油茶传粉昆虫研究现状与方向的探讨

油茶是典型的异花授粉植物,其中虫媒是主要形式,所以利用野生传粉性昆虫来提高油茶授粉效率,解除花粉限制,是解决我国油茶产业"瓶颈"的有效方法之一。目前,关于油茶传粉昆虫的研究比较匮乏,仅限于传粉昆虫的种类调查和部分野生蜜蜂传粉生物学和营巢生物学特性研究,不能满足油茶产业发展的需要。在现有研究基础上,结合传粉昆虫研究发展趋势,本文将提出以下几个重要研究内容:油茶访花昆虫种类的调查和鉴定;主要传粉昆虫传粉生物学研究;优势传粉昆虫的筛选;野生传粉蜜蜂与油茶授粉间的关系;利用传粉昆虫与油茶的协同进化进行油茶品种选育。以期为油茶传粉昆虫的后续研究提供参考。     

城市园林对本土传粉者中华蜜蜂的保护作用

【目的】蜜蜂等传粉昆虫是生态系统的关键种,其种群下降趋势是目前全球关注的热点问题,探讨传粉昆虫现状和保护途径具有重要实践意义。【方法】对四川地区城市园林里中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana进行调查,记录其拜访行为、蜜粉源植物和营巢生境特征,并观察主要植物的其他访花昆虫。【结果】城市园林中有大量开花植物,花期持续时间长,是蜜蜂可利用的食物资源;中华蜜蜂在城市中广泛活动,所调查城市都观测到采集蜂进行有效采集,在冬季中华蜜蜂蜂群也能正常活动;城市中其他访花昆虫以鳞翅目和双翅目为主,蝴蝶等会竞争食物资源,行为分析认为蜜蜂具有竞争优势;部分人工绿地和半自然生境可成为中华蜜蜂的营巢地。【结论】城市园林可为中华蜜蜂提供适宜的生存环境,建议改善城市景观和园林管理以更好地发挥园林生境的保护作用。     

大蜜蜂的生物学特性、面临威胁与保护策略

昆虫传粉在维持植物的有性繁殖、物种形成及生态系统稳定中扮演着重要角色, 而野生传粉昆虫为生态系统提供了巨大的传粉服务功能。大蜜蜂(Apis dorsata)为亚洲特有的一种野生传粉昆虫, 是热带地区多种植物和农作物的有效传粉者, 在保障热带生物多样性及作物产量中有不可或缺的作用。但受全球气候变化、人类活动和生境恶化等因素的影响, 其种群数量日益减少, 开展大蜜蜂种质资源保护势在必行。本文综述了大蜜蜂筑巢、迁飞和传粉服务功能, 分析了人为猎取蜂巢, 栖息生境遭受破坏, 杀虫剂和除草剂滥用, 昆虫、螨类和病原物侵染, 气候变化等威胁种群的因素, 以期从强化大蜜蜂基础研究和保护、推动生态农业发展、建立适合大蜜蜂迁飞生态廊道、加强检验检疫及科学合理利用大蜜蜂种质资源等方面制定相应的保护措施。     

阿魏传粉昆虫及其访花行为的初步研究

对新疆阿魏访花昆虫种类、昆虫访花频次、昆虫访花时间及昆虫访花行为进行了初步研究。在盛花期观察中,(1)发现有5目、23科、45种昆虫进行了访花,其中传粉昆虫4科7种,均属蜜蜂总科;(2)各类昆虫访花频次在不同观察时间变化较大,传粉蜜蜂仅出现在其中一个观察日中;(3)不同种类昆虫在花上的停留时间差异很大,传粉昆虫停留时间很短,鞘翅目昆虫停留时间最长。进入始果期后,昆虫的访花行为是围绕花盘的蜜腺展开的。     

传粉昆虫物种多样性监测、评估和保护概述

欧洲和北美等国相继建立起传粉昆虫物种多样性监测和评估体系。基于传粉昆虫的监测资料,能够对欧美部分区域和某些传粉昆虫类群的现状、下降程度以及影响因素进行研究。欧洲和北美等地已开展部分传粉昆虫保护措施和项目,如欧洲部分国家实施的＂农田环境计划＂项目（Agri-Environmental Schemes）能够保护农田生态系统中传粉昆虫的栖境,恢复和提高传粉昆虫物种多样性。我国传粉昆虫物种多样性十分丰富,但目前还没有一个以监测和评估传粉昆虫物种多样性为主的平台,也未对某区域或某类群传粉昆虫多样性的变化进行评估,传粉昆虫多样性的保护也未引起足够重视。为了解我国传粉昆虫物种多样性现状及变化情况,作者建议在我国建立传粉昆虫物种多样性监测和评估体系,以提高我们在该领域的认识水平,并为开展相应的保护工作提供理论基础。     

苹果传粉昆虫种类及其访花习性的研究

为了解苹果花期的传粉昆虫,更好地利用昆虫为苹果授粉,本文对山西运城临猗、临汾隰县苹果的传粉昆虫进行调查,结果表明:调查区苹果传粉昆虫共计23种,隶属于4目、14科,主要传粉昆虫依次为膜翅目的蜜蜂科、条蜂科、切叶蜂科、地蜂科和双翅目的食蚜蝇科。其中,意大利蜜蜂和毛附黑条蜂为主要传粉昆虫。日活动规律观察表明,蜜蜂属于双峰型,条蜂属于单峰型;条蜂出巢温度(温度为16.4℃)低于蜜蜂的出巢温度(18.8℃),11∶00-12∶00和15∶00-16∶00为蜜蜂访花高峰,条蜂访花高峰在10∶00-11∶00。     

基于山地蜂蜜花粉组成的中华蜜蜂传粉多样性研究

中华蜜蜂为多种植物传粉,具有重要的生态服务价值。为进一步了解中华蜜蜂选择蜜粉源植物的多样性与特征,采用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)、DNA条形码、高通量测序等技术,研究了源自陕西宝鸡、贵州望谟和广西凤山蜂巢蜜中的花粉来源。通过对样品花粉rbcL基因片段扩增及测序、分析,发现各样本间可操作分类单元(OTU)水平上蜜粉源植物Alpha多样性指数无显著差异,同一地点样品不同重复间存在较高的相关性,而不同地区样本相关性较低。三地共鉴定出27目46科71属82种蜜粉源植物,其中宝鸡市、望谟县、凤山县样本中分别鉴定出57种、30种和40种,各地蜜粉源植物的物种组成存在较大差异。这些蜜粉源植物中,菊目植物种类最多,其次为毛茛目,分别有12种和7种。其中草本植物和木本植物(含乔木、灌木和木质藤本等)分别有44种和38种。研究对蜜粉源植物花序特点进行了分析,但并未发现相关性状对中华蜜蜂选择具有的影响。从属的区系成分分析,总体上温带分布区类型的植物属多于热带分布区类型的属,所占比例分别为46.5%和36.6%,但在凤山县样本中出现热带分布区类型多于温带分布区类型的情况。在不同样品中,红足蒿(Artemisia rubripes)、向日葵(Helianthus annuus)、芜青(Brassica rapa)、粗糠柴(Mallotus philippensis)、枇杷(Eriobotrya japonica)等分别占有一定优势,其与中华蜜蜂的关系值得进一步研究。根据蜜粉源植物的系统进化关系,中华蜜蜂访问的蜜粉源植物处于不同进化地位的分支,其中在菊类分支和蔷薇类分支比较集中。研究揭示了中华蜜蜂传粉植物组成特点,为进一步认知中华蜜蜂传粉服务功能的重要性提供依据。     

芍药的传粉生物学研究

对内蒙古赤峰市高格斯台罕乌拉自然保护区2个自然居群和内蒙古农校芍药园内2个栽培品种的芍药进行了连续2年的观察和研究表明,不同居群、不同品种的芍药花期相同,均为23~27d。芍药不存在无融合生殖,有微弱的自交性,不存在闭花授粉的现象。是以昆虫为媒介以异交为主要传粉方式的物种。不同花期的结实率之间没有显著差异(F=1.501)。芍药的结实率较低,野生居群平均只有23.27%的胚珠发育成种子。两个野生居群的传粉强度和传粉效率小于栽培品种单瓣花,结实率也低于栽培品种单瓣花。三个实验样地不同居群间的人工授粉结实率基本一致,且均高于其他组合。     

攀枝花苏铁传粉生物学研究

在攀枝花苏铁(Cycas panzhihuaensis L.Zhou et S.Y.Yang)自然群体中,雌雄株在数量上基本相等,但雄株的无性系产量是雌株的1.31倍,小孢子叶球的数量是大孢子叶球的2.21倍,呈现偏雄现象。小孢子叶球散粉次序是从轴基部向顶部和从小孢子叶的基部向顶部进行的,散粉高峰出现在午后,风传花粉浓度在2.55m内随着距离增加而迅速下降,而在2.55m以外维持在一个较低的水平上。在大孢子叶球内发现有两种蚂蚁和一种蜚蠊类昆虫在活动,没有发现这些昆虫对大孢子叶球的破坏,小孢子叶球则几乎没有昆虫探访。清晨在大孢子叶叶片上出现许多水样液滴,可能起着将大孢子叶叶片上沉积的花粉传递至胚珠的作用。研究表明,在攀枝花苏铁的传粉过程中,风是将花粉从小孢子叶球传至大孢子叶球的唯一媒介,大孢子叶球内活动的昆虫和大孢子叶叶片上的液滴同样起着传粉媒介作用,但不排除风传花粉一步到位的可能性。     

芍药的访花昆虫和传粉昆虫

20 0 0～ 2 0 0 2年对内蒙古赤峰市高格斯台罕乌拉自然保护区内野生芍药 (PaeonialactifloraPall.)和内蒙古农校芍药园内栽培品种芍药的访花昆虫进行调查 ,经整理鉴定有 2 9种 ,自然保护区内芍药的访花昆虫种类有 1 7种 ,芍药园内的访花昆虫有 1 7种。根据传粉行为和数量的比较确定了自然保护区内主要传粉昆虫为丽斑芫菁、黄胫宽花天牛、黑胫宽花天牛、短毛斑金龟、饥星花金龟、白星花金龟和大淡脉隧蜂 ;芍药园内的主要传粉昆虫为意大利蜜蜂、棕边管食蚜蝇、长尾管食蚜蝇、大淡脉隧蜂、灰带管食蚜蝇和小淡脉隧蜂。     

云南澜沧江流域传粉昆虫——熊蜂多样性现状与保护对策

本文对澜沧江流域内热带地区的勐腊县、亚热带地区的南涧县和寒温带地区的德钦县3个低、中、高海拔地带的重要传粉昆虫——熊蜂属(Bombus)的多样性现状进行了观察研究,并与20年前的资料进行了比较分析。结果得出：20多年以来,由于植被人为的破坏严重,传粉昆虫的自然生存环境发生了较大的改变,致使3个不同地带的传粉昆虫一部分物种消失,一部分物种的群体减少,而少数原来极少采到或者未采到的物种和种群则成为优势群体。从而得出：在云南省澜沧江流域人为的生境改变,对传粉昆虫的物种多样性影响极大,要保护或者恢复传粉昆虫的种群,首要任务是保护和恢复生态系统。     

Floral bagging differentially affects handling behaviours and single-visit pollen deposition by honey bees and native bees

1. Measurements of pollinator performance are crucial to pollination studies, enabling researchers to quantify the relative value of different pollinator species to plant reproduction. One of the most widely employed measures of pollinator performance is single-visit pollen deposition, the number of conspecific pollen grains deposited to a stigma after one pollinator visit. To ensure a pollen-free stigma, experimenters must first bag flowers before exposing them to a pollinator. 2. Bagging flowers, however, may unintentionally manipulate floral characteristics to which pollinators respond. In this study, we quantified the effect of bagging on nectar volume in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) flowers, and how this affects pollinator performance and behaviour. 3. Experimental bagging resulted in roughly 30-fold increases in nectar volume relative to unmanipulated, open-pollinated field flowers after only a few hours. Honey bees, but not native bees, consistently displayed elevated handling times and single-visit pollen deposition on unmanipulated bagged flowers relative to those from which we removed nectar to mimic volumes in open-pollinated flowers. 4. Furthermore, we identify specific bee foraging behaviours during a floral visit that account for differences in pollen deposition, and how these differ between honey bees and native bees. 5. Our findings suggest that experimental bagging of flowers, without accounting for artificially accumulated nectar, can lead to biased estimates of pollinator performance in pollinator taxa that respond strongly to nectar volume. We advise that pollination studies be attentive to nectar secretion dynamics in their focal plant species to ensure unbiased estimates of pollinator performance across multiple pollinator species.     

Plant evolution can mediate negative effects from honey bees on wild pollinators

1. Pollinators are introduced to agroecosystems to provide pollination services. Introductions of managed pollinators often promote ecosystem services, but it remains largely unknown whether they also affect evolutionary mutualisms between wild pollinators and plants.
2. Here, we developed a model to assess effects of managed honey bees on mutualisms between plants and wild pollinators. Our model tracked how interactions among wild pollinators and honey bees affected pollinator and plant populations.
3. We show that when managed honey bees have a competitive advantage over wild pollinators, or a greater carrying capacity, the honey bees displace the wild pollinator. This leads to reduced plant density because plants benefit less by visits from honey bees than wild pollinators that coevolved with the plants.
4. As wild pollinators are displaced, plants evolve by increasing investment in traits that are attractive for honey bees but not wild pollinators. This evolutionary switch promotes wild pollinator displacement. However, higher mutualism investment costs by the plant to the honey bee can promote pollinator coexistence.
5. Our results show plant evolution can promote displacement of wild pollinators by managed honey bees, while limited plant evolution may lead to pollinator coexistence. More broadly, effects of honey bees on wild pollinators in agroecosystems, and effects on ecosystem services, may depend on the capacity of plant populations to evolve.

     

Seasonal and annual variations in the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L.

The interplay between insect and plant traits outlines the patterns of pollen transfer and the subsequent plant reproductive fitness. We studied the factors that affect the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L. by evaluating insect behaviour and morphological characteristics in relation to flowering phenology. In order to extrapolate the pollinator importance of single taxa and of the whole pollinator guild, we calculated an index distinguishing between potential (PPI) and realized (RPI) pollinator importance. Although the pollinator species spectrum appeared rather constant, we found high intra‐ and inter‐annual variability of pollinator frequency and importance within the insect community. Flower visitation rate strictly depended on insect abundance and on the overlap between their flying period and flower blooming. All the pollinators visited flowers from the bottom to the top of the racemes, excluding intra‐plant geitonogamous pollination, and most of them showed high pollen fidelity. Only medium large‐sized bees could contact the upward bending stiles while feeding on nectar, highlighting a specialisation of the plant towards bigger pollinators. Moreover, we found evidence of functional specialisation, since all pollinators were restricted to a single taxonomic group (order: Hymenoptera; superfamily: Apoidea). Both the PPI and RPI indices indicate Habropoda tarsata as the most important pollinator of D. albus. Following hand cross‐pollination experiments we revealed the presence of pollination limitation in 1 of the 3 years of field study. We discuss this result in relation to flowering abundance and to possible mismatches of phenological periods between plants and insects.     

Contrasting impacts of a novel specialist vector on multihost viral pathogen epidemiology in wild and managed bees

Typically, pathogens infect multiple host species. Such multihost pathogens can show considerable variation in their degree of infection and transmission specificity, which has important implications for potential disease emergence. Transmission of multihost pathogens can be driven by key host species and changes in such transmission networks can lead to disease emergence. We study two viruses that show contrasting patterns of prevalence and specificity in managed honeybees and wild bumblebees, black queen cell virus (BQCV) and slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV), in the context of the novel transmission route provided by the virus‐vectoring Varroa destructor. Our key result is that viral communities and RNA virus genetic variation are structured by location, not host species or V. destructor presence. Interspecific transmission is pervasive with the same viral variants circulating between pollinator hosts in each location; yet, we found virus‐specific host differences in prevalence and viral load. Importantly, V. destructor presence increases the prevalence in honeybees and, indirectly, in wild bumblebees, but in contrast to its impact on deformed wing virus (DWV), BQCV and SBPV viral loads are not increased by Varroa presence, and do not show genetic evidence of recent emergence. Effective control of Varroa in managed honeybee colonies is necessary to mitigate further disease emergence, and alleviate disease pressure on our vital wild bee populations. More generally, our results highlight the over‐riding importance of geographical location to the epidemiological outcome despite the complexity of multihost‐parasite interactions.     

The impact of an insecticide on insect flower visitation and pollination in an agricultural landscape

• 1 Pesticides are considered a threat to pollinators but little is known about the potential impacts of their widespread use on pollinators. Less still is known about the impacts on pollination, comprising the ecosystem service that pollinators provide to wildflowers and crops.
• 2 The present study measured flower visitation and pollination in an agricultural landscape, by placing potted flowering plants (Petunia sp.) in vine fields sprayed with a highly toxic insecticide (fenitrothion). During two sampling rounds, insect visitors to the petunias were observed and measures of pollination were recorded by counting and weighing seeds.
• 3 In the earlier sampling round, a lower species richness of insect visitors was observed in fields that had received an early application of insecticide. No negative impacts were found from later applications. The results obtained suggest a greater potential harm to insect pollinators and flower visitation as a result of insecticide application early in the season.
• 4 No reduction in pollination was found in fields that received an early insecticide application. Pollination was greater with two insecticide applications between sampling rounds rather than one application.
• 5 In the present study system, insecticide application had a negative effect on pollinators but a possible positive effect on pollination services. In some cases, it may be that actions for conserving biodiversity will not benefit pollination services to all plants.

     

Adaptive spatial biases in nectar deposition in the nests of honey bees

Honey bees store their large supply of honey at the top and, to a lesser extent, along the edges of their nests. Whether this pattern is the result of preferences for where nectar is deposited is unclear. Camazine, in a path breaking study of pattern formation, found evidence that workers deposit nectar at random, while Free and Williams in an earlier study found evidence that bees prefer to deposit nectar into particular types of comb. Here we reexamine this question. We tested three hypotheses, all of which posit that bees have adaptive biases which allow them to deposit nectar directly into the most useful locations. We found that bees have preferences for depositing nectar into cells at the top of the nest, into old vs. new comb, and into interior facing comb vs. comb facing the exterior environment. These preferences may ensure that nectar is placed directly into those regions where it will ultimately be stored. They may also result in an optimal pattern of comb usage with respect to brood rearing. This work, along with the results of previous studies, suggests that comb usage patterns may reflect competing selective pressures and be more complicated than previously thought. Received 17 May 2007; revised 15 June 2007; accepted 3 July 2007.