Insect pollinators of anise plants (Pimpinella anisum L.) and the important role of honey bees (apis mellifera L.) on their yield productivity

The present investigation aimed to identify the insect pollinators and the efficiency of honeybees in pollination of anise plant during flowering periods of 2008 and 2009 seasons at Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Obtained results indicated that the total insect counts attained 11 species, belonging to four orders; Hemiptera (one species), Coleoptera (two species), Diptera (five species) and Hymenoptera (three species). Honeybees were the most abundant of hymenopterous insects during anise flowering and the daily peak activities were detected between 12.00 noon and 2.00 p.m. for the two seasons. Regarding the effect of prevailing air temperature and relative humidity percentage (RH%) on the occurrence of insect pollinators, it is clear that the effects of the two factors were moderate in the two seasons. Also, the results showed a significant effect of open pollination on the seed yield/feddan (1024.12 kg) followed by honeybees pollination (781.55 kg), while insect exclusion recorded the lowest value (300.24 kg).     

不同农业景观背景下传粉昆虫群落的分布差异

农业景观中的自然、半自然生境等非农生境可为传粉昆虫提供丰富的食物来源、栖息地、繁殖地、避难所等,对维持生物多样性的稳定起着不可替代的作用。以巩义典型的山地-丘陵-河川混杂的复杂景观和民权的平原农业简单景观为研究区,分析不同景观背景下传粉昆虫群落的物种组成及其在不同生境中的分布特征。结果表明:(1)巩义研究区内累计捕获传粉昆虫18582头,民权研究区内累计捕获传粉昆虫18518头,优势传粉昆虫功能群为双翅目、膜翅目、鞘翅目和鳞翅目等;(2)景观复杂度更高的巩义研究区的传粉昆虫多样性、丰富度以及均匀度均显著高于民权研究区;存在大面积农田斑块的平原景观中则有更多的优势传粉昆虫个体;(3)农田斑块中具有更高的物种丰富度,但林地物种的多样性和均匀度则相对稍高些。农田斑块在作物花期能有效的提高传粉者种群密度,但林地等自然、半自然生境对于维持传粉者多样性和食物缺乏期种群的稳定具有重要作用。因此在未来为确保农业景观中传粉者的多样性与传粉服务的稳定,一方面要关注自然、半自然生境的作用,同时也要考虑不同景观背景下异质性特征对不同生物类群的影响差异。     

Prevailing insects in Roselle plants,Hibiscus sabdariffa L., and their efficiency on pollination

Field surveys of Roselle plant fields were conducted during two successive seasons of 2006 and 2007. The total counted insects on Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa attained 16 species belong to seven insect Orders [(Hemiptera (3 species), Homoptera (1 species), Lepidoptera (3 species), Neuroptera (1 species), Coleoptera (3 species), Diptera (1 species), Hymenoptera (4 species)]. Variable numbers of insects were counted on different Roselle varieties and in the two seasons. The most prevailing insect species were the piercing sucking pests [Empoasca spp.; Spilostethus longulus Dallas; Nezara viridula L. and Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa)] and the predators [Polistes sp., Coccinella undecimpunctata and Scymnus syriacus]. Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) proved to be the most abundant pollinator, averaging 13, 17, 18 individuals/25double strikes in cultivations of Sudani, Masri and White varieties of Roselle plants during flowering of the first season respectively. Similar results were also obtained in the second season. The highest number of honeybees was recorded around 10 am to midday during the flowering stage for the two seasons. It was obvious that the effects of the two hydrothermal, factors temperature and relative humidity, had slight or negligible effects on the occurrence of insect pollination throughout the two seasons of the study, while statistical analysis of the obtained results showed that the productivity of Roselle plant (mean number of seeds and mean weights of seeds) were significantly affected by pollinators.     

Seasonal pattern of insect abundance in the Brazilian cerrado

Abstract In Brazil, a severe dry season lasting for approximately 5 months and frequent fires make life difficult for cerrado insects. In certain aspects, the cerrado can be considered to be an understudied ecosystem; even basic information such as knowledge about the annual peak in abundance of different insect orders is unknown. Insect abundance patterns have only been investigated for a few groups in the cerrado region. Thus, our study concerns the temporal distribution of insect abundance in the savanna‐like vegetation of the central Brazilian cerrado (sensu stricto) in Distrito Federal. The region has a well‐defined, long dry season between May and September. The insects were sampled by window, malaise tent and pitfall traps within 1 year. We used a multiple linear regression to analyse the relationship between abundance of insects of each order and climate variables. A total of 50 127 individuals from 15 orders was collected. The orders were Coleoptera (26%), Hymenoptera (23%), Diptera (20.5%), Isoptera (20%), Homoptera (4%), Lepidoptera (4%), Orthoptera (1.5%) and Hemiptera (1%). The abundance of Diptera, Homoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera was randomly distributed over time, Isoptera peaked in the first half of the wet season, Coleoptera and Hemiptera in the second half of the wet season and Hymenoptera in each season. A significant correlation was found only between Coleoptera and delayed climatic variables. There were no obvious trends that might help explain the abundance patterns observed. The study provides baseline information about phenological patterns of insect abundance and permits evaluation of this group as a resource for various food chains and different trophic levels.     

南京地区外来植物一年蓬上访花昆虫的多样性及其访花选择性的影响因素分析

为揭示外来植物一年蓬Erigeron annuus上的本土访花昆虫多样性和影响访花行为的因素, 本研究在南京郊区进行了连续2年的野外调查, 采用跨栏模型分析了环境因素如何影响昆虫的访花选择性, 即接受概率（测度是否接受一年蓬花）和访问频数（测度接受一年蓬花的程度）。调查发现, 访问一年蓬花的昆虫共计9目54科145种, 其中, 科丰富度占优势的是膜翅目、 鳞翅目和鞘翅目（均占总科数的20.75%）, 其次是双翅目（18.87%）和半翅目（13.21%）; 物种丰富度占优势的是双翅目（26.39%）, 其次是膜翅目（18.75%）、 半翅目（18.75%）、 鞘翅目（17.36%）和鳞翅目（15.38%）。多数目的物种丰富度在6-7月最高, 9月最低, 仅双翅目（食蚜蝇为主）在5月最高。运用跨栏模型对物种优势度最大的半翅目、 膜翅目和双翅目等的访花个体数量及其影响因素的分析结果表明： 影响半翅目和膜翅目对一年蓬花访问倾向（接受概率）的因素多于影响其访问频数的因素, 由此预测这些访花昆虫可能参考较多因素做出是否接受一年蓬花, 而依据较少线索做出访问程度的访花行为决策; 一年蓬植株密度影响半翅目和膜翅目昆虫的接受概率, 而花密度影响半翅目和双翅目昆虫的接受概率和访问频数, 说明靶标植物花的特性可能对访花昆虫的访花行为决策起主要作用。     

神农架地区典型草本群落中的昆虫访花行为比较

对神农架地区不同海拔高度(1,000–2,600 m)的典型草本群落中的昆虫访花行为进行了初步的监测和统计。在9个样地中共观察到鳞翅目、膜翅目、双翅目11科昆虫访花, 访花者的类群在不同海拔高度的群落中有所不同, 但明显与植物群落的物种组成有关。对昆虫访花频率的监测发现, 不同物种组成的草本群落中, 所有昆虫访花的总频率和不同类群的昆虫访花频率都有差异, 正在开花的物种较多的群落中通常能吸引相对较多的访花者。同一种植物在不同的群落背景中受访频率差异显著, 如花被不甚显著的酸模(Rumex acetosa)在某些群落中未观察到访花者, 在另一些群落中却有昆虫频繁访问。而花被显著的血见愁老鹳草(Geranium henryi)在各群落中都有频繁的昆虫访问。一些植物(如广布野豌豆Vicia cracca)虽然在不同群落中都有昆虫访问, 但访花者类群却有较大差异。作者认为, 在植物群落中, 不同植物的花在吸引昆虫传粉方面存在着一定的相互作用, 在研究特定植物的虫媒传粉时应重视该植物种群所处的群落背景所起的作用。     

Insect Pollinators of Crops and Fruits in Arunachal Pradesh,Eastern Himalaya: Rich Diversity in Flowers with Yellow Anther

A study on the insect pollinators of the commercial crops and fruits in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya was conducted from June, 2015 to May, 2016. For this, monitoring and sampling of insect pollinators in the important crops and fruits cultivated in the selected regions were done from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 9 days covering 9 spots in each crop and fruit during peak blooming period. In each spot, 10 replications of 100 m² were considered as sample size. During the study, 57 species of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera were documented in 11 crop species and 7 fruit species. The number of species recorded from the order Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera was 23, 18, 15 and 1 respectively. While analysing the floral color discrimination, the highest species richness of insect pollinators was recorded in flowers with yellow anther color. This result coincided with Brassica juncea, as both Simpson and Shannon index showed the highest species richness in B. juncea with 19 species of insect pollinators belonging 3 orders. From the results, it is evident that, in eastern Himalayan region these native insect pollinators play significant role for yielding good quality sustainable organic crops and fruits. Further, this study leads to hypothesize that the reward patterns of flowers are ‘advertised’ in the color of the anthers to control indirectly the gamete export mediated by insect pollinators.     

Prospecting for cellulolytic activity in insect digestive fluids

Efficient cellulolytic enzymes are needed to degrade recalcitrant plant biomass during ethanol purification and make lignocellulosic biofuels a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels. Despite the large number of insect species that feed on lignocellulosic material, limited availability of quantitative studies comparing cellulase activity among insect taxa constrains identification of candidate species for more targeted identification of effective cellulolytic systems. We describe quantitative determinations of the cellulolytic activity in gut or head-derived fluids from 68 phytophagous or xylophagous insect species belonging to eight different taxonomic orders. Enzymatic activity was determined for two different substrates, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), approximating endo-β-1,4-glucanase and complete cellulolytic activity, respectively. Highest CMC gut fluid activities were found in Dictyoptera, Coleoptera, Isoptera, and Orthoptera, while highest MCC gut fluid activities were found in Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera. In most cases, gut fluid activities were greater with CMC compared to MCC substrate, except in Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. In contrast, cellulolytic activity levels in most head fluids were greater on the MCC substrate. Our data suggests that a phylogenetic relationship may exist for the origin of cellulolytic enzymes in insects, and that cellulase activity levels correlate with taxonomic classification, probably reflecting differences in plant host or feeding strategies.     

长白山苔原带昆虫群落组成与时间动态

【目的】苔原是一种极地景观类型,本研究调查了长白山苔原带昆虫的物种组成与时间动态,以期为苔原带昆虫保护以及昆虫与苔原植物协同进化研究提供基础依据。【方法】2005-2007年每年6-9月,在长白山北坡、西坡苔原带利用网捕、灯诱、巴氏罐法采集昆虫标本。【结果】2005-2007年从长白山苔原带共获得昆虫标本4 634头,隶属于11目105科550种,其中鳞翅目、鞘翅目、膜翅目、双翅目的种类和个体数量较为丰富,这4个类群的物种数与个体数的最高峰都出现在7月份。对应分析显示,鳞翅目昆虫对7月份,鞘翅目昆虫对8和9月,膜翅目和双翅目昆虫对6月的适应性较强。苔原带7月份昆虫的物种数(382种)、个体数(2 571个个体)和多样性指数(4.673)都最高,物种数和个体数在9月份最低,仅22种265个个体。不同月份昆虫的物种数与个体数之间呈显著正相关(R=0.992)。不同月份间昆虫的相似性低(相似性系数＜0.20)。【结论】长白山苔原带昆虫多样性较低,7月为昆虫的活跃高峰期,9月昆虫的个体数和物种数均较少。鳞翅目昆虫的物种最丰富,对7月份气侯的适应性相对较强,鞘翅目对季节变化的适应能力强于其他类群,在维持苔原带生态平衡中起着重要作用。     

Variation in mutualisms: the spatiotemporal mosaic of a pollinator assemblage

Variation in time (annual and seasonal) and space (between- and within-population) is examined for the pollinator assemblage of Lavandula latifolia (Labiatae), an insect-pollinated, summer- flowering, evergreen shrub of Mediterranean woodlands in southeastern Spain. Lavandula latifolia is pollinated there by nearly 85 species of comparatively long-tongued Hymenoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera. The diversity, composition and abundance of pollinators varied markedly between years. Lepidopteran taxa prevailed numerically in one year, hymenopterans in four years, and both groups had similar abundance in the remaining year. The vast majority of pollinators exhibited significant annual differences in average abundance. Only 35.7% of taxa were recorded in all of the six study years. The pollinator assemblage had marked seasonal dynamics. Important changes in species richness, abundance and composition took place over the flowering season of L. latifolia (nearly 3 months). Only 21.7% of insect taxa occurred throughout the flowering season. Lavandula latifolia populations at different distances from water courses differed broadly in the abundance and composition of pollinators. Hymenopterans dominated numerically at the water-distant sites, whereas lepidopterans prevailed in populations growing in the vicinity of streams. Only 40.7% of taxa were recorded at all of the four study populations. Within the same plant population, horizontal distances of the order of 25 m resulted in significant changes in pollinator composition. Variations at the four scales considered combine to produce, from the viewpoint of L. latifolia, a spatio-temporal mosaic of pollinators. As these differ broadly in frequency of pollen transfer, size of pollen loads deposited, and between-flower flight distance patterns, spatio-temporal variation will predictably result in inconsistent or contradictory selective pressures on the plant, thus hindering specialization in relation to particular pollinators.     

黄河中下游农业景观中景观简化对传粉昆虫多样性的影响——以巩义市为例

在农业景观中,传粉昆虫的生存繁衍与半自然生境的面积大小有关。集约化生产方式使半自然生境比例逐渐减少,农田比例不断增加,随着景观简化梯度的变化(农田比例逐渐增大),传粉昆虫群落多样性将会发生怎样的变化?选择黄河中下游典型农区巩义市为研究区域,采用诱捕盘法(Pan traps)进行农田、林地的传粉昆虫取样,以21个样点作为景观简化梯度(农田比例范围5%—86%)的呈现,基于每个样点的传粉昆虫多度和丰富度变化来探究景观简化对传粉昆虫多样性的影响。结果显示:区内累计捕获传粉昆虫39660头,优势类群包括双翅目(Diptera)、膜翅目(Hymenoptera)、鞘翅目(Coleoptera)等。采用逐步回归分析及线性拟合后发现景观简化程度与传粉昆虫多度和丰富度呈显著负相关(P0.05);景观简化对传粉昆虫类群间的影响也是有差异的,其中对鞘翅目多度的影响最为密切(R~2=0.27),同时对膜翅目和双翅目也有较大影响(R~2=0.14、R~2=0.11),景观简化与鳞翅目多度呈正相关;随景观简化的程度加深,农田生境中膜翅目多度呈显著下降趋势(P0.05),而林地中膜翅目多度变化不明显。在未来的景观规划中,应着重考虑传粉昆虫中鞘翅目类群的栖息地变化及食物资源状况。依据研究结果建议林地生境中应注重保护现有的自然植被群落,在人工林中可以种植一定面积的蜜粉源植物;农田生境内对杂草群落、半自然生境斑块进行合理规划的基础上,还可以种植线性景观植物作为传粉昆虫的食物源。     

昆虫嗅觉神经的计算机三维重建

基于激光扫描共聚焦显微镜平台的计算机三维重建在昆虫嗅觉神经研究中发挥了重要作用。对经荧光标记的神经组织采集系列光学切片并进行三维重建,在双翅目、鳞翅目、膜翅目、蜚蠊目昆虫中均有进展。触角叶是昆虫的初级嗅觉中心,触角叶的解剖学图谱是识别不同种和雌雄虫间嗅球体特定功能的先决条件。了解构成嗅觉传输途径的主要神经元的形态和空间关系是理解气味信息在中枢神经系统编码的基础。三维重建昆虫的嗅觉神经,对于探讨昆虫嗅觉在其寄主选择、觅食以及寻找配偶等行为中的作用具有非常重要的意义。     

Railway Embankments as New Habitat for Pollinators in an Agricultural Landscape

Pollinating insect populations, essential for maintaining wild plant diversity and agricultural productivity, rely on (semi)natural habitats. An increasing human population is encroaching upon and deteriorating pollinator habitats. Thus the population persistence of pollinating insects and their associated ecosystem services may depend upon on man-made novel habitats; however, their importance for ecosystem services is barely understood. We tested if man-made infrastructure (railway embankments) in an agricultural landscape establishes novel habitats that support large populations of pollinators (bees, butterflies, hoverflies) when compared to typical habitats for these insects, i.e., semi-natural grasslands. We also identified key environmental factors affecting the species richness and abundance of pollinators on embankments. Species richness and abundance of bees and butterflies were higher for railway embankments than for grasslands. The occurrence of bare (non-vegetated) ground on embankments positively affected bee species richness and abundance, but negatively affected butterfly populations. Species richness and abundance of butterflies positively depended on species richness of native plants on embankments, whereas bee species richness was positively affected by species richness of non-native flowering plants. The density of shrubs on embankments negatively affected the number of bee species and their abundance. Bee and hoverfly species richness were positively related to wood cover in a landscape surrounding embankments. This is the first study showing that railway embankments constitute valuable habitat for the conservation of pollinators in farmland. Specific conservation strategies involving embankments should focus on preventing habitat deterioration due to encroachment of dense shrubs and maintaining grassland vegetation with patches of bare ground.     

Insect pollinators diversity and abundance in Eruca sativa Mill. (Arugula) and Brassica rapa L. (Field mustard) crops

Studies on the insect pollinators diversity and their relative abundance in Eruca sativa Mill. (Arugula) and Brassica rapa L. (field mustard) was carried out during spring season from February to April consecutively during all the three years of 2016–18. Insect pollinators observed belonged to four orders i.e. Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. A total of 20 major species of insect pollinators were recorded. The highest abundance of pollinator species belonged to Hymenoptera. The most prominent insect pollinator species were Apis mellifera followed by other three honey bee species of A. cerana, A. florea, and A. dorsata respectively. Some species of solitary bees were also recorded. From Diptera, four species of syrphid fly and one species from Muscidae family were also recorded. Insect pollinators recorded from order Lepidoptera were Pieris brassicae, Vanessa cardui, and Papilio demoleus. Lady bird beetle Coccinella septempunctata was recorded from Coleoptera order as occasional visitor. It was noticed that E. sativa attracted more insect pollinators than B. rapa which may be attributed to different amount and chemical properties of nectar, with number of pollen grains, and flower canopy of both crops. Further studies are needed to confirm the reasons for higher pollinator visitation to E. sativa than B. rapa through chemical analysis of nectar, amount of pollens, flower physiology and phenology of both crops.     

Non-apoid flower-visiting fauna of Everglades National Park, Florida

The non-apoid flower-visiting fauna of Everglades National Park (ENP), Florida, was surveyed during 1995–1997 as part of a community pollinator survey. One hundred and thirty one sampling trips were made to four areas of Everglades National Park (Shark Valley, Chekika, Long Pine Key (LPK), and Flamingo). Species–month curves indicate that the sampling effort resulted in capture of most of the flower-visiting animal species in the park. A total of 143 insects and 1 bird species were recorded. Diptera were the most diverse group (55 spp.), followed by Lepidoptera (42 spp.) and non-apoid Hymenoptera (34 spp.). The majority of species were rare (56% of species were found on fewer than five trips). The highest diversity of species was found from January to May during the peak flowering period in some plant communities. The greatest total diversity was found in Long Pine Key and Shark Valley had the lowest diversity. Chekika and Flamingo were intermediate in diversity. Animals visited 178 plant species,26% of the potentially animal pollinated Angiosperm diversity of the park. Twenty-five species of plants had only non-apoid flower visitors; the majority of these species had only visits by Lepidoptera. Potentially important pollinator species include members of the Syrphidae, Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera. However, many of the flower-visiting species may not be effective pollinators. This study will be useful for designing sampling protocols for including invertebrates in assessments of ecological restoration underway in the Everglades ecosystem and for more detailed studies of the importance of non-apoid flower-visitors as effective pollinators.     

The Restoration of Plant–Pollinator Interactions in Hay Meadows

Whether restoration programs successfully reinstate ecological interactions remains a contentious and largely untested issue. We investigated plant and pollinator interactions on two old and two restored hay meadows, with the aim of evaluating if quantitative patterns of insect visitation and pollen transport were comparable among old and restored meadows. In terms of structural diversity, few species of plants and insects were shared among the webs. In all four meadows, Diptera and Hymenoptera dominated the visitor community in terms of both species richness and abundance. Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Lepidoptera comprised the remainder of the flower visitors. No significant difference was found between restored and old sites in plant or insect species richness or in plant and insect abundance. In terms of function, the meadows appeared more similar, although a slightly higher proportion of the potential links between plants and insects was realized for old meadows. No difference was found in the proportion of plant species visited, and visited plant species were generalized, with all having more than a single species of insect visitor. We also sampled approximately 400,000 pollen grains from the flower‐visiting insects. There were no differences between old and restored sites in the amount of pollen being transported or in the average number of pollen grains per insect. At both types of meadows, Hymenoptera carried most pollen, followed by Diptera. Again, generalization was the norm, with all plants having more than a single species of pollen carrier. No difference was observed in the connectance of pollen transport webs between old and restored sites. Overall, although the four meadows showed considerable structural variation, they showed similarity with regard to the functional processes we studied. Because structural variation is expected among localities, we conclude that the two restoration projects have been successful.     

珍稀濒危植物单性木兰传粉生态学研究

野外定位观测了单性木兰的花期物候、访花昆虫种类、访花频率、访花行为和同花期植物种类,并对其花粉散播距离和繁育系统进行了检测,旨在探讨制约单性木兰传粉过程的某些因素,为单性木兰的保护生物学提供科学依据。结果表明,单性木兰雄株和雌株在花期物候上存在差异,雌株在结实上存在明显的大小年现象。单性木兰以虫媒传粉为主,雄株访花昆虫30种,雌株访花昆虫仅14种,雌株和雄株共有的访花昆虫仅6种。单性木兰同花期植物共17种,其访花昆虫种类大部分与单性木兰的访花昆虫种类相同。蜂类和蝶类均非单性木兰的传粉者,其结实率低的原因不仅与访花昆虫种类少和访花频率少有关,更与其缺乏有效的传粉昆虫有关。     

双翅目昆虫传粉研究进展

昆虫传粉不仅在自然生态系统中发挥着十分重要的作用,也和农业生态系统中产量密切相关。众所周知,膜翅目昆虫是最重要的传粉昆虫。双翅目昆虫分布广,物种多,数量大,也是一类十分重要的传粉昆虫,但其传粉作用未受到足够的重视。本文主要综述了双翅目传粉昆虫的主要种类、传粉效力、传粉特征、与植物的协同进化以及双翅目昆虫传粉的生态学意义。据记载双翅目昆虫中至少有71个科涉及虫媒种类,目前有资料显示访花昆虫类群中双翅目约有54 417种,按涉及的种数排序居于昆虫纲传粉昆虫目中第4位。尽管双翅目昆虫单次访问可携带花粉量相对较少(相比于膜翅目),但是较高访问速率及庞大的个体数量,保证了其作为有效传粉者的地位。传粉综合征能够有效揭示植物与传粉者的协同进化关系,尤其是对一些专化传粉现象(如五味子科-瘿蚊系统)和泛化传粉的深入研究,更加深了我们对协同进化的理解。就生态学意义而言,一方面双翅目传粉昆虫是膜翅目传粉昆虫的有益补充,另一方面在一些特殊环境中,双翅目昆虫具有不可替代的作用。当前传粉昆虫(包括双翅目)数量急剧下降,而且双翅目昆虫的传粉价值还利用较少。结合我国当前的研究现状提出了以下未来研究重点:1)加深双翅目传粉效力和适应意义的案例研究以明确双翅目昆虫在传粉体系中的地位;2)加强栖息地格局变化与昆虫多样性的研究以明确栖息地改变对昆虫的影响程度;3)梳理访花和传粉、专化传粉和泛化传粉等关系以更加明确双翅目昆虫在与植物协同进化中的作用;4)逐步深入探讨花粉浪费和花粉竞争以探究传粉策略和植物繁殖策略。这些努力将为双翅目传粉昆虫的知识普及、资源保护与利用研究等方面提供参考。     

Diversity and abundance of insect visitors to flowers of trees and shrubs in a South African savannah

This study presents the results of a landscape‐scale survey for insect floral visitors in the Skukuza Ranger District, Kruger National Park, South Africa. Floral visitors were sampled from flowering trees and shrubs along linear transects spanning the entire district. Six plant species were sampled in the late dry season (Acacia grandicornuta Gerstner, A. nigrescens Oliver, Cassia abbreviata Oliver, Combretum hereroense Schinz, Combretum zeyheri Sonder, Euclea divonorum Hiern), and eleven plant species were sampled during the rainy season (Acacia exuvialis Verdcourt, A. grandicornuta Gerstner, A. nilotica (L.) Willdenow, A. tortilis (Forsskal) Hayne, Dichrostachys cinerea Miquel, Flueggea virosa (Roxburgh) Baillon, Grewia bicolor Jussieu, G. flava De Candolle, G. flavescens Jussieu, G. monticola Sonder, and Peltophorum africanum Sonder). Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera comprised the majority of floral visitors, while species of Blattodea, Diptera, Hemiptera and Neuroptera also occurred on flowers. Known or likely pollinators include bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae) and scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). These plant species appear to have generalist pollination systems, with the exception of species of Grewia L., which appear to be pollinated primarily by bees. A provisional plant–pollinator food web is presented for the eleven species of trees and shrubs which flower during the rainy season.     

Hedgerows surrounding organic apple orchards in north‐west Spain: potential to conserve beneficial insects

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