Eco-Biological Studies on Bumblebee (Bombus haemorrhoidalis Smith) from Northern Pakistan in Relation to Crop Pollination

Abstract

Bumblebees are important for their pollination services to different plant species providing a major source of variability and survival for cross pollinated plant species. They belong to temperate regions due to their need of hibernation needs in winter. Their importance as buzz pollination makes them unique for pollination of different commercial crops like tomatoes, pepper, strawberries etc under glasshouse farming systems. Different bumblebee species has been identified in northern areas of Pakistan including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and some parts of northern Punjab. Bombus haemorrhoidalis has been identified as important and common bumblebee species in lower northern Pakistan. Different experiments were conducted for ecological and biological studies to monitor the indigenous bumblebee, B. haemorrhoidalis abundance and species richness in the northern Pakistan including Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Rawalakot and Naran-Kaghan valley It will be helpful for conservation of our local bumblebee fauna and to identify the possible plant species for their long term survival and stability of environmental balance of species. According to the results regarding abundance of native bumblebee in relation to other pollinators Bombus haemorrhoidalis was the most abundant pollinator in comparison with other pollinators in all sub-localities. In 2012, maximum Shannon index, Simson index and Eveness were recorded in Naran Kaghan and minimum in Rawalpindi/Islambad. In 2013, maximum Shannon index and Eveness were recorded in Naran Kaghan while Simson index was maximum in Rwalpindi/Islambad and minimum Shannon index in Rawalakot. The foraging xxv source of native bumble comprised of 42, 43 and 48 plant species in Naran Kaghan, Rawalkot and Rawalpindi/Islamabad, respectively. Maximum species (11) belonged to Family, Asteraceae from all three study areas. The nest seeking queens emerged after spending winter diapause in nature preferred relatively open field landscape followed by open fields, forest boundaries proved more populated habitats followed by field boundaries for nesting sites. Withered grasses remained most favored patches and stone and moss the least ones for nesting sites of B. haemorrhoidalis. at all locations. Rearing of B. haemorrhoidalis was successfully done and biological parameter of like, preoviposition period, egg hatching period, larval and pupal duration, period of first workers emerged, numbers of workers and sexual and mother queen life span were observed under controlled laboratory conditions. Seasonal fluctuation of sexual morphs indicated first emergence of winter diapausing queens in March - April, maximum population of workers in September, males and daughter queens in October, in field conditions. Indigenous bumblebee B. haemorrhoidalis was used for pollination of tomato crop in comparison with European bumblebee Bombus terrestris at Hydroponic Research Farm. Non significant differences were obtained in the means comparison of number of seeds per fruit, fruit weight, fruit height and fruit diameter for both pollinators.