Bees biodiversity, forage behavior and fruit production in gherkin crop (Cucumis anguria L.)

Darclet Teresinha Malerbo-Souza,Núbia Maria Guedes De Medeiros,Lucas Delano Sousa Nascimento,André Carlos Silva Pimentel,Rodrigo Alves De Siqueira,Thulio Gustavo Da Silva,Milena Oliveira De Andrade,Lucas Rodrigues De Farias

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v42i1.47421

Darclet Teresinha Malerbo-Souza, Núbia Maria Guedes De Medeiros + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4025/actascianimsci.v42i1.47421

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Abstract

The objectives were to evaluate the biodiversity of bees, forage behavior and their effect on fruit production in the gherkin crop (Cucumis anguria L.) in the campus of the University Center Moura Lacerda in two years. The frequency and type of collection of the insects in the flowers was observed by counting from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the first 10 minutes of each time, for three distinct days in each year. The percentage of fruiting was quantified in 25 female flowers covered with nylon compared to the 25 female flowers uncovered in the two years. The flowers were visited by the Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera and the native bees Plebeia sp., Exomalopsis sp. and Melissodes sp., and the Africanized honey bees presented higher frequency and constancy with a higher number of visits in the male flowers compared to the female ones and these visits occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Without the visitation of the bees there was no fruit production, and both the Africanized honey bee and the native ones when collecting nectar and pollen, visited both female and male flowers, carrying pollen in their body, being considered important pollinators of this culture.

Highlights

Costanza et al (2017) reported that pollination is considered an ecosystem service that provides benefits to humans, which include the maintenance and genetic variability of native plant populations that sustain biodiversity and ecosystem functions, diverse supply of fruits, seeds, bee products, among others, and the promotion of cultural values related to traditional knowledge
A group of plants studied for pollination is the Cucurbitaceae family which mostly have separate female and male flowers, being dependent on pollinators to ensure the production of their fruits (Serra & Campos, 2010)
The flowering started 30 days after planting and its duration was 55 ± 3 days, the male and female flowers remained open for one day (Figure 1), initiating the opening close to 7:30 a.m. and closure close to 4:00 p.m

Summary

Introduction

Costanza et al (2017) reported that pollination is considered an ecosystem service that provides benefits to humans, which include the maintenance and genetic variability of native plant populations that sustain biodiversity and ecosystem functions, diverse supply of fruits, seeds, bee products, among others, and the promotion of cultural values related to traditional knowledge. In Brazil, it is estimated that pollination related to agricultural production has an annual value of US $ 12 billion (Giannini, Cordeiro, Freitas, Saraiva, & Imperatriz-Fonseca, 2015; Malerbo-Souza & Silva, 2011). In the tropical communities, Ollerton, Winfree, and Tarrant (2011) concluded that 94% of the plants are pollinated by animals, most of them pollinators such as bees, flies, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles and thrips. Among these insects, bees are the most abundant group of pollinators in agriculture visiting over 90% of the 107 main agricultural crops (Klein et al, 2006). A group of plants studied for pollination is the Cucurbitaceae family which mostly have separate female and male flowers, being dependent on pollinators to ensure the production of their fruits (Serra & Campos, 2010)

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