Abstract
SUMMARY During five seasons of observations on the pollination of Netherlands Rhinanthus species by bumblebees, honeybees were nearly completely absent. In the sixth season (1979) honeybees were observed on Rhinanthus serotinus in a relatively large amount. The pollen and nectar collecting behaviour of these honeybees is described and related with some similar observations in the Alps. The pollination value of both honeybees and bumblebees is determined. If only the number of individuals is taken into account, the role of honeybees in pollination of R. serotinus may be overestimated, since their flower visiting speed was low. Specialization into pollen or nectar collecting individuals also reduced the amount of flowers really pollinated. Honeybees did not play a role in the hybridization of R. serotinus and R. minor, because they did not visit the latter.
Highlights
On the initiative of the late professor D
In 1979 honeybees appeared common visitors in this same area. This offered the opportunity for a further study of (i) the behaviour of pollen and nectar collecting honeybees, (ii) the relative importance of honeybees and bumblebees for the pollination and (iii) the role of honeybees in the hybridization of Rhinanthus serotinus and R. minor
There were nearly twice as many honeybees as bumblebees present throughout the day and 89 % of the honeybees could bring about pollination against only 65% of the bumblebees, the visiting speed has such an influence that on this particular day honeybees and bumblebees were important in pollinating R. serotinus flowers: 36 % of the flowers were pollinated by honeybees and 39% by bumblebees {table I)
Summary
On the initiative of the late professor D. Bakker the study of the pollination ecology of large-flowered hemiparasitic Rhinanthoideae(Scrophulariaceae) was started in 1974. It forms part of a project with a wider scope, concerning the ecology, physiology and biosystematics of this group of plants Neither Muller (1881) nor MacLeod (1891) or Knuth (1899), reporting on pollination of alpine and Pyrenean species respectively, mentioned honeybees as visitors of Rhinanthus. In 1979 honeybees appeared common visitors in this same area This offered the opportunity for a further study of (i) the
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