Open AccessDiurnal activity of the key pollinators of Heracleum sphondylium L. (Apiaceae)
Author(s) -
Marcin Zych
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
acta agrobotanica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.4
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 2300-357X
pISSN - 0065-0951
DOI - 10.5586/aa.2006.029
Subject(s) - pollinator , biology , insect , umbel , subspecies , botany , key (lock) , inflorescence , apiaceae , pollination , hymenoptera , zoology , ecology , pollen , cultivar
Although umbels of common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) are visited by numerous insect species, only about 2-3 taxa pollinate its flowers. This paper presents two-seasonal observations of diurnal activity of the major insect visitors to inflorescences of H. sphondylium and its key pollinators. The results obtained for two H. sphondylium subspecies occurring naturally in Poland show that insect activity is the highest in the first part of the day and decreases towards the evening. This is mainly implicated by the behavior of dipterans, which intensively feed on hogweed flowers. Other insect orders (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera), but also the dipteran key pollinators (Eriozona syrphoides and Lucilia spp.) do not express any statistically significant preferences for any part of the day