Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties. / Ahrenfeldt, Erica Juel; Sigsgaard, Lene; Hansted, Lise; Jensen, Anders Christian; Toldam‐Andersen, Torben Bo.

In: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Vol. 167, 04.08.2019, p. 763-773.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Ahrenfeldt, EJ, Sigsgaard, L, Hansted, L, Jensen, AC & Toldam‐Andersen, TB 2019, 'Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties', Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, vol. 167, pp. 763-773. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12820

APA

Ahrenfeldt, E. J., Sigsgaard, L., Hansted, L., Jensen, A. C., & Toldam‐Andersen, T. B. (2019). Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 167, 763-773. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12820

Vancouver

Ahrenfeldt EJ, Sigsgaard L, Hansted L, Jensen AC, Toldam‐Andersen TB. Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 2019 Aug 4;167:763-773. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12820

Author

Ahrenfeldt, Erica Juel ; Sigsgaard, Lene ; Hansted, Lise ; Jensen, Anders Christian ; Toldam‐Andersen, Torben Bo. / Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties. In: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 2019 ; Vol. 167. pp. 763-773.

Bibtex

@article{763f52e938aa403eab42427e884b13c6,
title = "Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties",
abstract = "Nectar is a vital source of energy for bees and other pollinators and pollen represents the only source of protein in the diet of bees. Nectar and pollen quality and quantity can therefore affect foraging choices. Strawberry, Fragaria 9 ananassa (Rosaceae), is a flowering crop that requires insect pollinationfor the berries to develop optimally. The solitary red mason bee, Osmia bicornis L. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), occurs naturally but like the eusocial western honeybee, Apis mellifera mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), it is also a commercially reared pollinator used in strawberry production.We hypothesized that strawberry nectar and pollen quality would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. In this study nectar and pollen quality is represented by various levels of sugar and protein content, respectively, as well as the number of open strawberry flowers in the experimental field, would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. Consistent with previous studies, we found significant and major differences between strawberry varieties in proportions of sucrose in the nectar sugar and in pollen viability – a proxy for pollen protein content. All measured parametershad a significant effect on red mason bee visitation frequency. Contrary to expectations, honeybee foraging behavior was only affected by the number of open flowers and not by any of the quality parameters measured.Our findings indicate that redmason bees were capable of assessing nectar and pollen quality and prioritize accordingly. The pattern observed indicates that individual red mason bees changed foraging focus between strawberry varieties depending on whether nectar or pollen was collected. Our results suggest that targeted breeding of varieties toward high levels of nectar sugar and sucrose concentrations and high pollen protein content may increase pollination success from redmason bees and possibly other solitary bees.",
keywords = "???Bier???, wild bees, honeybees, Strawberries",
author = "Ahrenfeldt, {Erica Juel} and Lene Sigsgaard and Lise Hansted and Jensen, {Anders Christian} and Toldam‐Andersen, {Torben Bo}",
year = "2019",
month = aug,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1111/eea.12820",
language = "English",
volume = "167",
pages = "763--773",
journal = "Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata",
issn = "0013-8703",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Forage quality and quantity affect red mason bees and honeybees differently in flowers of strawberry varieties

AU - Ahrenfeldt, Erica Juel

AU - Sigsgaard, Lene

AU - Hansted, Lise

AU - Jensen, Anders Christian

AU - Toldam‐Andersen, Torben Bo

PY - 2019/8/4

Y1 - 2019/8/4

N2 - Nectar is a vital source of energy for bees and other pollinators and pollen represents the only source of protein in the diet of bees. Nectar and pollen quality and quantity can therefore affect foraging choices. Strawberry, Fragaria 9 ananassa (Rosaceae), is a flowering crop that requires insect pollinationfor the berries to develop optimally. The solitary red mason bee, Osmia bicornis L. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), occurs naturally but like the eusocial western honeybee, Apis mellifera mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), it is also a commercially reared pollinator used in strawberry production.We hypothesized that strawberry nectar and pollen quality would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. In this study nectar and pollen quality is represented by various levels of sugar and protein content, respectively, as well as the number of open strawberry flowers in the experimental field, would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. Consistent with previous studies, we found significant and major differences between strawberry varieties in proportions of sucrose in the nectar sugar and in pollen viability – a proxy for pollen protein content. All measured parametershad a significant effect on red mason bee visitation frequency. Contrary to expectations, honeybee foraging behavior was only affected by the number of open flowers and not by any of the quality parameters measured.Our findings indicate that redmason bees were capable of assessing nectar and pollen quality and prioritize accordingly. The pattern observed indicates that individual red mason bees changed foraging focus between strawberry varieties depending on whether nectar or pollen was collected. Our results suggest that targeted breeding of varieties toward high levels of nectar sugar and sucrose concentrations and high pollen protein content may increase pollination success from redmason bees and possibly other solitary bees.

AB - Nectar is a vital source of energy for bees and other pollinators and pollen represents the only source of protein in the diet of bees. Nectar and pollen quality and quantity can therefore affect foraging choices. Strawberry, Fragaria 9 ananassa (Rosaceae), is a flowering crop that requires insect pollinationfor the berries to develop optimally. The solitary red mason bee, Osmia bicornis L. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), occurs naturally but like the eusocial western honeybee, Apis mellifera mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), it is also a commercially reared pollinator used in strawberry production.We hypothesized that strawberry nectar and pollen quality would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. In this study nectar and pollen quality is represented by various levels of sugar and protein content, respectively, as well as the number of open strawberry flowers in the experimental field, would affect the foraging choice of these two types of bees. Consistent with previous studies, we found significant and major differences between strawberry varieties in proportions of sucrose in the nectar sugar and in pollen viability – a proxy for pollen protein content. All measured parametershad a significant effect on red mason bee visitation frequency. Contrary to expectations, honeybee foraging behavior was only affected by the number of open flowers and not by any of the quality parameters measured.Our findings indicate that redmason bees were capable of assessing nectar and pollen quality and prioritize accordingly. The pattern observed indicates that individual red mason bees changed foraging focus between strawberry varieties depending on whether nectar or pollen was collected. Our results suggest that targeted breeding of varieties toward high levels of nectar sugar and sucrose concentrations and high pollen protein content may increase pollination success from redmason bees and possibly other solitary bees.

KW - ???Bier???

KW - wild bees

KW - honeybees

KW - Strawberries

UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/forage-quality-quantity-affect-red-mason-bees-honeybees-differently-flowers-strawberry-varieties

U2 - 10.1111/eea.12820

DO - 10.1111/eea.12820

M3 - Journal article

VL - 167

SP - 763

EP - 773

JO - Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata

JF - Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata

SN - 0013-8703

ER -

ID: 227563695