lec.), Diptera (Eristalis tenax (L.), Parhelophilus laetus (Locw)) and Hymenoptera (Agapostemon radiatus (Say), Apis mellifera L., Dialictus sp., Lasioglossum zonulum (Smith)) were the principal visitors and most obvious vectors in pollination. Although there are features of the flowers of the lotus that indicate cantharophily, such as the diurnal movements of the tepals and the food bodies of the anthers, in the area of study no special beetle-pollination system, as reported for such genera as Magnolia and Nuphar, appears to occur.