Insects Visiting Temperate Region Fruit Trees in Turkey

Year 2008, Volume: 08 Issue: 3, 94 - 105, 28.08.2008

Hikmet Özbek

Abstract

The climatic conditions and topographical structure of Turkey is very suitable for grown good quality of temperate region fruits, apple (Malus domestica Borkh), pear (Pyrus communis L.) and plum (Prunusdomestica L.). Most cultivars of apple, pear, plum, sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.), and almond (Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb) are self-unfruitful. Therefore, cross-pollination is usually the most yield-limiting factor in growing of these plants. Peach and nectarine (Prunus persica L.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) are largely self-fruitful. Even self-fruitful species and cultivars benefit from insect pollination. About 150 insect species, in various orders and families, were recorded visiting temperate region fruit flowers in Turkey. Among the beetles common and abundant species are Omophlus caucasicus Kirsch. (Alleculidae), Tropinota hirta (Poda) and Oxythyra cinctella Schaum (Scarabaeidae) occurring in the fruit flowers. They fly from one flower to another and might pollinate some flowers, but they forage in the flower for a long time and usually damage not only pollen but other parts of the flowers. They can be treated as harmful pollinators. Various species of flies (Diptera) in different families were noted visiting flowers of fruit trees. Among them some species in the family Syrphidae, particularly Eristalis tenax (L.), E. arbustorum (L.), and E. pertinax (Scopoli), can be accepted favored pollinators. Numerous species of wasps (Hymenoptera) in various families, especially Vespidae, were detected as flower visitors, their role in pollination can be accepted accidental. As orchard pollinators 123 bee species, including honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), were recorded visiting flowers of temperate fruit trees in Turkey (Table 1). They are the most important pollinating insects, as in the other countries growing these plants. As wild bees in the family Colletidae Colletes cascanus Strand is very abundant, especially on apple flowers in eastern part of the country. The genus Andrena Fabricius (Andrenidae) are early emerging bees, therefore they are very important on the pollination of particularly almond and apricot trees. About 40 species of Andrena were recorded visiting fruit trees. Of which, Andrena flavipes Panzer, A. dorsata (Kirbby), A. polita Smith, and A. morio Brulle were the most abundant and common species. Particularly A. flavipes has special importance in this respect. The genera Halictus Latreille and Lasioglossum Curtis (Halictidae) together comprise about 30 species; among them Halictus marginatus Brulle, H. malachurus Smith, H. frontalis Smith, Lasioglossum albipes (F.), L. laticeps (Schenck) and L. tricinctus (Schenck) were more abundant. In the family Megachilidae about 20 species were recorded with more than 10 Osmia Panzer species. Osmia cerinthidis Morawitz is the most common and abundant species. Attention has focused lately on the use of Osmia species as pollinators of fruit trees: Osmia cornifrons (Rad.), O. lignaria Say and O. cornuta (Latreille) have been using commercially as fruit tree pollinators in Japan, the USA and Europe, respectively. Therefore attempt has been started to study the biology of O. cerinthidis and it was found that O. cerinthidis used the vacated cells of Anthophora fulvitarsis Brulle and A. plagiata (Illiger) (Apidae) as cavities for the construction of brood chamber. Trap nesting studies on O. cerinthidis are going on in the field. In the family Apidae Xylocopa violacea (L.), X. valga Gersttaecker, X. iris (Christ), and various bumble bee (Bombus Latreille) species are effective fruit tree pollinators. Bombus pratorum (L.), B. haematurus, B. soroeensis (F.) ve B. pascuorum (Scop.) are abundant in the orchards near the wooded areas. B. argillaceus Scop., B. sylvarum daghestanicus Rad., B. humilis insipidus Rad., B. h. erzincanensis Özbek, and B. armeniacus Rad. are abundant in orchards present on open areas. Both of Xylocopa and Bombus species are fast flying bees and mostly visit the flowers on the upper parts of the trees. Xylocopa species are usually abundant in the orchards near villages and adjacent to wooded area due to finding nesting places easily. Honey bee, Apis mellifera is the most important pollinator provides pollination in orchards and account for 45-97% of bees visiting flowers of fruit trees depending on the species of trees. Although there are about 4 million bee colonies in Turkey large populations of honey bees are needed to pollinate flowers of temperate tree fruits in Turkey. Pollination problems have generally been ignored. Fruit growers recently started to recognize the necessity of bees in growing fruits but unfortunately renting colonies for pollination purposes has not started yet. Just they let beekeepers to move their colonies adjacent to their orchards. With the decline of both wild and domestic pollinator populations, pollination management is becoming an increasingly important part of fruit growing in Turkey. Finally, although the versatile honey bee is a satisfactory pollinator for many crops including fruit trees, wild bee species can also be used in orchards in Turkey as several species of mason bees (Osmia spp.) have been using for orchard pollination worldwide.

Keywords

pollinator insects, pollinator bees, wild bees, Osmia cerinthidis, fruit trees, Turkey

Türkiye’de Ilıman İklim Meyve Türlerini Ziyaret Eden Böcek Türleri

Abstract

Ülkemizde ılıman iklim meyve türlerini ziyaret eden böcek türlerinin tespiti ve bunlardan kültüre alma yönünden potansiyel arz eden arı türlerinin belirlenmesine yönelik uzun yılları kapsayan bu çalışmada; değişik takım ve familyalara mensup 123 tür belirlenmiştir. Bunlar arasında doğal olarak arılar (Apoidea: Apiformes), tozlaşmada etkili olan grubu oluşturmaktadır. Bal arısı (Apis mellifera L. ) ile birlikte 120 civarında arı türünün ılıman iklim meyve türlerinin çiçeklerini ziyaret ettiği saptanmış ise de daha fazla arı türünün bu görevi yaptıını düşünmek gerekmektedir. Bal arısı, meyve türlerine bağlı olarak meyve ağaçlarını ziyaret eden arıların %4597’sini oluşturmaktadır. Balarısının insanlar tarafından yönetiliyor olması, bitkilerin tozlaşmasında kullanma yönünden önemli bir avantaj ise de henüz bitkisel üretimle uğraşan yetiştiricilerimiz balarısından tozlaşmada yeterince yararlanma çabası içerisinde değillerdir. Türlere göre değişmekle birlikte yaban arıları (balarısı dışındaki arı türleri) da tozlaşmada çok önem arz etmektedir. Bunlar arasında kültüre alma yönünden Osmia cerinthidis Morawitz (Megachilidae) önemli bir potansiyele sahiptir. Bunu Osmia. caerulescens (L.) izlemektedir. Bu türlerle ilgili biyolojik çalışmalar sürdürülmektedir

Keywords

Polinatör böcekler, arılar, balarısı, yaban arıları, Osmia cerinthidis, ılıman iklim meyve türleri

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