Comparison of Preference of Native Honey Bee (Apis cerana, Fabricius, 1793) and Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus, 1758) on Flowers of Red List Species, Horned Holly (Ilex cornuta, Lindl. & Paxton), in South Korea
2024
Kwon, S.H. | Jang, H.J. | Yi, H.B. | Jung, C.E.
Bees rely on color and scents to locate blooming flowers. Flowering plants actively emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and eliciting behavioral responses in bees. Horned holly (Ilex cornuta) is evergreen shrub attracting pollinators with its dioecy flower blooming from April to May. Based on the observation that the horned holly blossom was more visited by Apis cerana and apple blossom nearby was more visited by A. mellifera. We hypothesized that the native honey bee is more closely associated with the native horned holly flower than the alien species of honeybee. Laboratory assessment evaluated the preference of each pollinator (A. cerana and A. mellifera to horned holly and apple using Y-Tube Olfactometer in choice and no-choice tests. Subsequently, VOCs from I. cornuta flower were analyzed using GC-MS. In no-choice Y-Tube tests, both A. cerana and A. mellifera exhibited a stronger preference for the horned holly compared to the control. In choice test, A. mellifera did not show different preference, but A. cerana showed significant preference to the horned holly over apple. Analysis of VOCs of I. cornuta revealed that 1,4-Dimethoxybenzene, 3-Methylpentanol, (Z)-3-Hexenol, Methyl Alcohol and (E)-2-Hexenal were the major components. As the horned holly has limited distribution and is register in the red list, pollination by A. cerana can be important component for the conservation program.
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