Small sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) as potential major pollinators of melon (Cucumis melo) in the Mediterranean. Issue 1 (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodrigo Gómez, Sara; Ornosa, Concepción; Selfa, Jesús; Guara, Miguel; Polidori, Carlo
• Is Part Of: Entomological science. Volume 19:Issue 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 55
• Page End: 66
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: foraging behavior -- honeybee -- Lasioglossum -- pollination -- Spain; Insects -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.705
• DOI: 10.1111/ens.12168
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1343-8786

Abstract

Abstract: In the current scenario of a general decline of the honeybee worldwide, studies on the potential of alternative bee species in pollinating cultivated plants are important. Although melon, Cucumis melo, is a crop with great commercial importance, there is very little information on its pollinating fauna in Europe, and none from the southern Mediterranean area. In a locality in central Spain, using both pan‐traps and net collections, we found that melon flowers are visited by 31 species of bees spanning four families, though only four were both dominant and constant. These four species belonged to the family Halictidae (sweat bees) and mostly (three species) to the genus Lasioglossum . Five other species could be defined as accessory: honeybee, Apis mellifera, and four other halictids. Individuals of the dominant species were smaller, on average, than those from all the other species. Observations on the frequency of pollen and nectar foraging and on flower visit duration further suggested L . malachurum as the potential key pollinator. Females of this species started to forage on melon early in the flowering season and exhibited two activity peaks in summer, thus covering the whole season. Although in other sites across continents melon seems to be more heavily pollinated by honeybees, this seems to be not the case in the Mediterranean, where sweat bees seem to be the major pollinators of this crop. Abstract : In a locality in central Spain, we found that Cucumis melo flowers are visited by 31 species of bees spanning four families, though Lasioglossum was by far the most abundant genus. Phenology data and observations on the pollen and nectar foraging further suggested Lasioglossum malachurum as the potential key pollinator. Melon management in the Mediterranean should be focused on conserving/increasing populations of sweat bees.