A Survey of the Insects of the Southern High Plains (Llano Estacado) of Texas, with Particular Reference to Pollinators and Other Anthophiles

Abstract

The economic value of insect pollination to the world economy is tremendous, and pollination service is critical for our food supply and persistence of native plants. Little data are currently available on pollinator occurrence in the Southern High Plains (SHP) of Texas. Past studies on hybrid cottonseed production in the region documented high abundance of six species of Agapostemon and lower abundance of Diadasia spp., Melissodes spp., and Perdita spp. Historical records indicated the presence of Bombus fraternus and B. pensylvanicus which now have Endangered and Vulnerable IUCN status respectively. In 2013 and 2014, we used blue vane traps and targeted netting to collect insect pollinators and anthophiles on the three dominant land uses in the region; cropland, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and native grasslands. With capture methods combined, we collected 74,215 insect specimens; 63% of the specimens were Hymenoptera (289 taxa), 28.61% were Coleoptera (150 taxa), 4.48% were Diptera (115 taxa), 2.34% were Lepidoptera (60 taxa), and 1.61% were of other orders (15 taxa). Our capture included all previously documented bee genera, but we did not detect B. fraternus. Studies support that blue vane traps are an effective method of trapping bees and our results demonstrated that they are also effective in attracting some families of anthophilous Coleoptera and Diptera. However, we captured several species of Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera with aerial nets that we did not capture in blue vane traps. This study documents pollinator and anthophile species present in a highly altered landscape and is the most comprehensive list of pollinators and anthophiles in this region to date.