The leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (F.): a potential pollinator for red clover
1989
Fairey, D.T. (Agriculture Canada Research Branch, Beaverlodge, Alberta (Canada). Research Station) | Lefkovitch, L.P. | Lieverse, J.A.C.
German. The use of the leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (F.) as a pollinator of single-cut, diploid red clover, Trifolium pratense L. was investigated in the Peace River region of northern Alberta over a 5-year period, 1983 to 1987 inclusive. Average seed yield with the use of this pollinator was 410 kg/ha as compared to 291 kg/ha for the control where the leafcutting bees was not used. Furthermore, in four of the five years of study, provision of leafcutting bees was associated with higher seed production. Reproduction of leafcutting bees pollinating red clover was comparable to that obtained on alfalfa. For each crop, about 96 per cent of the cells produced were viable. Also, about 32 per cent of these cells were females, i.e., a 2:1 ratio of males to females. It should be noted however, that the ratio of cell increase was generally lower in bees pollinating red clover than those pollinating alfalfa but that the lowest increase obtained was 1.5, i.e., there was no bee loss, only a minimum gain of 50 percent. The results of the present study indicate that management of the leafcutting bee as a pollinator of red clover merits further investigation
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