What kind of flowering plants are attractive for bumblebees in urban green areas?

Abstract

In the face of progressing impoverishment of bumblebee numbers and species richness it is important to recognize their diversified dietary needs. It is a crucial matter in the context of active protection of these insects and their habitats, including in urban spaces. During our surveys we analyzed the dietary preferrences of 17 species from the Bombus genus living in urban areas. We analyzed plants for their taxonomy, type and status in Central Europe, flower colours and shapes. We found out that the preferred plants for most bumblebee species are perennial and native plants, with violet/pink flowers with papilionaceous or bilabiate structure. We suggest that such plant species should be planted in ubran spaces in order to actively protect bumblebees. Moreover, it is important to consider less common bumblebee species, with a narrower specialization and different dietary requirements. For this group of bees we suggest flowers with longer corollas, especialy those from Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Boraginaceae, Plantaginaceae and Ranunculaceae families.