The South American Black Bumblebee (<i>Bombus pauloensis</i>) as a Potential Pollinator of Alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i>)
We assessed if the commercially reared South American bumblebee <i>Bombus pauloensis</i> forages resources in alfalfa crops by monitoring their colony activity daily. We analyzed the pollen collected by using pollen traps specifically designed for <i>B. pauloensis</i> nests a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
|
| Series: | Agriculture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2192 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | We assessed if the commercially reared South American bumblebee <i>Bombus pauloensis</i> forages resources in alfalfa crops by monitoring their colony activity daily. We analyzed the pollen collected by using pollen traps specifically designed for <i>B. pauloensis</i> nests and counted the number of bumblebees in the crop. Consequentially, colony activity was found to be highest during the mornings; 65% of the pollen trap samples analyzed contained alfalfa pollen grains, and 60% of the total pollen loads were identified as alfalfa pollen. Although the honey bee was the predominant pollinator observed in the crop, the high percentage of alfalfa pollen found in the pollen traps of <i>B. pauloensis</i> nests suggests that this species forages resources in alfalfa crops and could be considered a potential managed pollinator. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2077-0472 |