Floral resource use and interactions between Apis mellifera and native bees in cucurbit crops in Yucatán, México

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Pinkus-Rendon ◽  
Víctor Parra-Tabla ◽  
Virginia Meléndez-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Floral Resource

AbstractDespite the importance of native pollinators in agricultural systems, little is known about the potential competitive interactions among them or the way they exploit crops' floral resources. This study determines the temporal use of floral resources by, and interspecific interactions between, native bees and Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in experimental plots of squash, Cucurbita moschata (Duchesne ex Lam.) Duchesne ex Poir. (Cucurbitaceae), and watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) (Cucurbitaceae). General and specific niche overlap analyses were done to determine whether temporally differential use of floral resources occurred. Direct displacement interactions at the floral level were quantified. The species with the greatest abundances were Peponapis limitaris Cockerell (Apidae), Partamona bilineata Say (Apidae), and A. mellifera. Overall, the niche overlap analyses in both crops suggested that floral resources are not used simultaneously by different bee species. Winner events during aggressive encounters suggested a hierarchy among bee species, with A. mellifera being one of the species with more winner encounters in both crops. It is suggested that those deciding whether or not to introduce A. mellifera into crops should consider whether the abundance of native bee species is sufficient to ensure efficient fruit production.

scholarly journals Exploitation of Floral Resources and Niche Overlap within an Oil-collecting Bee Guild (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a Neotropical Savanna

Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cândida Maria Lima Aguiar ◽  
Juliana Caramés ◽  
Flavio França ◽  
Efigenia Melo
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Neotropical Savanna ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Trophic Niches ◽  
Concentration Levels

Oil bees exploit host plants for resources to feed the adults and offspring, as well as for the construction of their nests. The aim of the current study is to investigate how the species in this guild distribute their foraging effort, and the range in their niche overlap levels. The bees were sampled for six months, during their visits to the flowers in a savanna (“cerrado”). These oil-bee species explored the floral resources provided by 13 plant species. The trophic niche of the most abundant species, Centris aenea Lepeletier, was relatively narrow, similarly to those of Epicharis species. Low overlap of trophic niches (TrNO≤30%) was most commonly found. The distribution of bee visits to the host plants revealed redundancy in the floral resource exploitation. However, the foraging concentration levels in some key plants were different for distinct oil-bee species, and it contributed to the low overlap of niches between many pairs of species

scholarly journals Mulch Effects on Floral Resources and Fruit Production of Squash, and on Pollination and Nesting by Squash Bees

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin E. Splawski ◽  
Emilie E. Regnier ◽  
S. Kent Harrison ◽  
Karen Goodell ◽  
Mark A. Bennett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Pollinator Attraction ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Black Plastic ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Floral Resource

Zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo) has a high pollination demand, and the native, ground-nesting squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) provides the majority of the crop’s pollination requirement in some environments. Squash bees nest directly in crop fields, and nests can be disturbed by tillage and other management operations. Mulches that use municipal waste materials may provide a weed control strategy for squash plantings that is more benign to squash bees than cultivation. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted in 2011 and 2012 to compare the effects of nontillage weed control methods including polyethylene black plastic, woodchips, shredded newspaper, a combination of shredded newspaper plus grass clippings (NP + grass), and bare soil (control) on soil characteristics, squash pollination and fruit production, and squash bee nesting. Woodchips, shredded newspaper, and NP + grass mulch decreased soil temperature, while soils beneath newspaper mulch retained more moisture. Unmarketable, misshapen fruit occurred more frequently in plastic than in the other mulch treatments. No measurable differences in floral resource production or crop pollination were found among treatments, suggesting that misshapen fruit resulted from high soil temperatures in black plastic plots rather than poor pollinator attraction. Squash bee nests were located within bare soil, newspaper, and NP + grass plots, indicating that these mulches did not prevent nesting. NP + grass mulch had a positive effect on plant growth and fruit production, possibly from an addition of plant-available nitrogen or the presence of preferable nesting ground. Shredded newspaper when combined with grass clippings performed as an effective mulch material that improved crop performance with no apparent negative impacts on squash bee nesting or on squash floral resources and pollination.

scholarly journals Broad Geographic and Host Distribution of Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus in South American Native Bees

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-332
Author(s):  
Silvina Quintana ◽  
Gregorio Fernandez de Landa ◽  
Pablo Revainera ◽  
Facundo Meroi ◽  
Leonardo Porrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
N Gene ◽  
South American ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
First Time

AbstractApis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double stranded DNA virus of honey bees and its prevalence and relationship with other parasites is poorly known. Samples consisted of fifty-one adult bees belonging to eight native species collected using entomological nets in six provinces of Argentina, from 2009 to 2018. Total genomic DNA was extracted from individual bees and a 551 bp fragment of the Bro-N gene of AmFV was amplified by qPCR. In the present work we have reported for the first time both the presence and the wide geographic distribution of AmFV in Argentinian species of native bees. This is the first report of the presence of this virus associated with Xylocopa atamisquensis, X. augusti, X. frontalis, X. spendidula, Bombus pauloensis and Peponapis fervens. Detecting pathogens that could threaten native bee health is of outmost importance to generate both conservation and management strategies.

scholarly journals Native bumble bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) pollinators vary in floral resource use across an invasion gradient

2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Gillespie ◽  
J. Bayley ◽  
E. Elle
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Direct And Indirect Effects ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Local Plants ◽  
Floral Resource

AbstractIntegration of pollinator-dependent invasive plants into native pollination networks can have direct and indirect effects on local plant and pollinator communities. Impacts on local plants are well documented; however effects on native pollinators have gained less attention. We examine these issues in habitat fragments of the endangered oak-savannah ecosystem in British Columbia, Canada. We measured pollen collection by native bumble bees (Bombus Latreille; Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus; Hymenoptera: Apidae) foraging on two common native plants in habitat fragments with varying invasive (Cytisus scoparius (Linnaeus) Link; Fabaceae) density. The Bombus species with the largest workers had higher proportions of invasive pollen on their bodies and in their corbiculae than smaller workers. Honey bees rarely collected C. scoparius pollen. While some native bumble bees species collect an increasing proportion of C. scoparius pollen with increasing C. scoparius density, this did not translate into an increased potential for pollination. Rather, measures of effective pollination decline with C. scoparius density. Overall, our results suggest that some bee species may be better at finding resources at highly invaded sites. Apis mellifera is likely not playing a major role in facilitating the spread of C. scoparius in our region. Rather C. scoparius is visited by a complement of native bumble bees that are similar to pollinators in the native range of this plant.

scholarly journals Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and flowers in natural forest patches of southern Pantanal

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Boff ◽  
Andréa Cardoso Araujo ◽  
Arnildo Pott
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Hyptis Suaveolens ◽  
Native Bee

This is the first systematic survey of bees in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil. We recorded bee species and their floral resources within grassland and natural forest edge habitats in the Pantanal. Surveys were conducted during two to four-days per month, for a total of 12 months. Overall, we recorded 56 bee species visiting a total of 63 flowering plants. Asteraceae and Fabaceae presented the highest number of visited species, however Hyptis suaveolens (Lamiaceae) was the plant most visited by different bee species (18). The most generalist native bee was Trigona fuscipennis visiting a total of 17 flowering plant species. Apis mellifera, an exotic bee, visited 27 species. We also report the overlap (37.5%) in the use of floral resources between the exotic bee Apis mellifera and native bee species. Our updated bee checklist here presented includes 10 new records for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. These data will support management strategies targeting the conservation of plant-pollinator interactions in the Pantanal ecosystem.

scholarly journals Floral Resource Partitioning between Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804) and Centris (Heterocentris) terminata Smith, 1874 (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Centridini), in an Urban Fragment of the Atlantic Forest

Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinanda Lima ◽  
Maria Ferreira-Caliman ◽  
Marcos Da Costa Dórea ◽  
Caroline Tito Garcia ◽  
Francisco De Assis Ribeiro Dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Getulio Vargas ◽  
Floral Resource

The knowledge on plant species used for the collection of floral resources is crucial to understanding interactions between plants and bees. The aim of the present study was to identify floral resources used by Centris analis and Centris terminata to provision brood cells and determine the niche breadth and overlap of these two species in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. This study was conducted at the Universidade Federal da Bahia and Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas, both of which are located in urban areas of the city of Salvador in the state of Bahia. Twelve and eight pollen types were identified in C. analis and C. terminata nests, respectively. The most frequent pollen types were from species of Malpighiaceae and Fabaceae. A larger trophic niche breadth was found in the Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas for C. analis and in the Universidade Federal da Bahia for C. terminata. Pianka’s index demonstrated trophic niche overlap between C. analis and C. terminata, which was greater in the Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas. This study is the first to provide data on plants used as food sources by species of the genus Centris in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest situated within urban areas.   

scholarly journals Honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) visiting flowers of yellow melon ( Cucumis melo ) using different number of hives

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1768-1773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márcia de Fátima Ribeiro ◽  
Eva Mônica Sarmento da Silva ◽  
Ivan de Oliveira Lima Júnior ◽  
Lúcia Helena Piedade Kiill
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Cucumis Melo ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
The Other ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Improve Production ◽  
Ideal Number ◽  
The Ideal

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) pollinate melon (Cucumis melo) and improve production and quality of fruits. However, little is known about bee behavior and number of hives required. The aims of this study were to compare bees visiting flowers in crop areas with different number of hives (0, 1, 2, and 3), and to evaluate which is the best number. Flowers were observed (n=78) from 5 am to 6 pm, for five consecutive days, in four experimental areas (0.5ha each). Comparisons were made for male (MF) and hermaphrodite (HF) flowers, number of hives and fruit production. The HF were always more visited than MF. Most comparisons made for three hives presented significant differences, since visits increased drastically, competition among bees for floral resources became stronger and reduced the production of commercial fruit (93.4%). On the other hand, the highest percentage of commercial fruit was obtained (99%) with two hives, setting the ideal number of hives as four hives ha-1.

scholarly journals Foraging activity of africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera L.): A study of nectar and pollen resources on a temporal scale

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Leandro Pereira Polatto ◽  
Valter Vieira Alves Junior ◽  
João Cloves Stanzani Dutra ◽  
José Chaud-Netto
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Secondary Growth ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Africanized Honeybees

Abstract. The spatial and temporal distribution of food resources, as well as the type, quantity, and quality of the foods stocked in the hive are the principal regulatory factors of the choice and intensity of floral resource harvesting by bees. We evaluated the annual foraging activity of Africanized honeybees Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) on the most abundant natural food resources available. Nineteen abundant plant species susceptible to foraging by bee communities in the interior of a secondary growth forest fragment with a transition physiognomy between Atlantic Forest and Cerradão vegetation were accompanied to estimate the intensity of floral resource collection by Africanized honeybees A. mellifera during the year. We determined the productivity of the flowers (the quality and quantity of nectar and/or pollen made available) and floral abundance (the quantities of flowers produced and the duration of flowering) of the 19 plant species selected. Africanized honeybees A. mellifera collected floral resources from 11 species. The intensities of visits per flower and per area of floral exposition were greater among plant species visited by Africanized honeybees when bee collecting behavior resulted in pollen transfer to the floral stigmas. It is estimated that 70.5% of all visits by Africanized honeybees A. mellifera individuals during the year in the study area occurred on Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton & Rose (Fabaceae), Grazielia cf. dimorpholepis (Baker) R.M.King & H.Rob (Asteraceae), and Gouania cf. latifolia Reissek (Rhaminaceae); those visits demonstrated seasonal patterns, with peaks of activity between January and April. Weak foraging activity was observed in June and between June and November.Atividade de forrageio de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.): um estudo das fontes de néctar e pólen em uma escala temporalResumo. A distribuição espacial e temporal dos recursos alimentares, bem como o tipo, quantidade e qualidade do alimento estocado na colmeia são os principais fatores reguladores na escolha e intensidade da coleta dos recursos florais pelas abelhas. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a atividade anual de forrageio de abelhas africanizadas Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) nas fontes alimentares naturais mais abundantes. A coleta de dados foi realizada em 19 espécies vegetais abundantes e suscetíveis ao forrageio pela comunidade de abelhas no interior de um fragmento de floresta secundária com fisionomia em transição entre Mata Atlântica e Cerradão, durante um ano. Para estimar a intensidade de coleta de recursos florais pelas abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera, foi determinada a produtividade das flores (qualidade e quantidade do néctar e/ou pólen alocada nas flores) e a abundância (quantidade de flores e duração do florescimento) das 19 espécies vegetais selecionadas. As abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera coletaram recursos florais em 11 espécies vegetais. As intensidades de visitas por flor e áreas de exposição floral foram superior nas espécies de plantas que foram visitadas pelas abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera cujos comportamentos de coleta resultavam em transferência de pólen aos estigmas das flores. Estima-se que 70,5% de todas as visitas promovidas por A. mellifera africanizada no decorrer do ano na região de estudo ocorreram em Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton & Rose (Fabaceae), Grazielia cf. dimorpholepis (Baker) R.M.King & H.Rob (Asteraceae), e Gouania cf. latifolia Reissek (Rhaminaceae), demonstrando, dessa forma, um padrão sazonal, com picos de atividade em janeiro, abril e agosto, respectivamente. Por outro lado, houve fraca atividade de forrageio em junho e entre setembro e novembro.

scholarly journals Frequency and foraging behavior of Apis mellifera in two melon hybrids in Juazeiro, state of Bahia, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 2049-2055
Author(s):  
LÚCIA H.P. KIILL ◽  
KÁTIA M.M. SIQUEIRA ◽  
COELHO MÁRCIA S. ◽  
TAMIRES A. SILVA ◽  
DIEGO R.S. GAMA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Frequency Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

The study was carried out to verify if there are differences in foraging frequency and behavior of Apis mellifera in two melon hybrids (10:00 – ‘Yellow melon’ and Sancho -‘Piel de Sapo’) in the municipality of Juazeiro, state of Bahia, Brazil. The frequency, behavior of visitors and the floral resource foraged were registered from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. There was a significant difference in the frequency of visits when comparing hydrids (F = 103.74, p <0.0001), floral type (F = 47.25, p <0.0001) and resource foraged (F = 239.14, p <0.0001). The flowers of Sancho were more attractive to A. mellifera when compared with hybrid 10:00, which may be correlated to the morphology and floral resources available. This could be solved with scaled planting, avoiding the overlapping of flowering of both types.

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