A hitch-hiker and a phoront mites on the honeybees (Neocypholaelaps sp.)

 

Neocypholaelaps spp.  Evans, 1963

Order: Mesostigmata

Family: Ameroseiidae

In order to bring food resources (pollen and nectar) to the hives, the honey bee visits flowers. The bee and flowering plants have a mutually beneficial interaction. Mutualism refers to a partnership in which both the flowering plant and the bee are benefited. The blooms supply pollen and nectar in exchange for the bee's pollination service. Bees are impacted by other organisms, which might have a detrimental effect, therefore some relationships are not always advantageous. A bee may come into contact with parasites that can physically alter adults and larvae while also lowering the production of the hive.

Parasitic mites are one of the known threats to honey bees among various organisms. Parasitic mites can be ecto-parasites (live on the body's surface) or endo-parasites (lives inside the body). Varroa mites (V. jacobsoni and V. destructor), Acarapis woodi, and Tropilaelaps clareae are well-known parasites. They are vexing mites for beekeeper communities (De Jong, Morse & Eickwort, 1982).

'Kleptoparasitic' mites are among those parasites (parasite that steal food resources from others). The nectar and pollen feeding mite Neocypholaelaps species completes its life cycle on the flower. They are found on Apis species and in large numbers on beehives during the flowering season (Fan & Jiang, 2015; Klimov et al., 2016). They feed on pollen and nectar collected by bees and also enjoy a free ride on their backs. The bees can transport up to 400 mites on their backs, making the mites a phoront attaching one bee as a mode of transport from one colony to another. Neocypholaelaps typically causes bee flight impairment, which can reduce bee productivity.

I've seen a few Apis cerena with Neocypholaelaps mites on their back (4 and up to 20) and thorax. There is the possibility for a curious researcher or student to learn more about Neocypholaelaps in Bhutan and the types of bee hosts they infest.

References

De Jong, D., Morse, R. A., & Eickwort, G. C. (1982). Mites pests of honey bees. Annual Review of Entomology, 27(1), 229-252.

Fan, Q. H., & Jiang, F. (2014). The tiny flower fairies Neocypholaelaps indica Evans. 1963 (Acari: Ameroseiidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology 19(2), 248-249.

Klimov, P., OConnor, B., Ochoa, R., Bauchan, G., Redford, A., & Scher, R. (2016). Neocypholaelaps. Retrieved from http://idtools.org/id/mites/beemites/factsheet.php?name=15264

 

 

POLLINATOR SYNDROME AND BEE FLORA

 

 

  POLLINATOR SYNDROME AND BEE FLORA

Pollinators are critical to the survival of terrestrial ecosystems and organisms. Their survival depends on conservation and protection. So, how do we go about doing that? Food is an essential requirement for these pollinators' survival. They, like humans, require high-quality food, shelter, and water. Understanding pollinator needs and helping to keep these important organisms in the ecosystem has become critical.

POLLINATOR SYNDROME

"Pollinator Syndromes" refer to flower characteristics or traits that may attract a specific type of pollinator. Such characteristics can be used to predict the type of pollinator that will help the flower reproduce successfully. Color, odor, nectar quantity, pollen type, and flower structure can all influence a potential pollinator's ability to locate a flower and its food resources. Understanding flower characteristics such as color, odor, nectar, pollen, and shape allows one to predict which pollinators will visit a specific type of flowering plant. Nectar guides are distinct visual cues that direct or signal the pollinator where nectar is present. The table below explains the various types of pollinators and trait of flowers that the pollinators are attracted to.

Trait	Bat	Bee	Beetle	Bird	Butterfly	Fly	Moth	Wind
Color	White, green or purple	Bright white, yellow, blue, or UV	White or green	Scarlet, orange, red, or white	Bright red and purple	Pale, or dark brown, purple	Pale red, purple, pink, or white	Pale green, brown, or colorless
Nectar Guides	None	Present	None	None	Present	None	None	None
Odor	Strong and musty; emitted at night	Fresh, mild, pleasant	None to strongly fruity or foul	None	Faint but fresh	Putrid	Strong sweet; emitted at night	None
Nectar	Abundant; somewhat hidden	Usually present	Sometimes present	Ample; deeply hidden	Ample; deeply hidden	Usually absent	Ample; deeply hidden	None
Pollen	Ample	Limited; often sticky, scented	Ample	Limited	Limited	Limited	Limited	Abundant; small, smooth
Flower Shape	Bowl-shaped; closed during day	Shallow; with landing platform; tubular	Large and bowl-shaped	Large; funnel-like; strong perch support	Narrow tube with spur; wide landing pad	Shallow; funnel-like or complex with trap	Regular; tubular without a lip	Regular and small

 Table Credit: www.pollinator.org/Resources/Pollinator_Syndromes.pdf

BEEFLORA

If you are a concerned individual who understands the importance of pollinators or if you have no idea about pollinators, you can still make a small contribution to their well-being. Knowing about bee flora can assist individuals in selecting appropriate flowering trees or plants that can be grown in the vicinity of your home, cities, and gardens to assist this pollinator in obtaining food sources such as nectars and pollen. Polleniferous or nectariferous bee flora provide pollen or nectar, respectively, and some flora provide both. This will not only benefit pollinators, but will also aid in the pollination of most of the food crops on which we rely.

 For those interested in apiculture, bee flora is an important aspect that will help the beekeeper understand the diversity of plants that the bee requires, and the keeper will have proper planning in maintaining the bee colonies. It can also help in pollinating the plant species where the bee is kept, which increase plant productivity, fruit and seed set. Bee flora can include flowering trees, shrubs, ornamental plants, vegetables, and even invasive species. The trees and flowers grown in recreational parks, cities and towns are known to help in pollinators well beings.

checkout facebook to know about some examples of bee flora. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Pollination? What are pollinators? Why is pollination important?

 

Pollination

Pollination in simple can be defined as the transfer of pollen from the anther to stigma of a flower. Pollination is an important process in the plants life cycle which play a key role in sexual reproduction in plants. Plants can undergo self-pollination or depend on the different agents such as wind, water and animals for transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of another flower (cross pollination).

What are pollinators?

The plant rely on the abiotic (environment) or the biotic (animals and insects) process to accomplish pollination. The biotic process have more advantage over the abiotic processes of pollen transfer. The agents of biotic process of pollination includes bumble bees, bees, moths, butterflies, birds and mammals. It is effective process because the animals visit from flower to flower with more chance of the pollen landing on the stigma compare to the abiotic process. The pollination process is based on the interrelationship or interaction, known as ‘proto-cooperation’. Pollinators mostly visit a flower to obtain nectar or pollen for food in return the flower is pollinated. The Bee species helps in pollinating 250000 angiosperm species, which have an advantage against the other agents of pollination (Obute, 2009). The plant and the pollinator share a mutual relationship and also benefit from each other. Plants have develop many traits such as the production of scent, nectar, color and shape which attracts the pollinator and in turn the pollen are being collected by the pollinator in search of food. Recent studies have shown that floral traits such as size, shape, nectar and pigmentation effected the pollinator diversity in the plant species (Zhao, Ren, Lázaro, Wang, Bernhardt et al., 2016).

Why is pollination and pollinator important?

Following are some importance of pollinators and there are many

Ø  United state Department of Agriculture (n.d) stated “our future flies on the wings of pollinator” without the process of pollination and pollinators human race and terrestrial ecosystem seize to exist. 14,000 crops plant, food and plant-based industries requires pollination.

Ø  Pollinators indirectly contributes to clean air through carbon sequestration (how?), by process of pollination, helping in dispersal of wild and domestic plants which use carbon dioxide to produce food.

Ø  Pollinators also have cultural significance to lots people and tribes around the world.

Status of pollinators in Bhutan?

Bhutan a small Himalayan country hold large biodiversity of flora and fauna. An estimated 5603 species of vascular plant species and 55 food crops species (cereal, legumes, vegetables) as per the National biodiversity portal website. Pollinators have significant role in contributing to the flora species in Bhutan. Records on the pollinators such as beetles and bees have been mentioned but no studies have been conducted focusing on the pollination studies. The workshop on pollination held in College of Natural Resources (CNR) has resolved to encourage the studies on pollination and importance of the pollinators. Therefore, pollination studies are yet to find importance in Bhutan.  

References

United state Department of Agriculture. (n.d). Why is pollinator Important? Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/importance.shtml

Obute, G.C. (2010). Pollination: a threatened vital biodiversity service to humans and the environment. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 2(1), 001-013.

Zhao, Y.H., Ren, Z.X., Lazaro, A., Wang, H., Bernhardt, P., Li, D., & Li, D. Z. (2016). Floral traits influence pollen vectors’ choices in higher elevation communities in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains. BMC ecology, 16(1), 1.