A Contribution to the Study of Pollination of Alfalfa Medicago Sativa (L.) by Bees Osmia Cornuta (latreille, 1805) (HYMENOPTERA: MEGACHILIDAE) in the Donbass Region

Abstract

O. cornuta is a monovaltine polylectic bee, which in natural conditions prefers to forage, visiting fruit and berry crops, or, if they are missing, other plant species. With the aim of defining whether a bee under study is able to mate and build a nest in the summertime, detecting temperature conditions of the first emergence of individuals and specifying the duration of a lifecycle of breeding stock during the period of active flight, we conducted an experiment on the field of alfalfa Medicago sativa (Linnaeus, 1753) in agricultural limited liability company “Timiryazevskoe” in Amvrosievskiy raion, in the summertime (the third decade of June – the first decade of July). The data were obtained after artificially prolonged cold diapause of cocoons. For prolongation of diapause, refined cocoons of imagoes were placed in the fridge. After removal of cocoons from the fridge, incubated breeding stock was transported to the experimentation area and placed in previously prepared artificial nesting constructions. For nesting of future offspring bundles of single-channel reed were used. When nesting constructions had been installed, we started to observe emergence of male imagoes, followed by emergence of female imagoes. The article provides information about seasonal and circadian activity, lifecycle of bees O.cornuta. The received data could be used to plan artificial breeding of O.cornuta with a view to pollination of entomophilous agricultural plants on open ground during the summer period.