Comparison of Foraging Activity between Mason Bee Osmia orientalis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and Honybees for Wild Raspberry Rubus hirsutus (Rosales: Rosaceae)
2016
Yokoi, Tomoyuki | Kandori, Ikuo
Foraging traits of honeybees and Osmia bees have previously been compared in crop production. However, less is known about the difference in foraging traits during visits to wild flowers. We conducted experiments to clarify the foraging behavior of Osmia orientalis visiting wild raspberry Rubus hirsutus and compared it with two solitary bees (Micrandrena spp. and Ceratina flavipes) and two honeybee species (Apis mellifera and A. cerana japonica). The average number of visiting individuals of O. orientalis was greater than that of honeybees. For O. orientalis, the handling time and the number of flowers that an individual visited were no different from those of honeybees. However, more O. orientalis individuals than honeybees collected pollen. The study suggests that the foraging activity of O. orientalis for wild raspberry would be as high as that of honeybees.
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