Nectar Sources Research Articles

Nectar and pollen source of natural honey produced by Apis cerana skorikovi Engel (= himalaya): Palynological analysis from tropical to sub-tropical forests of eastern Himalaya

This study deals with the palynological analysis of natural “Himalayan cerana” honey collected from the tropical to sub-tropical forests of the eastern Himalaya (West Sikkim, Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh and sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal). A total of 12 honey samples were analysed. Among the six samples from Sikkim, one is found unifloral and remaining five samples are found to be multifloral. Similarly, the Kolakham (West Bengal) sample is found multifloral, whereas both the honey samples of Alipurduar (West Bengal) are found to be unifloral. All the three Arunachal Pradesh samples are found multifloral. Absolute pollen count (APC) reveals that the unifloral winter honeys are poor in APC compared to the multifloral ones. Significant occurrence of anemophilous pollen grains in honey samples points towards there entrapment either during long distance flight of the bees or on the sticky hive surfaces. The nectar calendars show that winter season is the honey dearth period in the study areas of the eastern Himalaya. Finally, the diversity and richness of the pollen grains in the honey samples also reflect the bee plant diversity of the surroundings. The study may further be useful to assess the potential for establishing a moderate to large-scale bee-keeping industry which may provide an alternate source of livelihood to improve the socio-economic set up of the local economically backward ethnic communities.

Temporal Shifts in Flower-Visiting Butterfly Communities and Their Floral Resources along a Vegetation Type Altered by Anthropogenic Factors

Habitat disturbance driven by human activities poses a major threat to biodiversity and can disrupt ecological interactions. Butterfly–plant mutualisms represent an ideal model system to study such anthropogenic impacts, as butterflies exhibit intimate dependencies on larval host plants and adult nectar sources, rendering them highly sensitive to habitat changes affecting the availability of these floral resources. This study examined flower-visiting butterfly communities and their associations with flowering plants in a landscape altered by anthropogenic factors in central Mexico. The study area encompassed a mosaic of vegetation types, including native juniper forests, agricultural lands, and introduced eucalyptus plantations, representing different degrees of human-induced habitat modification. Monthly surveys were conducted over a single year, covering both rainy and dry seasons, to analyze butterfly and plant diversity, community composition, and interactions. Results showed the highest diversity in juniper forests, followed by eucalyptus and agricultural sites. Seasonal turnover was the primary driver of community changes, with habitat-based segregation persisting within seasons. Butterfly diversity strongly correlated with flower abundance, while plant richness played a secondary role. SIMPER and indicator species analyses identified key taxa contributing to compositional dissimilarities among habitats and associated with specific vegetation types and seasons. Our research provides insights into temporal dynamics structuring butterfly–plant interactions across this forest disturbance spectrum, highlighting how habitat changes and seasonality shape these mutualistic communities in changing landscapes.

Assessing pollinator abundance and services to enhance agricultural sustainability and crop yield optimization in the Qilian Mountains

ContextPollination services are critical to crop production and human livelihoods, linking natural ecosystems directly to agricultural production systems. However, pollination services and pollinators are under constant threat from land-use changes and various other environmental pressures. ObjectiveIn this study, employing a case study of the entire Qilian Mountains in northwest China, the distribution of nectar sources in different land use types in the study area was determined through field survey and literature. MethodsBased on 1990–2020 land use data, crop yield data, crop prices, pollinating bee species and nectar plants data. We used the Gross Ecological Product (GEP) accounting and InVEST model of pollination services and assessed the status and trends of pollination services, the risks posed by land use changes and environmental pressures, and suggested potential solutions for mitigating identified risks. Results and conclusionsThe results of the study showed that (1) nectar sources and nesting areas' potential distribution closely correlates with land use types; (2) the Pollinator abundance index (PAI) is above 0.30, a high level, and the Pollination potential index (PPI) is between 0.15 and 0.30, a medium level, with both indices generally increasing over the past 40 years; (3) Human economic activities and land management policies had the most significant impact on pollination services, with 15.57 % and 14.02 %, respectively. Climate change (temperature, precipitation, extreme events) and invasive alien species had relatively minor impacts, accounting for 0.14 % and 0.15 %, respectively. (4) The Qilian Mountains will face a new risk, whether monoculture or the expansion of pollinator-dependent crops could lead to habitat homogenization issues, potentially affecting pollinator abundance and diversity. SignificanceWe recommend that future plans emphasize the provision of pollinator nesting resources along with floral resources, restoration of semi-natural and natural habitats adjacent to crops, adjustment of cropping patterns, and implementation of agricultural diversification, which will help to ensure pollinator diversity and sustainability of agroecosystem pollination services.

Nectar sources of Asian honeybees (Apis cerana Fabricius) in West Bengal: determining by pollen analysis of honey and bee’s crop-nectar

: Understanding nectar sources is crucial for sustainable apiculture with Apis cerana, yet information on these sources remains limited. We conducted pollen analysis of honey and bees’ ingested nectar (mainly crop content) to determine the nectar sources of this honeybee species in West Bengal, India. Diverse pollen types were obtained from honey (33) and crop-nectar samples (47). A few pollen types came from non-nectariferous plants, and most came from actual nectariferous plants. Predominant pollen types in honey samples were Calendula officinalis, Eucalyptus tereticornis, and Peltophorum pterocarpum. The very frequent pollen types obtained from crop-nectar were Eucalyptus tereticornis, Peltophorum pterocarpum, and Tridax procumbens. In conclusion, versatile pollen types (that were obtained from honey and bee’s crop-nectar), indicating that the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) is a generalist visitor, collect nectar from a large number of plant species. Our results also conclude that pollen analysis of bees’ crop-nectar can provide vital information about their nectar sources (excluding a few pollen types of non-nectariferous plants) in addition to the traditional honey analysis.

VOC Characterization of Byasa hedistus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) and Its Visual and Olfactory Responses during Foraging and Courtship.

Color and odor are crucial cues for butterflies during foraging and courtship. While most sexual dimorphic butterflies rely more on vision, our understanding of how butterflies with similar coloration use different signals remains limited. This study investigated the visual and olfactory behavioral responses of the similarly colored butterfly Byasa hedistus during foraging and courtship. While visiting artificial flowers of different colors, we found that B. hedistus exhibits an innate color preference, with a sequence of preferences for red, purple, and blue. The frequency of flower visits by B. hedistus significantly increased when honey water was sprayed on the artificial flowers, but it hardly visited apetalous branches with honey water. This proves that locating nectar sources by odor alone is difficult in the absence of floral color guides. During courtship, males are active while females hardly chase; only two models were observed: males chasing males and males chasing females. The courtship process includes four behaviors: slowing approach, straight chasing, hovering, and spinning. B. hedistus cannot distinguish between sexes based on color, as there is no significant difference in color and shape between them. Twenty-three VOCs (>1%) were identified in B. hedistus, with 21 shared by both sexes, while ketones are specific to males. These VOCs are principally represented by cineole, β-pinene, and linalool. When cineole was added to butterfly mimics, many butterflies were attracted to them, but the butterflies did not seem to distinguish between males and females. This suggests that cineole may be the feature VOC for identifying conspecific groups. Adding β-pinene and linalool to mimics induced numerous butterflies to chase, hover, spin around, and attempt to mate with them. This suggests that β-pinene and linalool are crucial cues indicating the presence of females.

Modeling honeybee flower visitation rates in the fragmented agricultural landscapes based on Lévy-flight behavior

AbstractTypically, honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), rely on waggle dances performed by scout bees to communicate information about fruitful nectar and pollen sources across the landscape. However, when this communication is absent, inaccurate, or when resources become depleted, bees resort to alternative search strategies. Field experiments utilizing harmonic radar have revealed that honeybees follow flight patterns that demonstrate a scale-free (Lévy-flight) behavior, representing an optimal search strategy for relocating the original feeder location. If honeybees adhere to a Lévy flight pattern to discover resources, where would honeybees demonstrate the highest flower visitation rates in agricultural landscapes? We generated simulated landscapes with varying proportions of forest cover scenarios, ranging from 5 to 50% of the total landscape area, along with different levels of fragmentation per se. Subsequently, we constrained the richness of flower farm cells in each landscape. To predict honeybee visitation rates, three different methodologies based on random movement were utilized: (1) moving window, (2) random walk, and (3) Lévy flight. We found that honeybee visitation rates were influenced by the degree of forest fragmentation in each scenario. Across all visitation scenarios, the highest average number of visited flowers per cell was observed in landscapes with maximum fragmentation per se. In landscapes with lower forest cover and higher fragmentation, honeybees were more likely to visit a greater number of flowers due to the increased probability of traversing the landscape and encountering more flower cells. honeybee visitation rates in agricultural landscapes are significantly influenced by the degree of forest fragmentation. The study highlights the importance of considering landscape structure, specifically forest fragmentation, when predicting honeybee visitation rates and underscores the need for further research to better understand the intricate relationship between landscape characteristics and pollinator behavior.

Application of artificial bee colony algorithm based on homogenization mapping and collaborative acquisition control in network communication security.

In order to optimize the spectrum allocation strategy of existing wireless communication networks and improve information transmission efficiency and data transmission security, this study uses the independent correlation characteristics of chaotic time series to simulate the collection and control strategy of bees, and proposes an artificial bee colony algorithm based on uniform mapping and collaborative collection control. Furthermore, it proposes an artificial bee colony algorithm based on uniform mapping and collaborative collection and control. The method begins by establishing a composite system of uniformly distributed Chebyshev maps. In the neighborhood intervals where the nectar sources are firmly connected and relatively independent, the algorithm then conducts a chaotic traversal search. The research results demonstrated the great performance of the suggested algorithm in each test function as well as the positive effects of the optimization search. The network throughput rate was over 300 kbps, the quantity of security service eavesdropping was below 0.1, and the spectrum utilization rate of the algorithm-based allocation method could be enhanced to 0.8 at the most. Overall, the performance of the proposed algorithm outperformed the comparison algorithm, with high optimization accuracy and a significant amount of optimization. This is favorable for the efficient use of spectrum resources and the secure transmission of communication data, and it encourages the development of spectrum allocation technology in wireless communication networks.

Improving bee feed recipes to safeguard honeybee colonies during times of food scarcity.

In beekeeping, when natural nectar or pollen sources become limited, it is crucial to provide supplemental bee feed to maintain the viability of the bee colony. This study was conducted during the autumn food shortage season, during which bees were fed with different proportions of modified bee feed. We identified an optimal bee diet by evaluating honeybee longevity, food consumption, body weight, and gut microbe distribution, with natural pollen serving as a control diet. The results indicated that bees preferred a mixture of 65% defatted soy flour, 20% corn protein powder, 13% wheat germ flour, 2% yeast powder, and a 50% sucrose solution. This bee food recipe significantly increased the longevity, feed consumption, and body weight of bees. The group fed the natural pollen diet exhibited a greater abundance of essential intestinal bacteria. The bee diets used in this study contained higher protein levels and lower concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins than did the diets stored within the colonies. Therefore, we propose that incorporating both bee feed and natural pollen in beekeeping practices will achieve more balanced nutritional intake.

Dynamic migratory beekeeping route recommendation based on spatio-temporal distribution of nectar sources

Dynamic migratory beekeeping route recommendation based on spatio-temporal distribution of nectar sources

IDENTIFICATION OF THE BOTANICAL ORIGIN AND DETERMINATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF HONEY SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE SARY-CHELEK BIOSPHERE RESERVE OF KYRGYZSTAN

Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve is one of the richest rare flora and animal reserves in Kyrgyzstan. The natural environment of the Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve is exceptionally favourable to high-quality honey production. Botanical authenticity is the main factor influencing honey prices, as it has a direct impact on the quality of honey. Producing monofloral honey in a natural landscape is challenging because, throughout the beekeeping season, multiple melliferous plants bloom at the same time. The article describes for the first time the botanical origin and physicochemical characteristics of honey collected in this biosphere reserve and also determines the influence of the dominant honey plant on organoleptic, physicochemical, and food safety indicators. Pollen grains of 50 taxa of nectar sources and about 10 taxa of pollen sources were identified. There were unique plant pollens in the samples; nine of the samples were monofloral honey—three of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), four of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and two of eremurus (Eremurus fuscus O.Fedtsch), and eight samples were polyfloral honey. High diastase activity was found in samples of thyme honey (41.1 ± 2.9 Gothe) and in samples of sage honey (31.3 ± 2.2 Gothe). The physicochemical and food safety parameters of the honey samples comply with the established norms and international standards.

Ultrastructure and development of the floral nectary from Borago officinalis L. and phytochemical changes in its secretion

Although Boraginaceae have been classified as good sources of nectar for many insects, little is still known about their nectar and nectaries. Thus, in the present contribution, we investigated the nectar production dynamics and chemistry in Borago officinalis L. (borage or starflower), together with its potential interaction capacity with pollinators. A peak of nectar secretion (∼5.1 µL per flower) was recorded at anthesis, to decrease linearly during the following 9 days. In addition, TEM and SEM analyses were performed to understand ultrastructure and morphological changes occurring in borage nectary before and after anthesis, but also after its secretory phase. Evidence suggested that nectar was transported by the apoplastic route (mainly from parenchyma to epidermis) and then released essentially by exocytotic processes, that is a granulocrine secretion. This theory was corroborated by monitoring the signal of complex polysaccharides and calcium, respectively, via Thiéry staining and ESI/EELS technique. After the secretory phase, nectary underwent degeneration, probably through autophagic events and/or senescence induction. Furthermore, nectar (Nec) and other flower structures (i.e., sepals, gynoecia with nectaries, and petals) from borage were characterized by spectrophotometry and HPLC-DAD, in terms of plant secondary metabolites, both at early (E-) and late (L-) phase from anthesis. The content of phytochemicals was quantified and discussed for all samples, highlighting potential biological roles of these compounds in the borage flower (e.g., antimicrobial, antioxidant, staining effects). Surprisingly, a high significant accumulation of flavonoids was registered in L-Nec, with respect to E-Nec, indicating that this phenomenon might be functional and able to hide molecular (e.g., defence against pathogens) and/or ecological (e.g., last call for pollinators) purposes. Indeed, it is known that these plant metabolites influence nectar palatability, encouraging the approach of specialist pollinators, deterring nectar robbers, and altering the behaviour of insects.

Variation in Pesticide Toxicity in the Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Associated with Consuming Phytochemically Different Monofloral Honeys

Insecticide toxicity to insect herbivores has long been known to vary across different host plants; this phenomenon has been widely documented in both foliage-feeders and sap-feeders. Species-specific phytochemical content of hostplant tissues is assumed to determine the pattern of induction of insect enzymes that detoxify insecticides, but specific phytochemicals have rarely been linked to host plant-associated variation in pesticide toxicity. Moreover, no studies to date have examined the effects of nectar source identity and phytochemical composition on the toxicity of insecticides to pollinators. In this study, we compared LD50 values for the insecticide bifenthrin, a frequent contaminant of nectar and pollen in agroecosystems, in the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, consuming three phytochemically different monofloral honeys: Nyssa ogeche (tupelo), Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust), and Fagopyrum esculentum (buckwheat). We found that bifenthrin toxicity (LD50) values for honey bees across different honey diets is linked to their species-specific phytochemical content. The profiles of phenolic acids and flavonoids of buckwheat and locust honeys are richer than is the profile of tupelo honey, with buckwheat honey containing the highest total content of phytochemicals and associated with the highest bifenthrin LD50 in honey bees. The vector fitting in the ordination analysis revealed positive correlations between LD50 values and two honey phytochemical richness estimates, Chao1 and Abundance-based Coverage Estimator (ACE). These findings suggest unequal effects among different phytochemicals, consistent with the interpretation that certain compounds, including ones that are rare, may have a more pronounced effect in mitigating pesticide toxicity.

Diastase Enzyme Activity and Antibacterial Effectiveness to Gastroenteretis by Apis mellifera Honey from Indonesia

The quality of monoflora honey (Apis mellifera) as an antibacterial can be influenced by the activity of the diastase enzyme and the secondary metabolites of the nectar source. This study aims to compare the activity of the diastase enzyme and the effectiveness of monoflora honey derived from Apis mellifera bees as a natural antibacterial agent against Salmonella typhi. The sampling method for monoflora honey from nine different nectar sources (acacia, calliandra, rambutan, eucalyptus, randu, mango, robusta coffee 1, robusta coffee 2, and rubber). The results showed that the highest diastase enzyme activity in monoflora honey was mango, rambutan, and robusta coffee 2 at 20.00 DN, eucalyptus, randu, and rubber at 10.00 DN, acacia at 6.67 DN, robusta coffee 1 5.00 DN, and calliandra 4.00 DN. Zone of inhibition for S. typhi on robusta coffee 2, robusta coffee 1, randu, eucalyptus, acacia, mango, rubber, rambutan, and calliandra respectively at 18.53; 16.70; 15.27; 14.70; 13.20; 11.20; 11.17; 9.47; and 6,80. The minimum concentration inhibition was 8 μg/mL.

ANTIBACTERIAL AND DIASTASE ENZYME ACTIVITIES OF HONEY Apis mellifera FROM INDONESIA

The quality of monofloral honey from Apis mellifera as an antibacterial can be influenced by the activity of the diastase enzyme and the secondary metabolites from the nectar source. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the activity of the diastase enzyme and the effectiveness of monofloral honey derived from Apis mellifera bees as a natural antibacterial agent against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Sampling for monofloral honey was carried out from nine different nectar sources, namely Acacia carpa, Calliandra calothyrsus, Nephelium lappaceum, Melaleuca laucadendron, Ceiba pentandra, Mangifera indica, Coffea robusta 1, Coffea robusta 2, and Hevea brasiliensisensi. Furthermore, diastase content was determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and the bacterial inhibition zone using the disc diffusion method. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the clustering of diastase enzyme and antibacterial activity. The results showed that the highest diastase activity in monofloral honey was Mangifera indica, Nephelium lappaceum, and Coffea robusta 2 at 20.00 DN. This was followed by Nephelium lappaceum, Ceiba pentandra, and Hevea brasiliensisensisensi at 10.00 DN, Acacia carpa at 6.67 DN, Coffea robusta 1 at 5.00 DN, and Calliandra calothyrsus 4.00 DN. The clear zones for Staphylococcus aureus on Coffea robusta 2, Acacia carpa, Nephelium lappaceum, Coffea robusta 1, Ceiba pentandra, Hevea brasiliensisensisensi, Nephelium lappaceum, Calliandra calothyrsus, and Mangifera indica were 19.47, 18.53, 17.73, 17.03, 16.12, 16.10, 16.03, 15.73, and 14.73 mm, respectively. Additionally, the clear zones for Escherichia coli on Ceiba pentandra, Coffea robusta 2, Acacia carpa, Coffea robusta 1, Melaleuca laucadendron, Mangifera indica, Hevea brasiliensisensisensi, Calliandra calothyrsus, and Nephelium lappaceum were 27.93, 26.13, 24.60, 24.53; 24.53, 24.07, 21.90, 21.60, and 21.53 mm, respectively. In conclusion, clustering analysis was conducted based on nectar sources to evaluate antibacterial and diastase activity. The clusters identified are cluster 1 consisting of Hevea brasiliensisensi, cluster 2 including Mangifera indica, and Nephelium lappaceum. Others are cluster 3 consisting of Acacia carpa and Calliandra calothyrsus, and clustergroup 4 including Nephelium lappaceum, Ceiba pentandra, Coffea robusta 1, and Coffea robusta 2. Therefore, it was necessary to carry out antibacterial testing of other bacteria, specifically Salmonella typhi, and determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of honey with the best antibacterial activity in various concentration variations.

Parallel batch processing machines scheduling for SLM additive manufacturing in cloud manufacturing

For the scheduling problem of parallel batch processing machines for Selective Laser Melting (SLM) additive manufacturing in cloud manufacturing environments, an Improved Discrete Artificial Bee Colony algorithm(IABC) is proposed by considering the service time of the product as well as introducing the mathematical model of the problem. Firstly, a population initialization strategy is introduced to improve the quality of initial solutions and accelerate the convergence of the population.Secondly, through three neighborhood search operators, the transition from the original nectar source to the new nectar source is achieved for employed bees and following bees. Furthermore, a local search strategy and a modified abandonment pattern are proposed to increase population diversity and prevent the algorithm from falling into local optima.Finally, the performance of the algorithm is analyzed, and the IABC algorithm was applied to 36 examples. The effectiveness and advantages of IABC in solving the studied problem are verified through a large number of simulation experiments.

Bat–flower trait matching: Extreme phenotypic specialization affects diet preferences but not diet breadth

AbstractNectarivorous bats have evolved various adaptations to feeding from flowers, such as long, extensible tongues and the ability to hover. The champion of tongue length, Anoura fistulata, can extend its tongue to 150% of its body length, yet little is known about its interactions with flowers in the wild. Here we analyzed the diet of A. fistulata and co‐occurring nectar bats in eight sites across Ecuador. Results demonstrate that, despite its phenotypic specialization, A. fistulata is no more ecologically specialized in its dietary breadth than co‐occurring nectar bats. However, it prefers deeper flowers, and is the sole visitor to two species (Centropogon nigricans and Marcgravia williamsii) whose extremely deep flowers make their nectar inaccessible to other bats. Furthermore, A. fistulata only occurred in sites with at least one flower deeper than the tongue length of other nectar bats, suggesting it needs such a guaranteed nectar source to maintain a population. Finally, we found strong covariation across sites between the local tongue length of A. fistulata and the depth of the deepest flowers it visits. This suggests that the coevolutionary race that selected for the exceptional tongue length of this bat over time is also playing out in a geographic mosaic across space.

Distinctive properties of the pine, oak, chestnut and multifloral blossom and honeydew honeys

Although blossom and honeydew honeys are produced from different nectar sources, it is very difficult to distinguish them. In this study, physicochemical and biochemical properties were compared to distinguish honeydew and blossom honeys obtained from different botanical sources. The honeys of pine (Pinus spp.) and oak (Quercus, spp.) were used as honeydew honey, and chestnut (Castania sativa L.) and highland honey were used as blossom honey. Turbidity, specific optical rotation (SOR) [α]20, electrical conductivity (EC), CIEL* a*b color parameters, and moisture and pH were assessed as physical parameters. Proline, invertase activity, sugar composition, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant capacity were used as biochemical properties. It was determined that SOR values were the most important parameters in distinguishing honeydew and blossom honeys. Turbidity stands out as a crucial factor in differentiating between pine and oak honeys. Except for chestnut honey, electrical conductivity, CIE color Lab values, and sugar profiles were identified as additional distinguishing factors among the tested honeys.

Transgenic line for characterizing GABA-receptor expression to study the neural basis of olfaction in the yellow-fever mosquito.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is an important vector of diseases including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Olfaction is a critical modality for mosquitoes enabling them to locate hosts, sources of nectar, and sites for oviposition. GABA is an essential neurotransmitter in olfactory processing in the insect brain, including the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe. Previous work with Ae. aegypti has suggested that antennal lobe inhibition via GABA may be involved in the processing of odors. However, little is known about GABA receptor expression in the mosquito brain, or how they may be involved in odor attraction. In this context, generating mutants that target the mosquito's olfactory responses, and particularly the GABAergic system, is essential to achieve a better understanding of these diverse processes and olfactory coding in these disease vectors. Here we demonstrate the potential of a transgenic line using the QF2 transcription factor, GABA-B1QF2-ECFP, as a new neurogenetic tool to investigate the neural basis of olfaction in Ae. aegypti. Our results show that the gene insertion has a moderate impact on mosquito fitness. Moreover, the line presented here was crossed with a QUAS reporter line expressing the green fluorescent protein and used to determine the location of the metabotropic GABA-B1 receptor expression. We find high receptor expression in the antennal lobes, especially the cell bodies surrounding the antennal lobes. In the mushroom bodies, receptor expression was high in the Kenyon cells, but had low expression in the mushroom body lobes. Behavioral experiments testing the fruit odor attractants showed that the mutants lost their behavioral attraction. Together, these results show that the GABA-B1QF2-ECFP line provides a new tool to characterize GABAergic systems in the mosquito nervous system.

Beekeeping Behavior of Chinese Beekeepers Shows Spatial Contraction

Apiculture is an important industry closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. Beekeepers’ behavior is an important factor affecting the yield, quality, and benefits of apiculture. However, there is a lack of a systematic understanding of the long-term changes in beekeeping decisions made by beekeepers. Using panel data, we analyzed the dynamic trends and related influencing factors of decisions made by beekeeping models, honey source plant selection, and the migration flow space of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020. The results showed that the proportion of the LMB model decreased, while the PAB and SMB models continued to increase, the frequency of utilization of the main nectar source plants for honey collection decreased, and the concentration of migratory flow of beekeeping increased. Behavior of beekeepers from 2009 to 2020 showed a certain degree of spatial contraction, which seriously restricted the effective use of nectar plant resources. Family attributes, economic status, beekeeping models, and disaster conditions directly or indirectly affected beekeepers’ decisions. We propose a series of recommendations to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the Chinese bee industry. This study promotes an understanding of sustainable development of the bee industry in China and other countries worldwide.

Nectar robbing effects on pollinators of a key nectar source plant (Tecoma fulva, Bignoniaceae) in a dry tropical Andean valley

AbstractZoophilous flowering plants have features to attract their pollinators, which may also be used by exploiters like nectar robbers. Nectar robbers access nectar by probing flower corollas (primary robbing) or use existing holes (secondary robbing). Nectar robbing can negatively impact a plant's fitness directly by damaging the reproductive structures of the flower or indirectly by modifying the visitation patterns of pollinators. We tested the hypothesis that the robbed flowers are less visited by legitimate pollinators by comparing floral visitors and visitation frequency in primary‐, secondary‐, and un‐robbed flowers of Tecoma fulva spp. Altoandina, a native shrub species that is an important nectar source for nectarivores in the dry valleys of the Bolivian Andes (Bignoniaceae). The Giant Hummingbird, Patagona gigas (Trochilidae), was the main visitor of T. fulva and visited more frequently un‐robbed flowers, followed by secondary robbed and primary robbed flowers. The variation in visitation frequency may result in less pollen transport to robbed flowers, which may have negative consequences for the biological fitness, probably manifested in decreased seed production.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.