明亮熊蜂和意大利蜜蜂在温室桃园的访花行为和传粉生态学比较

2004—2006年连续3年应用明亮熊蜂和意大利蜜蜂在北京为温室桃园传粉,对其访花行为和传粉生态学进行研究.结果表明：两种蜂都可以替代人工掸花为温室桃园提供有效的传粉服务.两种蜂的访花行为和传粉效果不同,明亮熊蜂偏爱于采集花粉,主要以震动翅膀的方式来使花粉释放和传播,而意大利蜜蜂偏爱于采集花蜜,主要以身体接触的方式来粘附和传播花粉;明亮熊蜂的活动起点温度低、日工作时间长、访花速度快,在低温条件下比意大利蜜蜂的传粉效果好;意大利蜜蜂的趋光性强,飞撞温室塑料薄膜的现象严重,受温度和光照条件的影响较大,对温室环境的适应性较差.     

西方蜜蜂和地熊蜂为紫花苜蓿授粉效果比较

【目的】为了解决紫花苜蓿传粉昆虫不足的问题,提高苜蓿种子产量。【方法】比较了西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera和地熊蜂Bombus terrestris采集规律及为苜蓿授粉的效果。【结果】发现两种蜂日工作时间和出巢温度没有显著差异,但采集行为不同,地熊蜂利用体重优势更容易打开龙骨瓣,访花频率显著高于意大利蜜蜂,单花访问时间短于意大利蜜蜂,二者授粉后结荚率及单株产量没有显著差异。蜂种、携粉回巢率、访花频率是影响苜蓿种子生产的主要因素。【结论】试验数据表明意大利蜜蜂和地熊蜂为苜蓿传粉效果都很好,但意大利蜜蜂饲养管理技术成熟,价格低廉,适合苜蓿制种及规模化生产中应用。     

不同蜂在温室草莓园的访花行为和传粉生态学比较

应用意大利蜜蜂、本土小峰熊蜂和引自欧洲的地熊蜂3种蜂在北京为温室草莓传粉,对其传粉行为和生态特性进行研究。结果表明:意大利蜜蜂的出巢温度、工作起点温度、平均单花停留时间和访花间隔时间均显著高于小峰熊蜂和地熊蜂(P<0.01),而这些行为在2种熊蜂之间差异不显著(P>0.05);3种蜂携带花粉回巢的比例依次为意大利蜜蜂>小峰熊蜂>地熊蜂,而其携带的花粉活性依次为意大利蜜蜂>小峰熊蜂=地熊蜂;2种熊蜂开始活动的时间比意大利蜜蜂早,日活动时间比意大利蜜蜂长;地熊蜂在一天中的活动频率最高(P<0.01);经3种蜂授粉的草莓果实营养品质差异不显著(P>0.05),与对照相比也无差异,而经过3种蜂授粉的草莓果实畸形率降低、单果质量增大;经2种熊蜂授粉的草莓果实畸形率低于意大利蜜蜂(P<0.05)。本土小峰熊蜂能够有效替代意大利蜜蜂或地熊蜂为温室草莓授粉。     

西方蜜蜂对东方蜜蜂采集行为及食物资源利用的影响

【目的】在云南省腾冲市界头镇油菜花期,比较西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera L.不同放蜂密度下东方蜜蜂Apis cerana F.采集行为和对食物资源利用的变化,以期从食物资源竞争的角度为合理保护我国本土蜂种和维持植物群落结构及其稳定性提供科学依据。【方法】以界头镇为研究区域,在油菜花期根据西方蜜蜂的蜂场分布、蜂群数量及放蜂密度,确定了三个样点两种生境,观察西方蜜蜂不同放蜂密度下对东方蜜蜂的采集行为、访花频率、单花采集停留时间及粉源植物利用的影响。【结果】在农田生境中,西方蜜蜂放蜂密度最大的沙坝地试验点东方蜜蜂的访花频率最高(14.93朵/min),单花采集停留时间最短(1.96 s/朵),采集油菜花粉的数量比例最低(37%),采集花粉的种类最多(11种植物),与放蜂密度最小的新庄试验点相比,上述指标差异均显著。在山林生境中,西方蜜蜂放蜂密度最小的新庄试验点,东方蜜蜂的访花频率最低(8.48朵/min),单花采集停留时间最长(4.55 s/朵),采集油菜花粉的数量比例最高(33%),采集花粉的种类最少(8种植物),与放蜂密度最大的沙坝地试验点相比,上述指标差异均显著。【结论】在两种生境下,西方蜜蜂放蜂密度对东方蜜蜂采集行为和粉源植物利用均有显著影响,西方蜜蜂放蜂密度越大,东方蜜蜂对大宗蜜源植物(油菜)花粉的采集量越少,其采集区域由农田向山林转移的趋势越明显。     

意大利蜜蜂和小峰熊蜂在温室桃园的传粉行为及其影响因素

意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica和小峰熊蜂Bombus hypocrita是我国设施农业中的两种主要授粉昆虫, 二者的传粉方式和传粉效率因不同作物而各有不同。为了选用最理想的蜂种为温室作物授粉, 提高作物的授粉效率, 我们于2008-2010年连续3年在北京的温室桃园进行了意大利蜜蜂和小峰熊蜂的传粉行为及其影响因素的研究。结果表明, 两种蜂的日活动规律不同, 和意大利蜜蜂相比, 小峰熊蜂的活动起点温度低、 日工作时间长、 单花访问时间长, 采集蜂在温室内距离蜂巢不同距离之间扩散比较均匀。而意大利蜜蜂采集蜂的数量随授粉半径的增大而明显减少。温室内环境因子对两种蜂传粉活动的影响基本一致, 温度对两种蜂的传粉活动影响最大, 其次是湿度、 单花花蜜浓度和光照强度, 而单花花蜜体积对蜂活动无明显影响。本研究认为对于温室桃授粉应优先选用授粉性能稳定的小峰熊蜂, 并且适当调节温室内环境条件, 以提高其授粉效率。     

意大利蜜蜂和中华蜜蜂为蓝莓授粉的行为比较研究

应用意大利蜜蜂和中华蜜蜂为蓝莓授粉,对其授粉行为和活动方式进行了比较研究。结果表明:(1)采集过程中意蜂和中蜂的行为存在差异,意蜂头部探进铃铛花,将喙伸入花管中吸食花蜜,头部粘附花粉,花粉一部分被收集到花粉框,另一部分被带到其他花上;中蜂采集行为不同,一部分采集蜂探入铃铛花采食,采集时间短暂,另一部分采集蜂停靠在花托部位,采食花瓣掉落的花朵,不易粘附花粉和携带花粉。(2)授粉活动方式不同,意大利蜜蜂每分钟平均访花数为5.05±0.14次,中华蜜蜂为4.77±0.13次,两者差异不显著;而意蜂单次访花时间为9.16±0.43 s极显著长于中蜂的4.89±0.22 s,意蜂较中蜂在花朵的采集时间长,采集间隔时间短,而中蜂较意蜂寻找花朵的时间长,采集间隔时间长。单位面积意蜂采集蜂数量为平均12.00±0.90头,中蜂采集蜂数量平均为1.73±0.42头,两者差异极显著。同时意蜂蓝莓花粉携粉率27.51%,中蜂采集蓝莓花粉携粉率为11.38%,意蜂的授粉蜂数量及授粉专一性优于中蜂。本研究阐明了蓝莓花期不同蜂种的授粉行为及活动方式,据此得出意蜂为蓝莓授粉的行为和活动特性优越于中蜂,两者相比意蜂具有更高的授粉效率。     

中华蜜蜂mab-21基因序列分析及表达特征

【目的】探究中华蜜蜂 Apis cerana cerana Male abnomal 21（mab-21）基因在不同发育阶段的表达特性及染螨条件下mab-21基因表达变化规律。【方法】本研究利用RT-PCR方法,克隆了中华蜜蜂mab-21的基因编码区;采用荧光定量PCR方法检测了中华蜜蜂mab-21在不同发育时期（新出房蜂、哺育蜂、守卫蜂及采集蜂）工蜂头部中mRNA的表达量以及接种大蜂螨 Varroa destructor 前后mab-21基因的表达变化。【结果】克隆获得中华蜜蜂mab-21 cDNA,命名为 Accmab 21（GenBank登录号KR000001）。序列分析显示, 该编码区开放阅读框长为1 098 bp,编码365个氨基酸,推测的编码蛋白的相对分子量和等电点分别为41.63 kD和8.53。系统发育分析表明中华蜜蜂mab-21与西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera mab-21、小蜜蜂Apis florea mab-21和熊蜂Bombus impatiens mab-21聚成一支。该基因在中华蜜蜂工蜂的不同发育时期均有表达,其中哺育蜂阶段显著高于新出房蜂、守卫蜂和采集蜂(P<0.05)。接种大蜂螨后,哺育蜂和守卫蜂中mab-21基因的表达下降显著(P<0.05);而在新出房蜂和采集蜂中表达量变化不显著。【结论】该基因可能与中华蜜蜂抗螨行为相关。     

华凤仙花部特征和传粉系统研究

研究了华凤仙（Impatiens chinensis L.）的花部特征和传粉系统,结果表明华凤仙单花期为2.3 d,雄性期是雌性期的6.8倍。花蜜量和花蜜可溶性糖含量分别为0.56 μL和28.2%。开花当天柱头即具有可授性,花粉活力在花朵刚开放时最高（95%）,至花朵凋谢之前仍保持较高的活力（55%）。花粉胚珠比（5 730.3±2 941.1）和套袋实验的结果表明华凤仙属于自交亲和但以异交为主的繁育系统,传粉过程需要传粉者。蜜蜂、熊蜂、蝶类和几种芦蜂是华凤仙的主要访花者,最有效的传粉者为三条熊蜂。考氏无垫蜂作为盗蜜者,可能是除正常访花者之外,对华凤仙的有性繁殖影响最大的生物因素。     

意大利蜜蜂对两种油菜花朵气味的偏爱性

【目的】明确意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica（简称“意蜂”）对两种油菜（甘蓝型胜利油菜 Brassica napus cv. Shengli和芥菜型马尾油菜 B. juncea cv. Mawei）的气味偏爱性及选择行为特征。【方法】本研究开展大田访花偏爱性试验、室外群体气味偏爱性试验以及室内“Y”型嗅觉仪行为反应和学习记忆试验,测定意蜂蜂群及青年采集蜂对甘蓝型胜利油菜和芥菜型马尾油菜两种油菜花朵的选择次数,并通过采集蜂训练时及训练后的喙伸反应率分析两种油菜花朵气味对采集蜂学习记忆能力的影响,最终评估意蜂蜂群及个体对这两种油茶花朵气味的选择性。【结果】大田试验12:00-13:00时间段,访问胜利油菜的意蜂数量显著高于访问马尾油菜的数量(P<0.05）。群体气味偏爱性试验14:00-15:00时间段意蜂访问胜利油菜的数量显著高于访问马尾油菜的数量（P<0.05）。行为反应试验结果显示意蜂选择胜利油菜的次数（3.86±2.83）显著高于访问马尾油菜的次数（2.28±1.87）（P<0.05）。在学习记忆试验中,随着训练次数的增加,意蜂对两种油菜花朵气味的喙伸反应率逐渐升高,相同的训练次数,意蜂对两种油菜气味的学习能力差异不显著（P>0.05）;训练结束后,随着时间的增加,意蜂对胜利油菜及马尾油菜的气味记忆逐渐下降,在24 h对胜利油菜的气味记忆明显高于对马尾油菜的气味记忆（P<0.05）。【结论】本研究证明意蜂较偏爱胜利油菜的花朵气味,花朵气味是影响其采集偏爱的重要因素,气味响应性试验可定量分析蜜蜂对花朵气味的嗅觉敏感性。     

多叶斑叶兰花蜜特征和分泌规律及其对昆虫访花的影响

为探讨多叶斑叶兰(Goodyera foliosa)花蜜体积和成分的变异性,及其对传粉昆虫的影响,采用毛细管法、折光仪和高效液相-蒸发光法对一天内不同时间段单花花蜜体积、总糖浓度和可溶性糖成分及含量进行检测,用摄像机对其传粉昆虫访花行为进行观察。结果表明,单花花蜜体积在10:00达到最大[(7.19±2.29)μL, n=10],糖浓度在16:00达到最大[(25.85±1.83)%,n=10]。花蜜中的主要可溶性糖为果糖和蔗糖,果糖在上午10:00含量达到最高(78.310 mg/g);蔗糖在下午16:00含量达到最高(247.600 mg/g)。中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana)访花时间为每天9:00-15:00,访花高峰期在10:00-14:00;橘尾熊蜂(Bombus friseanus)访花时间为每天8:00-16:00,访花高峰期在10:00-12:00和16:00-18:00。因此,这两种传粉昆虫访花频率与多叶斑叶兰单花花蜜体积及糖浓度的变化有一定的相关性,它们更倾向于访问较高花蜜体积及糖浓度的花朵。多叶斑叶兰花蜜成分中蔗糖占优势,能有效吸引各种蜂类、蝶类和蚁类访花,且访问频率较高,中华蜜蜂和橘尾熊蜂能携带其花粉块,是主要的有效传粉昆虫。花形态和访花昆虫的体型大小的匹配,决定了是否成为有效传粉昆虫。     

Influence of honey bee, Apis mellifera, hives and field size on foraging activity of native bee species in pumpkin fields

The purpose of this study was to identify bee species active in pumpkin fields in New York and to estimate their potential as pollinators by examining their foraging activity. In addition, we examined whether foraging activity was affected by either the addition of hives of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., or by field size. Thirty-five pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) fields ranging from 0.6 to 26.3 ha, 12 supplemented with A. mellifera hives and 23 not supplemented, were sampled during peak flowering over three successive weeks in 2008 and 2009. Flowers from 300 plants per field were visually sampled for bees on each sampling date. A. mellifera, Bombus impatiens Cresson, and Peponapis pruinosa (Say) accounted for 99% of all bee visits to flowers. A. mellifera and B. impatiens visited significantly more pistillate flowers than would be expected by chance, whereas P. pruinosa showed no preference for visiting pistillate flowers. There were significantly more A. mellifera visits per flower in fields supplemented with A. mellifera hives than in fields not supplemented, but there were significantly fewer P. pruinosa visits in supplemented fields. The number of B. impatiens visits was not affected by supplementation, but was affected by number of flowers per field. A. mellifera and P. pruinosa visits were not affected by field size, but B. impatiens visited fewer flowers as field size increased in fields that were not supplemented with A. mellifera hives. Declining A. mellifera populations may increase the relative importance of B. impatiens in pollinating pumpkins in New York.     

Nectar robbery by bees Xylocopa virginica and Apis mellifera contributes to the pollination of rabbiteye blueberry

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., probe for nectar from robbery slits previously made by male carpenter bees, Xylocopa virginica (L.), at the flowers of rabbiteye blueberry, Vaccinium ashei Reade. This relationship between primary nectar robbers (carpenter bees) and secondary nectar thieves (honey bees) is poorly understood but seemingly unfavorable for V. ashei pollination. We designed two studies to measure the impact of nectar robbers on V. ashei pollination. First, counting the amount of pollen on stigmas (stigmatic pollen loading) showed that nectar robbers delivered fewer blueberry tetrads per stigma after single floral visits than did our benchmark pollinator, the southeastern blueberry bee, Habropoda laboriosa (F.), a recognized effective pollinator of blueberries. Increasing numbers of floral visits by carpenter bee and honey bee robbers yielded larger stigmatic loads. As few as three robbery visits were equivalent to one legitimate visit by a pollen-collecting H. laboriosa female. More than three robbery visits per flower slightly depressed stigmatic pollen loads. In our second study, a survey of 10 commercial blueberry farms demonstrated that corolla slitting by carpenter bees (i.e., robbery) has no appreciable affect on overall V. ashei fruit set. Our observations demonstrate male carpenter bees are benign or even potentially beneficial floral visitors of V ashei. Their robbery of blueberry flowers in the southeast may attract more honey bee pollinators to the crop.     

Pollinator foraging modifies nectar sugar composition in Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae):An experimental test

We experimentally tested the hypothesis that the extensive within-plant variation of nectar sugar composition in Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) and other species results from differences between flowers and nectaries in pollinator visitation history. Experiments were conducted to mimic single-nectary visits by wild-caught individuals of the main bee pollinators of H. foetidus, which were assayed for their capacity to modify the sugar composition of natural and artificial nectar. Experimental nectar probing with bee mouthparts induced extensive changes in proportional sugar composition 48 h after treatment, and bee taxa differed widely in their effects. Nectar probing by Andrena, medium-sized Anthophoridae, Apis mellifera, and Lasioglossum had no subsequent effects on nectar sugar composition, while probing by Bombus terrestris and B. pratorum induced an extensive reduction in percentage sucrose, a marked increase in percentage fructose, and a slight increase in percentage glucose. Results support the hypothesis that stochastic variations among flowers or nectaries in the taxonomic identity of recent visitors and their relative visitation frequencies may eventually generate very small-scale mosaics in nectar sugar composition. Changes in nectar sugar composition following bumblebee probing may be the consequence of nectar contamination with pollinator-borne nectarivorous yeasts.     

The pollination efficiency of a pollinator depends on its foraging strategy,flowering phenology,and the flower characteristics of a plant species

Honey bees and stingless bees are generalist visitors of several wild and cultivated plants. They forage with a high degree of floral fidelity and thereby help in the pollination services of those plants. We hypothesized that pollination efficiency might be influenced by flowering phenology, floral characteristics, and resource collection modes of the worker bees. In this paper, we surveyed the foraging strategies of honey bees (Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, and Apis florea) and stingless bees (Tetragonula iridipennis) concerning their pollination efficiencies. Bees showed different resource gathering strategies, including legitimate (helping in pollination as mixed foragers and specialized foragers) and illegitimate (serving as nectar robbers and pollen thieves) types of flower visitation patterns. Foraging strategies are influenced by the shape of flowers, the timing of the visitation, floral richness, and bee species. Honey bees and stingless bees mainly acted as legitimate visitors in most plants studied. Sometimes honey bees served as nectar robbers in tubular flowers and stingless bees as pollen thieves in large-sized flowers. Among the legitimate categories, mixed foragers have a comparatively lower flower visitation rate than the specialized nectar and pollen foragers. However, mixed foragers have greater abundance and higher values of the single-visit pollination efficiency index (PEi) than nectar and pollen foragers. The value of the combined parameter ‘importance in pollination (PI)’ was thus higher in mixed foragers than in nectar and pollen foragers.     

Pollen analysis reveals plants foraged by Africanized honeybees in the southern Pantanal, Brazil

The pollen diet of Africanized honeybees Apis mellifera L. was studied during seven months (October 2006 to April 2007) in a natural forest fragment in the southern Pantanal, sub-region of Abobral, Mato Grosso do Sul. The analysis of the pollen diet was based on direct observations of the bees visiting flowers as well as through the use of a pollen trap installed in a wild colony in a tree hole in the same forest fragment. The total of 28 species in 15 botanical families were observed as potential sources of pollen for A. mellifera, with visits registered in 24 of these species in 13 botanical families. In the pollen trap we recorded 25 pollen types. This study is the first report to use this type of trap for pollen collection in the Neotropical region and aimed to identify the polliniferous bee plants of Brazilian Pantanal.     

Studies on the possible competition for pollen between the honey bee, Apis mellifera sudanensis, and the imported dwarf honey bee Apis florea (Hym., Apidae) in North-Khartoum (Sudan)

Abstract:   Based on identification of collected pollen, in the area of North Khartoum, 21 plant genera (ca. 21 spp.) proved to be the main pollen sources for the honey bee Apis mellifera sudanensis . The imported dwarf honey bee Apis florea exploited 11 of these. The main pollen flow in the study area occurred between early December and late March. This is reflected by the amount of pollen collected by colonies of A. mellifera sudanensis . In spite of observations conducted soon after the introduction of A. florea , which gave hints of competition between the two bee species, further studies showed that A. mellifera sudanensis and A. florea do seem to coexist. This coexistence is based on different daily rhythms of pollen collection. A. mellifera collected pollen of Acacia seyal , date palm, and onions early in the morning (and partly in the late afternoon), while A. florea started pollen collection mostly later in the morning and ended it earlier in the afternoon. But in contrast to A. mellifera, A. florea was collecting pollen all day without interruption, even at very high air temperatures. Niche overlap (concerning the times of visits to flowers) between the two bee species was very low in date palms, and of medium importance in Acacia seyal . But it is remarkable that in total, A. florea is always present in higher numbers than A. mellifera sudanensis , on flowers. The significance of the introduction of A. florea to Sudan for pollination is discussed.     

Can alloethism in workers of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, be explained in terms of foraging efficiency?

Bumblebee workers vary greatly in size, unlike workers of most other social bees. This variability has not been adequately explained. In many social insects, size variation is adaptive, with different-sized workers performing different tasks (alloethism). Here we established whether workers of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (L.) (Hymenoptera; Apidae), exhibit alloethism. We quantified the size of workers engaging in foraging compared to those that remain in the nest, and confirmed that it is the larger bees that tend to forage (X±SE thorax widths 4.34±0.01 mm for nest bees and 4.93±0.02 mm for foragers). We then investigated whether large bees are better suited to foraging because they are able to transport heavier loads of food back to the nest. Both pollen and nectar loads of returning foragers were measured, demonstrating that larger bees do return with a heavier mass of forage. Foraging trip times were inversely related to bee size when collecting nectar, but were unrelated to bee size for bees collecting pollen. Overall, large bees brought back more nectar per unit time than small bees, but the rate of pollen collection appeared to be unrelated to size. The smallest foragers had a nectar foraging rate close to zero, presumably explaining why foragers tend to be large. Why might larger bees be better at foraging? Various explanations are considered: larger bees are able to forage in cooler conditions, may be able to forage over larger distances, and are perhaps also less vulnerable to predation. Conversely, small workers are presumably cheaper to produce and may be more nimble at within-nest tasks. Further research is needed to assess these possibilities. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

中华蜜蜂气味结合蛋白AcerOBP14的表达及配体结合特性分析

【目的】气味结合蛋白(odorant binding proteins, OBPs)在昆虫寄主定位、产卵地选择等行为中发挥着重要作用,明确中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana AcerOBP14与配体的结合特性有助于阐明中华蜜蜂嗅觉识别的分子机制。【方法】通过qRT-PCR测定OBP14在20日龄中华蜜蜂成年工蜂、20日龄中华蜜蜂成年雄蜂、中华蜜蜂采粉蜂和意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica采粉蜂触角中的表达量。构建原核表达载体pET28a/AcerOBP14,表达并分离纯化重组蛋白AcerOBP14。利用荧光竞争结合实验检测AcerOBP14与37 种气味配体化合物的结合特性。【结果】qRT-PCR分析发现, OBP14在中华蜜蜂采粉蜂触角中的表达量极显著高于20日龄中华蜜蜂成年工蜂和雄蜂以及意大利蜜蜂采粉蜂中的。荧光竞争结合实验表明,AcerOBP14与蜂王信息素、告警信息素、那氏信息素及多种植物挥发物都具有结合能力,其中与β 罗勒烯的结合能力最强,解离常数 Ki=0.297 μmol/L。【结论】AcerOBP14的配体结合谱较宽,暗示其可能参与了中华蜜蜂的多种生理行为反应,且在中华蜜蜂的采粉行为中发挥着重要作用。     

The pollination of Bromelia antiacantha (Bromeliaceae) in southeastern Brazil: ornithophilous versus melittophilous features

Bromelia antiacantha flowered from December to February and during this period the central leaves and bracts displayed a bright red colour. The inflorescence bears 150-350 flowers, with 10-35 flowers opening per day over 4-5 days. The flowers are dark magenta coloured with white margins, tubular-shaped with a wide opening, and their stigma is situated below the anthers. Anthesis began around 4:00 h and flowers lasted approximately 15 h. The highest nectar volume and sugar concentration occurred between 4:00-6:00 h; after this period, both decreased throughout the day. B. antiacantha is partially self-incompatible, non-autogamous, and therefore, pollinator dependent. The hummingbirds Thalurania glaucopis, Amazilia fimbriata, and Ramphodon naevius were its most frequent pollinators (55% of the visits), visiting flowers mainly in the afternoon. The scattered distribution of B. antiacantha promoted trap-lining behaviour of the hummingbirds, which favoured fruit set through xenogamy. Corolla colour, wide flower opening, sweet odour and concentrated nectar early in the day favoured bee visitation. Of the 38 % of bee visits, 96% were made by Bombus morio, mainly in the morning and their behaviour promoted self-pollination. The bee Trigona spinipes frequently acted as a pollen and nectar thief early in the morning, excluding most of the hummingbirds. Bromelia antiacantha has ornithophilous and melittophilous features, and despite being pollinated by two kinds of agents, its reproductive success depends on a given set of circumstances.