"H. lineata" are common pollinators and are known to collect nectar from flowers. As caterpillars they feed on a huge diversity of host pants and as adults they prefer nectar over flowers. A study from the 1970s focused on "H. lineata" nectar feeding patterns in Emerald Lake, Colorado, specifically on "Aquilegia coerulea" flowers. Of the "H. lineata" individuals that had visited "A. coerulea" flowers, two groups of moths were identified, one with patches of pollen near their eyes and ones with no detectable pollen on their bodies. Between the two groups, tongue length was significantly different, with longer-tongued individuals having no pollen and shorter-tongued individuals having pollen. These results suggest that within "H. lineata", some individuals are effective pollinators while some are not pollinating at all, with shorter-tongued individuals carrying out the most effective pollination.