Flower-visiting behavior and pollination of white clover by Apis cerana cerana
Author of the article:CHEN Zhi-Min, ZHU Xin, CHANG Zhi-Min, CHEN Xiang-Sheng,ZHOU Zheng-Xiang, FAN Ying, ZHANG Mao, PAN Ch
Author's Workplace：Institute of Entomology of Guizhou University, Special Key Laboratory for Development and Utilization of Insect Resources of Guizhou, Guiyang 550025, China
Key Words：Chinese bee; pollination; flower visiting behavior; totrifolium repens; yield-related factors
Abstract：[Objectives] To quantify the flower visiting behavior and pollination of white
clover, Trifolium repens, by the dominant native bee species in China (Apis
cerana cerana). [Methods] Visits
by A. cerana cerana to white clover flowers were observed and
recorded in May 2021 and the relationship between visits and flower density,
seed number and pod number was analyzed. [Results] Flower visiting behavior and pollination
differed at different times of the day. The retention time of a single flower
and the transfer time between flowers was highest between 10:00 and 12:00 at
the beginning of flowering and between 13:00 and 15:00 at the end of flowering,
but the reverse was true during the full flowering period. The amount of pollen
and honey collected, and flower visiting rates per inflorescence, were highest
from 16:00 to 18:00 in the initial flowering stage, and from 13:00 to 15:00 in
the full and the final flowering stages. The transfer time between flowers, the
amount of time spent collecting pollen and honey and the visiting rate, were
highest in the full flowering stage, whereas the retention time of a single
flower and visiting time between inflorescences were shortest in the full flowering
stage; there were significant differences between the full and the final
flowering stages (P<0.05). There was no significant negative
correlation between flower visiting rate and single flower stagnation time (P>0.05),
nor was there a significant positive correlation with inflorescence visiting
time (P>0.05), but there was a very significant positive correlation
between inflorescence pollination and honey collection time (P<0.01).
Flower density, seed number and pod number were highest during the full
flowering stage; (286.67±8.11)ind., (4.65±0.20)grain and (66.70±3.93), respectively, and lowest without pollination;
(273.33±5.81)ind., (4.21±0.10)grain and (38.00±2.93)ind., respectively. [Conclusion]
Most visits by A. cerana cerana to white clover flowers occurred during the full flowering stage. The flower
density, number of inflorescences per flower, pod number and seed number, were
all increased by complete pollination during the full flowering stage.