Wild Bee Visitors of Squash (Cucurbita Maxima D.) and Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Flowers in Two Types of Satoyama Habitats

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare the diversity and abundance of flower-visiting bees in squash (Cucurbita maxima) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) flowers between three small valleys surrounded by forest and three open grasslands outside forest. Both type habitats intermingled as mosaic of satoyama, which is a socio-ecological production landscape managed by agriculture and forestry located in rural Japan. Both squash and tomato were planted separately in different pots, where each set were placed at particular site. Number of flowers and fruits were recorded and the flowers-visiting bees were collected using sweep net from June to August 2013. A total 96 individuals from 9 species (2 families) of bees were collected from squash and tomato. The number of bees visited squash (91 individuals and 9 species) outnumbered those visited tomato (5 individuals and 2 species). Tomato flowers in the open grasslands were only visited by Ceratina. Meanwhile, Bombus diversus and Ceratina japonica were the most abundant bees visited squash in small valleys and in open grasslands, respectively. The successful number of squash fruits was significantly higher presented in small valleys than in open grasslands, although no significant differences were found in number of flowers between both habitats.