Ecological Interactions Between <i>Camellia oleifera</i> and Insect Pollinators Across Heterogeneous Habitats
<i>Camellia oleifera</i> is an important woody oil plant in southern China, and developing its industry can enhance forest resource uses and increase edible oil supply. This study investigated the floral characteristics of different <i>C. oleifera</i> varieties, analysed the...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/282 |
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| Summary: | <i>Camellia oleifera</i> is an important woody oil plant in southern China, and developing its industry can enhance forest resource uses and increase edible oil supply. This study investigated the floral characteristics of different <i>C. oleifera</i> varieties, analysed the species and diversity of flower-visiting insects in different habitats, identified the main pollinators and their flower-visiting behaviours, and explored the relationship between pollinating insects and their floral characteristics. The floral lifespan of individual <i>C. oleifera</i> flowers was 5–8 d across cultivars, which is essentially the same. However, floral traits and nectar sugar composition exhibited distinct differences. There were 22 species of insect pollinators from 14 genera and 8 families, including Hymenoptera and Diptera, in 3 habitats. High-potential pollinators varied by habitat, with <i>Apis cerana</i> and <i>Phytomia zonata</i> being the most frequent. A comparison showed that <i>A. cerana</i> was the best pollinator, whereas <i>P. zonata</i> had a larger population, was not affected by oil tea nectar poisoning, and could still pollinate. Therefore, the contribution of <i>P. zonata</i> cannot be overlooked. Redundancy analysis revealed the response relationship between the floral traits of <i>C. oleifera</i> and three insect population characteristics. Stamen length was the main floral trait affecting insect populations. |
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| ISSN: | 2075-4450 |