Introduced Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Reduce Pollination Success without Affecting the Floral Resource Taken by Native Pollinators1

Biotropica ◽  
10.1646/03094 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roselaini Mendes do Carmo ◽  
Edivani Villaron Franceschinelli ◽  
Fernando Amaral da Silveira
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Floral Resource

Introduced Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Reduce Pollination Success without Affecting the Floral Resource Taken by Native Pollinators

Biotropica ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roselaini Mendes Carmo ◽  
Edivani Villaron Franceschinelli ◽  
Fernando Amaral Silveira
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Floral Resource

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 Phenology of the specialist bee Colletes hederae and its dependence on Hedera helix L. in comparison to a generalist, Apis mellifera

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-195
Author(s):  
Georgia Hennessy ◽  
Cassanda Uthoff ◽  
Sema Abbas ◽  
Stefano C. Quaradeghini ◽  
Emma Stokes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Pollen Analysis ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Large Range ◽  
Hedera Helix ◽  
Pollen Collection ◽  
Flower Visitation ◽  
Original Distribution ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Floral Resource

AbstractColletes hederae,the ivy bee, (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) has undergone large range expansions in Europe in recent years, including colonising Britain in 2001 with its original distribution limited to Western mainland Europe and the Channel Islands. It is thought to specialise onHedera helixL. (Apiales: Ariliaceae), common ivy. However, some research has questioned this dependence. This study quantifies the foraging ecology ofC. hederaeto determine its relationship with ivy in Sussex. We quantified the phenology of ivy bloom,C. hederaeactivity and flower visitation, and pollen collection of females through pollen analysis. We also gathered equivalent data onApis melliferaboth as a comparison and to assess alternative pollen sources. The phenology of femaleC. hederaeactivity was highly correlated with and phonologically contained within the ivy bloom period. Pollen analysis fromC. hederaeidentified ivy pollen was 98.5% of samples, significantly more than forA. mellifera(90%). Two other plant species were identified and more common inC. hederaesamples when ivy bloom was not at its peak. Surveys of ivy flowers surrounding the aggregations found thatC. hederaewere the most common insect (26%) foraging on ivy.AlthoughC. hederaecan forage on other species, ivy was found to be an important floral resource. The results also suggest the potential for competition withA. mellifera, the only other bee present in more than small numbers onH. helixflowers, as althoughA. melliferais a generalist, in autumn it mainly forages on ivy.

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.

FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF HONEY BEES (APIS MELLIFERA L.) ON STAGHORN SUMAC [RHUS HIRTA SUDWORTH (EX-TYPHINA L.)]: DIFFERENCES AND DIOECY

1996 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos F. Greco ◽  
Dean Holland ◽  
Peter G. Kevan
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Anther Dehiscence ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Natural Stands ◽  
Foraging Pattern

AbstractThe foraging behaviour of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) on inflorescences of staghorn sumac [Rhus hirta Sudworth (ex-typhina L.)] was studied using a “choice table” placed in natural stands of this plant. The choice table consisted of a wooden grid with alternated male and female inflorescences of sumac. Honey bee activity was recorded also on inflorescences of naturally growing plants in which the secretion of nectar was measured and the anther dehiscence recorded. Honey bees were the only common pollinators observed on sumac in the study area. During the morning, both plant sexes secreted little nectar, and pollen was available after the dehiscence of the anthers which took place between 1000 and 1100 hours. Female inflorescences secreted great amounts of nectar during the afternoon, but in male inflorescences there was little secretion. Honey bees seemed to forage according to the circadian availability of resources. Most of their activity concentrated on male inflorescences in the morning and on female ones during the afternoon. Both the occurrence of bees with pollen loads in their corbiculae and the length of the visits to each sex also seemed to be in accordance to the kind of resource exploited at particular times of the day. Most of the bees with pollen loads were observed during the morning and the longest visits to any inflorescences were registered on female ones during the afternoon (by bees foraging for nectar). Despite our results suggesting that the pollination success of staghorn sumac would be impaired by the foraging pattern of honey bees, an explanation is proposed for its reproductive success.

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 Food collection behavior of Apis mellifera and Tetragonisca angustula bees in Brassica napus L. in response to different environmental covariates

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Cristina Camargo ◽  
Regina Conceição Garcia ◽  
Newton Tavares Escocard de Oliveira ◽  
Edmar Soares de Vasconcelos ◽  
Douglas Galhardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Collection Site ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Pollen Collection ◽  
Tetragonisca Angustula ◽  
Floral Resource

AbstractThe objective was to evaluate the behavior of Apis mellifera and Tetragonisca angustula bees in pollination tests in Brassica napus at different times of the day, temperature and relative humidity. The experimental design was completely with eight treatments and two pollination tests, repeated in five randomized blocks during seven days of observations for two years, totaling 560 records. During the visits, the following parameters were recorded: collected resources, nectar collection site, time spent on flower, number of flowers visited in one minute, pollen load in the pollen basket and bee contact with anthers and stigma. Data were analyzed using generalized linear models. The number of Africanized and T. angustula bees collecting nectar increased with the passage of time throughout the day and with the decrease of relative humidity. The same was observed for nectar collection in both nectaries. The proportion of bees collecting pollen was higher in the morning hours, as well as when there was an increase in temperature for the two species of bees. Foraging behavior of A. mellifera in B. napus crop favored its pollination, indifferent of which collected floral resource as they came into contact with anthers and stigma. T. angustula bees performed pollination only during pollen collection. Pollination of B. napus was more effective in the warmer hours of the morning, when more of both species of bees carried out pollen collection. Due to its foraging behavior, A. mellifera had greater efficiency for pollination of B. napus; however, the association with T. angustula may potentiate the benefits generated for the crop by cross-pollination.

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.

scholarly journals Novel data support model linking floral resources and honey bee competition with bumble bee abundances in coastal scrub

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Statistical Model ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Mechanistic Models ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Floral Resource

Growing evidence supports that many bee populations are declining, with potentially serious consequences for pollination services. Mechanistic models that predict bee abundances from drivers like floral resource availability can be a powerful way to understand and address declines, but remain rare and largely unvalidated. I used temporally and spatially novel data to validate previous analyses linking bumble bee (Bombus spp.) declines in California coastal scrub with loss of floral resources, mediated by drought and competition with non-native honey bees (Apis mellifera). New observations from 2015-2018 were combined with data from 1999-2014 to further test these mechanistic hypotheses and evaluate predictions of a statistical model for Bombus abundances. As predicted, positive associations between spring rainfall and floral abundances and between Bombus and key forage plants were consistent between time periods. Increased A. mellifera abundance corresponded with reduced Bombus use of the most abundant forage plant and lower Bombus abundances in the following year. Quantitative predictions from the Bombus statistical model previously developed for 1999-2014 were relatively unbiased and strongly rank correlated with either spatially or temporally novel data. However, the model consistently underpredicted Bombus abundances when both flower patch and time period were novel. Overall, four new years of data further strengthen evidence that loss of floral resources due to drought and competition with feral Apis mellifera is an important cause of Bombus decline in this habitat. These findings reinforce the value of even simple models that are mechanistically framed, both in understanding past patterns of change and for qualitative prediction. 

scholarly journals FLORAL BIOLOGY AND BEEKEEPING POTENTIAL OF Croton heliotropiifolius KUNTH (EUPHORBIACEAE) AT SEMI ARID REGION, BRAZIL1

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-903
Author(s):  
VANDERLEI DA SILVA OLIVEIRA ◽  
JOSÉ MONTEIRO DO NASCIMENTO JÚNIOR ◽  
RICARDO LANDIM BORMANN DE BORGES ◽  
LUCIENE CRISTINA LIMA E LIMA
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Semi Arid

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to determine the beekeeping potential of Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth (Euphorbiaceae) based on flowering strategy, floral characteristics, available floral resources, and the individuals frequencies and foraging activities of Apis mellifera L. on its flowers in Fazenda Ingazeira, Brazil. Each C. heliotropiifolius plant possessed inconspicuous diclinous flowers clustered into 560 ± 60 dense terminal inflorescences containing 59 ± 12 pistillate and 160 ± 26 staminate flowers. Although both types of flowers produced nectar (pistillate: 2.8 ± 0.8 μL ; staminate: 0.3 ± 0.06 μL ), A. mellifera workers mostly visited staminate flowers (98%) during the peak visitation period (08:00-11:00 h). Moreover, during the foraging period, each plant produced approximately 5.376 × 10 8 pollen grains, ensuring approximately 33 visitation cycles from a colony of A mellifera workers that picked up an average of 405 pollen grains per visit per flower. Further, C. heliotropiifolius showed an annual cornucopia flowering strategy with high flower production for five months, which is an important characteristic that ensures floral resource availability in the environment. These findings suggest that C. heliotropiifolius has a great potential for apiculture in this region.

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