Crop pollination generally increases with pollinator diversity and wild pollinator visitation. To optimize crop pollination, it is necessary to investigate the pollination contribution of different pollinator species. In the present study, we examined this contribution of honey bees and non‐Apis bees (bumble bees, mason bees and other solitary bees) in sweet cherry. We assessed the pollination efficiency (fruit set of flowers receiving only one visit) and foraging behaviour (flower visitation rate, probability of tree change, probability of row change and contact with the stigma) of honey bees and different types of non‐Apis bees. Single visit pollination efficiency on sweet cherry was higher for both mason bees and solitary bees compared with bumble bees and honey bees. The different measures of foraging behaviour were variable among non‐Apis bees and honey bees. Adding to their high single visit efficiency, mason bees also visited significantly more flower per minute, and they had a high probability of tree change and a high probability to contact the stigma. The results of the present study highlight the higher pollination performance of solitary bees and especially mason bees compared with bumble bees and honey bees. Management to support species with high pollination efficiency and effective foraging behaviour will promote crop pollination.
Effects of pesticides have been debated as one of the causes of worldwide declines of bee populations. Improving the risk assessment of pesticides on bees is important to halt these declines. Pesticide risk assessment today mainly focuses on one bee species, the honey bee. Because of differences in life cycles among bee species, this risk assessment needs to be adapted to take these differences into account. For both the adult and larval life stages, development of test protocols for solitary bees is required. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on larval tier 1 tests based on the first test protocols for solitary bee larvae available in the literature. As the ecology and rearing of solitary bees of the genus Osmia spp. are well known, we propose this genus as a model species in a first step to develop protocols for solitary species. In addition, we discuss guidelines, relevant endpoints, and research needs for the development of a standardized oral toxicity test protocol of solitary bee larvae. pesticides / solitary bees / Osmia spp. / oral toxicity test / ecotoxicology
1 Biocontrol agents (BCAs) are commonly sprayed on flowering pipfruit trees to prevent them from getting infected by various pathogens. By entomovectoring, BCAs can be directly delivered onto the flowers. However, we currently lack knowledge on the distribution dynamics of BCAs by pollinators. 2 Here, managed bees, both bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) and mason bees (Osmia bicornis and Osmia cornuta), were placed in the vicinity of flowering pipfruit trees (pear -'Conference', and apple-'Svatava' and 'Jonagold'), and this allowed us to investigate the distribution of a model BCA, namely, Serenade® MAX, from spray-inoculated flowers of a centralized tree to non-inoculated flowers of surrounding receiver trees by bees in an experimental setup in outdoor conditions. 3 One hour after inoculation, we detected an enrichment of BCA in the flowers of the receiver trees and this for each tested pipfruit. 4 The distribution of BCA from treated to untreated flowers was homogenous between the receiver trees for 'Svatava', while significantly different loads were detected for both 'Conference' and 'Jonagold', which might be due to differences in environmental factors, and/or bee characteristics. 5 More research is needed to understand the distribution dynamics of BCAs by pollinators in field conditions, such as in commercial orchards or crop fields, and how this could result in an efficient control.
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