Investigations on the pollinator fauna in selected eco-environmental conditions of Himachal Pradesh and promoting pollinator husbandry
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Date
2012
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Publisher
YSPU
Abstract
The present study on “Investigations on the pollinator fauna in selected ecoenvironmental conditions of Himachal Pradesh and promoting pollinator husbandry” were
carried out in the Departement of Entomology and Apiculture, Dr Y S Parmar University of
Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.). During the course of investigations, an initiative
has been taken up to use standard protocol of sweep net method, counter method and pan trap to
record base line data which can be used in future for making comparison of pollinators diversity
in space and time. The studies were conducted in 3 different eco-environmental conditions of
Himachal Pradesh. Forty seven insect species from blooms of different plants and 26 species
from pan traps were found at Solan. The activity of wild honey bees, A. dorsata and
solitary/other wild bees was found low as compared to earlier studies conducted by different
workers in the same area. It is concluded that to characterize local bee fauna, there is need to
supplement pan trapping protocols with the netting. On apple at Kullu, 9 species belonging to 6
families and 3 orders were observed. Some effect of distance from natural forest area on
pollinator visitation and fruit set was visualized at Kullu. There was no effect of scented sugar
syrup on directing A. mellifera to apple bloom. Further studies are required to work out the
number of flowers for making scented syrup more effective in attracting the bees. Fourteen
species belonging to 7 families and 3 orders were observed on apple bloom at Tabo (Spiti
valley). However, in pan traps 12 species belonging to 7 families and 3 orders were trapped.
Higher fruit set was observed at Tabo during 2011 when A. mellifera colonies were kept by
farmers for pollination. Nesting sites of different solitary bees viz. Halictus sp., Ceratina sp. and
Megachile sp. were located from Solan, Kullu and Tabo, respectively.
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Keywords
Pollinator fauna, Pollinator husbandry