Flower-visiting Insects Research Articles

Artificial flowers as a tool for investigating multimodal flower choice in wild insects.

Flowers come in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes and odours. Flowers also differ in the quality and quantity of nutritional reward they provide to entice potential pollinators to visit. Given this diversity, generalist flower-visiting insects face the considerable challenge of deciding which flowers to feed on and which to ignore. Working with real flowers poses logistical challenges due to correlations between flower traits, maintenance costs and uncontrolled variables. Here, we overcome this challenge by designing multimodal artificial flowers that varied in visual, olfactory and reward attributes. We used artificial flowers to investigate the impact of seven floral attributes (three visual cues, two olfactory cues and two rewarding attributes) on flower visitation and species richness. We investigated how flower attributes influenced two phases of the decision-making process: the decision to land on a flower, and the decision to feed on a flower. Artificial flowers attracted 890 individual insects representing 15 morphospecies spanning seven arthropod orders. Honeybees were the most common visitors accounting for 46% of visitors. Higher visitation rates were driven by the presence of nectar, the presence of linalool, flower shape and flower colour and was negatively impacted by the presence of citral. Species richness was driven by the presence of nectar, the presence of linalool and flower colour. For hymenopterans, the probability of landing on the artificial flowers was influenced by the presence of nectar or pollen, shape and the presence of citral and/or linalool. The probability of feeding increased when flowers contained nectar. For dipterans, the probability of landing on artificial flowers increased when the flower was yellow and contained linalool. The probability of feeding increased when flowers contained pollen, nectar and linalool. Our results demonstrate the multi-attribute nature of flower preferences and highlight the usefulness of artificial flowers as tools for studying flower visitation in wild insects.

The golden native drone fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) is an effective hybrid carrot pollinator that lives within Australian crop agroecosystems

Abstract Native insect flower visitors can be important contributors to crop pollination, yet little is known of their pollination abilities and the resources (habitat) they need to be supported within crop agroecosystems. Here, we compared the abundance and pollination abilities of the golden drone fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) to the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in hybrid carrot crop fields known to produce variable seed yields in regional New South Wales, Australia. We further observed the egg‐laying behaviours of female golden drone flies at a commercial berry orchard to provide insight into the habitat needs of this species. In hybrid carrot crop fields, golden drone flies were far less abundant flower visitors than European honey bees; however, these flies deposited more carrot pollen grains on average (8.21 ± 3.04 SE) onto carrot flowers than European honey bees (3.45 ± 1.06 SE). Both insects also deposited pollen onto a similar number of carrot flowers (pollinated) per visit (about 2 out of 18). Golden drone flies were observed laying eggs within masses of discarded red raspberry plant roots and soil (root balls) at a commercial berry orchard. The natural habitat utilised by these flies, as well as their egg‐laying behaviours, were described for the first time. Our results indicate that golden drone flies are effective pollinators of hybrid carrot crop plants. The habitat that these flies utilised to lay eggs (discarded plants and water) is cheap and commonly found in crop agroecosystems. Therefore, we recommend placing this low‐cost habitat within, or nearby, crop fields as a potential management practice to support the lifecycle needs of golden drone flies and other non‐bee pollinators.

Diversity and composition of flower-visiting insects and related factors in three fruit tree species.

Animal-mediated pollination is an essential ecosystem service for the production of many fruit trees. To reveal the community composition of flower-visiting wild insects which potentially contribute to fruit production and to examine the effects of geographic location, local meteorological conditions and locally introduced domesticated pollinators on them, we investigated the community composition of insects visiting the flowers (hereafter, "visitors") of apple, Japanese pear and Oriental persimmon for 1‒3 years at 20 sites around Japan. While most of the variation (82%) of the community composition was explained by tree species with a slight contribution by geographic distance (2%), maximum temperature and tree species contributed 62% and 41% of the variation in total abundance of the visitors, respectively. Though the dominant families of the visitors varied spatiotemporally, the community composition of the visitors of apple and Japanese pear clearly differed from that of Oriental persimmon. While Andrenidae and Syrphidae together accounted for 46%‒64% of the visitors of apple and Japanese pear, Apidae represented 57% of the visitors of Oriental persimmon. The taxonomic richness, diversity and evenness of the visitors were best predicted by locally introduced domesticated pollinators and local meteorological conditions of wind speed and maximum temperature. Amongst these selected factors, locally introduced domesticated pollinators could have the largest impact. It seemed to be strongly related to the reduction of taxonomic richness, diversity and evenness of the visitors, accounting for 41‒89% of the variation. Results suggested that the community composition and total abundance of potential pollinators were predominantly determined by tree species and temperature, but locally introduced domesticated pollinators could have a determinantal pressure on the taxonomic diversity of the community.

Agronomic characteristics, insect pollinators, and seedbank persistence of a novel oilseed crop, chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in eastern China

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.), a member of the Lamiaceae family, is a newly emerging crop species in China, gaining extensive attention worldwide as a potential dietary oil and pharmaceutical resource. However, there are few reports on the cultivation or field evaluation of chia in China. The present study was conducted to evaluate the agronomic performance of chia, including the determination of the suitable seeding window and seed yield potential. Data were also collected on flower-visiting insects, flowering phenology, and seedbank persistence of chia for providing baseline information on weed risk assessment for the potential of crop introduction in China. Results showed that chia seeded between late-Apr. and middle-May produced a greater seed yield (mean: 686.6 kg ha−1; ranges: 324.5–1034 kg ha−1) compared to that of seeded at other dates (mean: 136.6 kg ha−1; ranges: 0–311.0 kg ha−1). While the content of individual saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of the chia seed oil varied with seeding date and genotype, the unsaturated fatty acids, including C18:1 (oleic acid), C18:2 (linoleic), and C18:3 (linolenic) were the most abundant fatty acid in chia seed oil, accounting for approximately 87 % of the total oil content. At the present location, even though the chia seeding dates varied from mid-Mar. to end-Jun., the plants could still complete the whole crop lifecycle with similar dates for the specific phenological stage. Moreover, chia flowers attracted a diverse group of pollinating insects from the Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. Eastern honeybees (Hymenoptera) and syrphid flies (Syrphidae) were the most abundant insect species, accounting for 25.4 % and 25.8 % of all insect pollinators, respectively. While the chia cannot persist in the seedbank during the spring growing season, the seeds from the late fall harvest could be partially dormant in the soil seedbank with the potential for generating the weed control problem in the subsequent crops. The baseline information obtained from this study would help understand the potential ecological risk of chia and serve a valuable reference for introduction of chia production in China.

Environmental and management factors drive biological communities and ecosystem services in agroecosystems along an urban-natural gradient

Biodiversity, ecosystem services and farming are inextricably linked. Peri-urban agricultural landscapes host wild species, provide essential services, and benefit citizens of nearby towns. We investigated the environmental and management factors that influence avian communities, pollinating insects and two key ecosystem services (pollination and nature-based recreation) along an urban-natural gradient dominated by agricultural areas (vineyards, apple orchards and grasslands) in northern Italy. Flower visiting-insects were mainly affected by management and environmental-climatic variables. The presence of flowers at the margins and within vineyard and apple orchard inter-rows best predicted the abundance of pollinators and flower-visiting insects in general. Different flower species exerted variable effects on different groups; a mix of flowering species should be recommended for supporting pollinators. Sward height and grassland cover promoted flower-visiting insect abundance, which was negatively affected by vineyards and apple orchards. Bird communities were mainly shaped by land-use/land-cover and management variables. Landscape heterogeneity and linear elements had a major positive effect on birds. Apple orchards negatively influenced species richness and the abundance of most avian species, while vineyards negatively impacted on overall bird abundance; hedgerows positively affected richness. Nature-based recreation was greater in areas with low or intermediate vineyard or urban cover. Apple orchards and intensively managed grasslands had negative, and waterways positive, effects on recreation. Peri-urban agricultural landscapes are important for biodiversity and ecosystem services, but apple orchards and large vineyards appear largely unsuitable. Maintaining heterogeneous landscapes and implementing biodiversity-friendly practices can further promote benefits for biodiversity and visitors and local populations. Synergic strategies that simultaneously promote the conservation of biodiversity and the supply of ecosystem services could be easily developed and implemented.

Apple flower-visiting insects’ diversity and abundance in selected central Kenya orchards

Flower-visiting insects are essential in maintaining a healthy and productive agricultural landscape through ecosystem services such as pollination. Fruits are important sources of vitamins and micronutrients, and several fruit crops depend on animal pollination, which enhances their nutritional content. Besides honey bees, apple orchards can sustain a large number of arthropod species that also aid in pollination. In this present study, we assessed the diversity and abundance of insect flower visitors in six apple orchards in Nyeri and Laikipia East. Six plots, each with more than 20 apple trees, were purposefully selected. Data were collected through timed visual searches and sweep netting. Sampling was done from 0900 hours to 1700 hours, six days a week, for five months consecutively in 2019. Diversity indices were computed using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, while abundance patterns were displayed using species abundance curves. Differences in species diversity and abundance between sites were compared using a one-way analysis of variance. A total of 1,221 insects belonging to 23 families, 82 species, and 4 orders (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera) were recorded. The order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) was the most abundant, with 1,176 individuals, and had the most species-rich taxa, with 56 species in 9 families. The order Coleoptera (beetles) was second, with 26 individuals and 12 species in 6 families. Lepidoptera were the least abundant with 10 individuals and the least species-rich taxa with 7 species in 5 families, followed closely by Diptera with 7 individuals and 7 species in 3 families. There were significant differences in flower visitors’ composition among the six sites. The study provides important information on the status of key apple flower visitors, which can guide orchard management practises to increase apple yield through pollinator conservation. Conserving apple pollinators will enhance fruit production, promote the livelihoods of farmers, and contribute to the national economy.

Functional Traits in Bees: the Role of Body Size and Hairs in the Pollination of a Passiflora Crop.

Pollination is a vitally important function in nature and becomes an ecosystem service because it influences the food and nutritional security for people. However, the contribution of different functional traits of insects for pollen transport of plants is still poorly known. We explore the relationship between pollinator insect functional traits and the transport of pollen of sweet granadilla (Passiflora ligularis Juss) in eight crops. We sampled flower-visiting insects of this crop and recorded 10 functional traits (five by direct measurements and five from the literature) that were related to the amount of pollen carried by each insect. Bees (Apidae) were not only the most abundant insects but also the ones that loaded the highest amounts of pollen. Within these, the most abundant species was the exotic common honeybee (Apis mellifera (Linnaeus)) makingup almost half of the specimens collected; however, this bee carried less pollen grains than other native bees. Bombus hortulanus (Smith) was one of the large-bodied native bees that carried more sweet granadilla pollen, despite not being an abundant species in the community. Body size was the most important trait determining the transport of sweet granadilla pollen, while the traits related to body hairs were not significant for the body's pollen load. None of the functional traits evaluated was influenced by taxonomy at species-level. Our results suggest that large body sizes in bees are the most important traits in granadilla pollen transport, regardless of other changes in composition and structure of pollinating insect assemblages in the crop.

Flower-Visiting Insects Ensure Coffee Yield and Quality

(1) Background: The participation of insects in the pollination of self-pollinating plants, such as coffee, is still controversial. This study determined the effect of flower-visiting insects on coffee berry set, yield, and quality. (2) Methods: Over 2 years, five evaluations in different locations, dates, and harvest times were carried out. Each evaluation consisted of eight treatments with 50 replicates each, arranged in a completely randomized experimental design. Treatments were established to identify the contribution of insects, wind, gravity, self-pollination, and cross-pollination to coffee yield and quality. (3) Results: The insects contributed 16.3% of the berry set, 26.9% of the berry coffee yield, and 30.6% of the weight of supremo-type beans. No differences were observed in the sensory quality of coffee produced with or without insects. For stigma receptivity, results indicate that there is a 6.3% probability of self-pollination during pre-anthesis. (4) Conclusions: The species Coffea arabica, despite being a self-pollinating plant, benefits from the presence of flower-visiting insects. During anthesis, arabica coffee flowers are ready for cross-pollination.

The reproductive isolation mechanism of allopatric sister species Iris dichotoma and I. domestica (Iridaceae) under the sympatric condition

In allopatric species, the geographical isolation is generally disregarded as a legitimate cause of isolation. Beside geographical isolation, the other prezygotic isolating mechanisms in allopatric species have not been well proved to cause isolation. In order to explore if two allopatric sister species Iris dichotoma and I. domestica (Iridaceae) have other prezygotic isolating mechanisms, the natural hybrids, the positions of pollen deposited on the honeybee's body, the insect visiting period and frequency, and the daily dynamic changes of pollen quantity were detected; the daily flowering times were compared; the interspecific crossing and the pollen transfer were tested; the flower-visiting insects were categorized and identified. No natural hybrids of the two species were detected under the sympatric condition. Their daily flowering times were significantly different but had 2.6 h overlap, during which they had good cross compatibility. They had common legitimate pollinators, but the visiting time did not overlap and I. domestica’s pollen quantity was down to 0 before I. dichotoma open. The same honeybee could visit both of them as I. domestica had pollen in the net house, but their pollens were deposited on different parts of the honeybee’s body. The temporal isolation caused complete reproductive isolation, and the difference in flower structure also played an important role in reproductive isolation.

Bees and thrips carry virus-positive pollen in peach orchards in South Carolina, United States.

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne viruses of important stone fruit crops, including peaches, which can cause substantial yield loss. Although both horizontal and vertical (i.e., seed) transmission of both viruses occurs through pollen, the role of flower-visiting insects in their transmission is not well understood. Bees and thrips reportedly spread PNRSV and PDV in orchards and greenhouse studies; however, the field spread of PNRSV and PDV in peach orchards in the southeastern United States is not explored. We hypothesized that bees and thrips may facilitate virus spread by carrying virus-positive pollen. Our 2-yr survey results show that 75% of captured bees are carrying virus-positive pollen and moving across the orchard while a subsample of thrips were also found virus positive. Based on morphology, Bombus, Apis, Andrena, Eucera, and Habropoda are the predominant bee genera that were captured in peach orchards. Understanding the role of bees and thrips in the spread of PNRSV and PDV will enhance our understanding of pollen-borne virus ecology.

A Systematic review of flower-visiting insect community research on agricultural crops in Indonesia

Evolutionary forces have developed many types of insect-plant interactions over millennia, ranging from herbivory, which causes damage, to mutualism between plant pollinators. Pollinators are a very important part of the natural history of plant evolution. Plants have evolved distinguished characteristics of flowers that attract many types of insects. Other than pollinators, flower-visiting insects also consist of various insect groups. The aim of this research was to assess the breadth and depths of research on flower-visiting insects. The research was conducted using secondary data derived from various databases for the past 20 years that were accessed and searched with keywords related to flower-visiting insects. Overall, 135 articles were screened from various databases. Over 42% of research was done by focusing on the diversity of flower-visiting insects, while 19% focused on effectiveness toward productivity, 14% on the landscape, and the rest focused on behavior, pesticide, etc. Fifty-two percent of the research was mostly done on horticultural crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers, while 44% was done on plantation plants-mostly dominated by oil palm research. From the biodiversity aspect, there were 8 orders of flower-visiting insects consisting of 54 families, 186 genera, and 186 species of insects. The flower-visiting insects that were found mostly belong to Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. Over 50% of flower-visiting insects are pollinators, while the rest are herbivores, predators, and parasitoids. Forty-eight percent of the pollinators studied are hymenopterans. Our results also found that 35 genera of pollinators are identified as generalist pollinators, while 3 genera are specialist pollinators, such as Elaeidobius (oil palm), Forcipomyia (cocoa), and Nodocnemis (snake fruit). Data analysis showed that pollinators are positively correlated with productivity and quality of crops. Increase in productivity due to pollinators range from 27% in coffee to 1900% in zucchini.

Impact of Ecological Engineering on Zea mays Plantations to Biodiversity of Insect Pollinators

The presence of pollinating insects has faced extreme challenges due to climate change, pesticides and land use transformation. An important factor that causes a decrease in diversity and abundance of pollinator insects is habitat loss. Ecological engineering can provide a source of food and restore the habitat of pollinator insects. This study aims to analyze the effect of ecological engineering on Zea mays plantation to the biodiversity of pollinator insects. The research was carried out in April – September 2022 in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Ecological engineering was carried out by planting nine different types of plants, which are Mangifera indica, Muntingia calabura, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Cosmos sp., Turnera sp., Helianthus sp., Vigna sp., Arachis pintoi, and Antigonon sp. Observations of pollinator insects are carried out every two weeks from 07.00 – 11.00 a.m. Overall, 32 spp of flower-visiting insects were found associated with the flowering plants. The species found were from Hymenoptera (92.3%), Diptera (4.6%), Lepidoptera (1.3%), Coleoptera (0.7%), Thysanoptera (0.7%) and Orthoptera (0.4%).

Sustained mangrove reproduction despite major turnover in pollinator community composition at expanding range edge.

How well plants reproduce near their geographic range edge can determine whether distributions will shift in response to changing climate. Reproduction at the range edge can be limiting if pollinator scarcity leads to pollen limitation, or if abiotic stressors affect allocation to reproduction. For many animal-pollinated plants with expanding ranges, the mechanisms by which they have overcome these barriers are poorly understood. In this study, we examined plant-pollinator interactions hypothesized to impact reproduction of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, which is expanding northward in coastal Florida, USA. We monitored insects visiting A. germinans populations varying in proximity to the geographic range edge, measured the pollen loads of the most common insect taxa and pollen receipt by A. germinans stigmas, and quantified flower and propagule production. We found that despite an 84 % decline in median floral visits by insects at northernmost versus southernmost sites, range-edge pollen receipt remained high. Notably, local floral visitor assemblages exhibited substantial turnover along the study's latitudinal gradient, with large-bodied bees and hover flies increasingly common at northern sites. We also observed elevated flower production in northern populations and higher per capita reproductive output at the range edge. Furthermore, mean propagule mass in northern populations was 18 % larger than that from the southernmost populations. These findings reveal no erosion of fecundity in A. germinans populations at range limits, allowing rapid expansion of mangrove cover in the region. These results also illustrate that substantial turnover in the assemblage of flower-visiting insects can occur at an expanding range edge without altering pollen receipt.

Fertilizer and herbicide alter nectar and pollen quality with consequences for pollinator floral choices.

Pollinating insects provide economically and ecologically valuable services, but are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic changes. The availability and quality of floral resources may be affected by anthropogenic land use. For example, flower-visiting insects in agroecosystems rely on weeds on field edges for foraging resources, but these weeds are often exposed to agrochemicals that may compromise the quality of their floral resources. We conducted complementary field and greenhouse experiments to evaluate the: (1) effect of low concentrations of agrochemical exposure on nectar and pollen quality and (2) relationship between floral resource quality and insect visitation. We applied the same agrochemcial treatments (low concentrations of fertilizer, low concentrations of herbicide, a combination of both, and a control of just water) to seven plant species in the field and greenhouse. We collected data on floral visitation by insects in the field experiment for two field seasons and collected pollen and nectar from focal plants in the greenhouse to avoid interfering with insect visitation in the field. We found pollen amino acid concentrations were lower in plants exposed to low concentrations of herbicide, and pollen fatty acid concentrations were lower in plants exposed to low concentrations of fertilizer, while nectar amino acids were higher in plants exposed to low concentrations of either fertilizer or herbicide. Exposure to low fertilizer concentrations also increased the quantity of pollen and nectar produced per flower. The responses of plants exposed to the experimental treatments in the greenhouse helped explain insect visitation in the field study. The insect visitation rate correlated with nectar amino acids, pollen amino acids, and pollen fatty acids. An interaction between pollen protein and floral display suggested pollen amino acid concentrations drove insect preference among plant species when floral display sizes were large. We show that floral resource quality is sensitive to agrochemical exposure and that flower-visiting insects are sensitive to variation in floral resource quality.

Pollination biology of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa) at typical Indonesian small-scale farming

Abstract. Putra RE, Wibisana G, Kinasih I, Raffiudin R, Soesilohadi RCH, Purnobasuki H. 2023. Pollination biology of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa) at typical Indonesian small-scale farming. Biodiversitas 24: 2179-2188. Yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa) has been considered one of the potential local fruits targeted as the export commodity of Indonesia. However, this fruit production level is relatively unstable, which lowers their potency as cash crops and makes them secondary fruits for small-scale farmers. One of the possible factors related to this condition is pollination success. This research aimed to study the pollination biology of yellow passion fruit in terms of flower interaction with insects and the morphological aspect of flowers. The observation was conducted in four sites at Kampung Organik Beji, Wonogiri Regency, between January-February 2022. Pollinators' census was done by scan sampling while flower-visiting insect activities were monitored by focal sampling. This study found 26 species of flower-visiting insects which can be grouped into 5 Ordo and 12 Families with moderate diversity index (H’=2.15), evenly distributed (J’=0.66), and low domination (D=0.32). Among identified insects, carpenter bees (Xylocopa latipes), stingless bees (Tetragonula laeviceps), and Asiatic honey bees (Apis cerana) were considered as pollinators in which X. latipes (Vt=11.81±7.44 second, Fvr=2.41±1.55) visited flower (Vt) on shorter times, and more flower visitation rate (Fvr) than T. laeviceps (Vt=12.36±8.32 second, Fvr=1.10±0.30). Furthermore, this study found that the benefit of natural pollination was better than hand cross-pollination. However, the benefit was hampered by a lack of plant protection and soil fertility management. This study may be applied as baseline information to create pollinator protection zones in the area near the plantation zone to ensure the pollination services for crops.

Impact of landscape configuration and composition on pollinator communities across different European biogeographic regions

IntroductionHeterogeneity in composition and spatial configuration of landscape elements support diversity and abundance of flower-visiting insects, but this is likely dependent on taxonomic group, spatial scale, weather and climatic conditions, and is particularly impacted by agricultural intensification. Here, we analyzed the impacts of both aspects of landscape heterogeneity and the role of climatic and weather conditions on pollinating insect communities in two economically important mass-flowering crops across Europe.MethodsUsing a standardized approach, we collected data on the abundance of five insect groups (honey bees, bumble bees, other bees, hover flies and butterflies) in eight oilseed rape and eight apple orchard sites (in crops and adjacent crop margins), across eight European countries (128 sites in total) encompassing four biogeographic regions, and quantified habitat heterogeneity by calculating relevant landscape metrics for composition (proportion and diversity of land-use types) and configuration (the aggregation and isolation of land-use patches).ResultsWe found that flower-visiting insects responded to landscape and climate parameters in taxon- and crop-specific ways. For example, landscape diversity was positively correlated with honey bee and solitary bee abundance in oilseed rape fields, and hover fly abundance in apple orchards. In apple sites, the total abundance of all pollinators, and particularly bumble bees and solitary bees, decreased with an increasing proportion of orchards in the surrounding landscape. In oilseed rape sites, less-intensively managed habitats (i.e., woodland, grassland, meadows, and hedgerows) positively influenced all pollinators, particularly bumble bees and butterflies. Additionally, our data showed that daily and annual temperature, as well as annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality, affects the abundance of flower-visiting insects, although, again, these impacts appeared to be taxon- or crop-specific.DiscussionThus, in the context of global change, our findings emphasize the importance of understanding the role of taxon-specific responses to both changes in land use and climate, to ensure continued delivery of pollination services to pollinator-dependent crops.

OBSERVATION ON THE FLOWER-VISITING INSECTS OF ROSE (Rosa spp.) IN A RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE AREA

Many ornamental plants are aseasonal, providing continuous food supply which leads to survival of many flower-visiting insects. Although the flower-visiting insects are always perceived as pollinators, not all visitation actually resulted in pollination of the flowers. Thus, this study aimed to identify the flower-visiting insects of a common ornamental plant, Rosa spp., and to determine their potential role as pollinators from their foraging behaviour at the flowers. Data collection was conducted in Jasin, Melaka, in 2021. A camera was set up approximately 0.5 meter from the full bloom flower, throughout its anthesis period. From the video footage, the parameters recorded were visitation frequency, visitation type (legitimate and illegitimate visitation) and the time spent at the flower. As a result, 253 visitations were recorded by six insect taxa; four from the order Hymenoptera, and one each from the order Lepidoptera and Diptera. A hymenopteran bee, Halictidae sp. was found to show the highest visitation frequency. Only three species; Halictidae sp., Heterotrigona itama and Amegilla sp. showed legitimate visits. For the time spent (mean ± SE), Halictidae sp. (30.08 ± 4.87 minute) recorded significantly longer time as compared to other visitors (H = 13.78, df = 4, p < 0.01). Based on the visitation rate, time spent and visitation type, Halictidae sp. showed the highest potential as pollinator for Rosa spp., followed by H. itama and Amegilla sp. It is important to understand the contributions of the ornamental plants such as Rosa spp. as food source to these insects for conservation of these pollinating agents. Not only these flowers help in the survival of pollinating agents throughout the years, these pollinating agents also contribute to the survival of the flowering plants by facilitating the pollination process of the flowers they visited.

Cover

The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of AmericaVolume 104, Issue 2 e01996 CoverFree Access Cover First published: 03 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1996AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Graphical Abstract COVER PHOTO: This photo taken by Robert Root-Bernstein in Michigan, USA documents an example of agonistic interactions between flower-visiting insects on flowers. Here, Mellisodes sp. performs an “intimidation” flight at Danau plexippus. In their study published in Ecology (https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3958), Thomas Renaud and Meredith Root-Bernstein showed that agonistic interactions formed a between-species hierarchy on flowers. Butterflies, honey bees, and bumblebees were among the least likely to initiate aggression. Volume104, Issue2April 2023e01996 RelatedInformation

Floral resource maps: a tool to explain flower-visiting insect abundance at multiple spatial scales

Floral resource maps: a tool to explain flower-visiting insect abundance at multiple spatial scales

Accurate detection and identification of insects from camera trap images with deep learning

Reported insect declines have dramatically increased the global demand for standardized insect monitoring data. Image-based monitoring can generate such data cost-efficiently and non-invasively. However, extracting ecological data from images is more challenging for insects than for vertebrates because of their small size and great diversity. Deep learning facilitates fast and accurate insect detection and identification, but the lack of training data for coveted deep learning models is a major obstacle for their application. We present a large annotated image dataset of functionally important insect taxa. The primary dataset consists of 29,960 annotated insects representing nine taxa including bees, hoverflies, butterflies and beetles across more than two million images recorded with ten time-lapse cameras mounted over flowers during the summer of 2019. The insect image dataset was extracted using an iterative approach: First, a preliminary detection model identified candidate insects. Second, candidate insects were manually screened by users of an online citizen science platform. Finally, all annotations were quality checked by experts. We used the dataset to train and compare the performance of selected You Only Look Once (YOLO) deep learning algorithms. We show that these models detect and classify small insects in complex scenes with unprecedented accuracy. The best performing YOLOv5 model consistently identifies nine dominant insect species that play important roles in pollination and pest control across Europe. The model reached an average precision of 92.7% and recall of 93.8% in detection and classification across species. Importantly, when presented with uncommon or unclear insects not seen during training, our model detects 80% of individuals and usually interprets them as closely related species. This is a useful property to (1) detect rare insects for which training data are absent, and (2) generate new training data to correctly identify those insects in future. Our camera system, dataset and deep learning framework show promising results in non-destructive monitoring of insects. Furthermore, resulting data are useful to quantify phenology, abundance, and foraging behaviour of flower-visiting insects. Above all, this dataset represents a critical first benchmark for future development and evaluation of deep learning models for insect detection and identification.