20057--Sneha Latha Nagulapalli 25 May-2020

Indian Journal of Entomology Online published (Preview) DoI No.:

INSECT POLLINATORS AND THEIR ABUNDANCE IN WEST BENGAL

Sneha Latha Nagulapalli*, Gautam Kunal, Rakesh Das and Shantanu Jha

Department of Agricultural Entomology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia 741252, West Bengal *Email: [email protected] (corresponding author)

ABSTRACT

Studying pollinator diversity and their abundance is essential to analyze the health of the agroecosystem. This study undertook observations on the number of pollinators visiting the flowers/ 2m for 5 min at randomly selected 10 spots in agroecosystems in West Bengal. The diversity index was measured by Simpson’s Index of Diversity. A total number of 55 individuals of pollinators belonging to 19 families and 4 orders were observed of which Hymenoptera were maximum (47.25%) followed by: Coleoptera (24.68%), (11.26%) and Diptera (8.29%). Simpson’s index ranged from 0 to 1. Maximum richness was found in Lower Bongbasti, Kalimpong (0.995) and the lowest at AB-Block farm BCKV Kalyani (0.751). Among the surveyed areas, species evenness was found highest in Khelia North 24 Parganas (1.34) and lowest in Jhanti pahari Bankura (0.14). So far pollinator species richness is concerned, it was maximum in hilly terrains of Kalimpong followed by North 24 parganas, Bankura and Nadia.

Key words: West Bengal, pollinator diversity, Simpson’s index, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, species richness, species evenness, abundance

West Bengal is a north eastern of India with The observations were taken based on the number agriculture being its mainstay. In the agroecosystems, of pollinators visiting the flowers/m2 for five minutes pollination is one of the key ecosystem services at randomly selected 10 spots within the field and the (Aguilar et al., 2006; Ricketts et al., 2008). More mean data was recorded for the final result. The data was than 75% of the major crops in the world rely on collected at maximum flowering stage of the crops at animal pollinators (Powell and Powell, 1987; Steffan- two hours interval from 7 am to 5 pm viz. 7 am, 9 am, 11 Dewenter and Tscharntke, 1999). The global annual am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm. Samples of insect pollinators economic value of insect pollination is estimated to were caught by sweep net and preserved into the killing be € 153 billion (Gallai et al., 2009). Currently, these bottle containing ethyl acetate and then stored for services are threatened by habitat destruction and identification process. Identification of the pollinators climate change, as illustrated by marked decreases in was done by matching with previously identified fauna pollinator diversity and abundance in different parts of of pollinators preserved in Insect Museum, Department the world (Kevan, 2003; Memmott, 2007). The loss of of Agricultural Entomology and also from the assistance , destruction of habitat and lack of forage of expert teacher. Climatic factors in the fields, i.e. due to monocultures, pests and diseases of bees and bee- temperature, humidity and locations of the field had killing pesticides are particular threats for honeybees been also recorded using GPS tool. Relative abundance and wild pollinators. These declines will have severe which determines the percentage of specimens of a consequences for the ecosystem services provided by given species in the total number of organisms collected, pollinators. Hence, studying pollinator diversity and were calculated based on the observations taken on the their abundance is essentiallyPreview required to analyze the number of pollinators visiting the flowers/m2/5 min, health of the agroecosystem. The present study had using following formula: Relative abundance (%) = been conducted to record pollinator diversity, their (Population of a particular species visiting flower/Total abundance, species richness and evenness in different population of all species visiting flowers) x 100 (Das parts of West Bengal. and Jha, 2019; Padhy et al., 2018). The diversity index to measure the species diversity in a community like MATERIALS AND METHODS Simpson’s Index of Diversity and Simpson’s Reciprocal In different crops, surveys were carried out in Index were worked out based on the methods suggests different locations during July to December 2018 at by Simpson (Simpson, 1949). weekly intervals, of which the details given in Table 1. 2 Indian Journal of Entomology Online published (Preview)

Table 1

Location Districts Latitude & Longitude Crops Kachiara village & North 24 Parganas 22°53’08.5’’ N Dolichos bean, Sugar cane, chilli, brinjal, Khelia village 88°32’00.1’’ E & bitter gourd, banana, okra, pointed gourd 22°47’40.4’’ N 88°30’21.4’’ E Teaching farm, Nadia 22°56’39’’ N Sweet potato, rose, tuberose, coconut, goat Mandouri , BCKV 88°30’56’’ E weed, Ixora Central Research 22o95’54’’ N Black gram, guava, brinjal, sweet potato, Farm, Gayeshpur, 88o49’61’’ E parthenium, maize, citrus BCKV AB-Block (BCKV 22°58’46’’ N Dangshen bell flower, night shade, Farm), Kalyani, 88°25’15’’ E parthenium, goat weed C-Block (BCKV 22°59’15.5’’ N Bitter gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, Farm), Kalyani 88°27’24.1’’ E pointed gourd IARI, Research Kalimpong 27°3’47.89’’ N Cucumber, Siam weed, lantana, Complex & 88°27’31.46’’ E parthenium, mandarin, squash, Gomphrena Bongbasti, sp.,okra, Tridax sp. Jhanti Pahari Bankura 23°21’38.88’’ N Passion flower, Dolichos bean, 86°54’’17.279’’ E pomegranate, Tridax sp., Amaranthus sp., Ixora.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION most predominant (5 / m2, 25.48%). Epilachna sp., though a pest, helps in pollination (Das et al., A total of 55 insect species belonging to 19 families 2009). A total of 15 insect visitors belonging to order from 4 orders i.e. Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera Hymenoptera (5) sequentially followed by Coleoptera and Coleoptera were observed as visitors from the (6), Lepidoptera (2) and Diptera (2) were observed in studied plants; Lepidoptera were the maximum with 24 weeds, and the Coleoptera were the abundant (54. 26%) species, followed by Hymenoptera and Coleoptera with of these followed by Hymenoptera (38.48%) followed 16 and 10 species, respectively. List of floral visitors by Lepidoptera and Diptera (3.36 %). On ornamentals are given in Table 2, and the relative abundance (insect 2 to such results were obtained and these are given in fauna/ m / 5 min) observed during the blooming period Table 2, which reveal that during the blooming period, in Table 2. L.niger was the most predominant (4.66 insects/ m2 and These reveal that Lasius niger was the most 25.50%). In ornamentals, a total of 17 insect visitors predominant species with an population of 10 insects/ belonging to order Hymenoptera (6) followed by m2 representing 35.37% of total insect visitors. This Lepidoptera (4), Diptera (4) and Coleoptera (3) were was followed by Epilachna sp., (3.0 insects/ m2 observed, and among the visiting fauna, Hymenoptera constituting 10.61%) and Aulacophora foevicollis were the most abundant (50.92%). (1.66 constituting 5.87%). Though A. foevicollis is Diversity indices analysed from these observations a pest, it is also known to help in pollination (Das reveal that the Simpson’s index ranges from 0 to 1, et al., 2009). Apis dorsata, A. mellifera, Coccinella 2 where the value zero indicates lesser species diversity transversalis and Episyrphus sp. (1.33 insects/ m and one indicates richness of diversity. Diversity index, constituting 4.70%) are thePreview other floral visitors. richness and evenness of different areas are represented A total of 22 insect visitors belonging to order in Table 4. On the basis of Simpson’s index it was found Hymenoptera (8) followed by Lepidoptera (6), that almost all the areas had good richness of pollinators’ Coleoptera (5) and Diptera (3) were found to visit diversity (0.751 to 0.995). Maximum values of species the cultivated crops in surveyed areas. Among them, richness were observed at Lower Bongbasti, Kalimpong Hymenoptera were the most abundant (51.74%). The (0.995), sequentially followed by Upper Bongbasti relative abundance of insect visitors observed in weeds Kalimpong, IARI-RS Kalimpong, Khelia North is also given in Table 3. On the basis of insect visitors 24 Parganas, Jhanti pahari Bankura and Mandouri recorded/ m2, Oecophylla sp. and A. foevicollis were the Teaching farm (0.98), C-Block Farm BCKV Kalyani Insect pollinators and their abundance in West Bengal 3 Sneha Latha Nagulapalli et al.

Table 2. List of floral visitors in crop, weed and ornamental ecosystem: HYMENOPTERA 1 European bee Apis mellifera (L.) Apidae 2 Little honey bee Apis florae (F.) Apidae 3 Indian honey bee Apis cerana indica (F.) Apidae 4 Rock bee Apis dorsata (F.) Apidae 5 Stingless bee Tetragonula sp. Apidae 6 Carpenter bee Xylocopa sp. Apidae 7 Small carpenter bee Ceratina sp. Apidae 8 Cuckoo bees Nomada sp. Apidae 9 Blue banded bee Ammegilla zonata (L.) Apidae 10 Blue mud dauber Chalybion bengalense (Dahlbom) Sphecidae 11 Sweet bee Halictus sp. Halictidae 12 Leaf cutter bees Megachile sp. Megachilidae 13 Banded paper wasp Polistes Sagittarius (Saussure) Vespidae 14 Yellow paper wasp Polistes wattii (Cameron) Vespidae 15 Red ants Oecophylla smaragdina (F.) Formicidae 16 Black ants Lasius niger (L.) Formicidae LEPIDOPTERA 17 Grey pansy Junonia atlites (L.) 18 Five ringed Ypthima baldus (F.) Nymphalidae 19 Tawny coster Acraea terpsicore (L.) Nymphalidae 20 Striped tiger Danaus genutia (Cramer) Nymphalidae 21 Angled castor ariadne (L.) Nymphalidae 22 Lemon pansy Junonia lemonias (L.) Nymphalidae 23 Plain tiger Danaus chrysippus (L.) Nymphalidae 24 Peacock pansy Junonia almanac (L.) Nymphalidae 25 Common grass yellow Eurema hecabe (L.) Pieridae 26 Cabbage white butterfly Pieris rapae (L.) Pieridae 27 Common emigrant Catopsilia Pomona (F.) Pieridae 28 Pioneer Belenois aurota (F.) Pieridae 29 Common jezebel Delias eucharis (Drury) Pieridae 30 Rice swift (Wallace) Hesperiidae 31 Wasp moth Euchromiya polymena (L.) Erebidae 32 Forget me not butterfly Catochrysops Strabo (F.) 33 Common pierrot (F.) Lycaenidae 34 Dark grass blue Zizeeria karsandra (Moore) Lycaenidae 35 Rounded pierrot extricates (Butler) Lycaenidae 36 Common jay Graphium doson (Felder) Papilionidae 37 Crimson rose Atrophaneura hector (L.) Papilionidae 38 Common mormon Papilio polytes (L.) Papilionidae 39 Citrus butterfly Papilio demoleus (L.) Papilionidae 40 Scarlet swallow tail butterfly Papilio rumanzovia (Eschscholtz) Papilionidae DIPTERA 41 House fly Musca domestica (L. ) Muscidae 42 Green musca Lucilia porphyrina (Walker) Calliphoridae 43 Fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) Drosophilidae 44 Hover fly Eristalinus tabanoides (Jaennicke) Syrphidae 45 Hover fly Helophius affinis (Wahlberg) Syrphidae PreviewCOLEOPTERA 46 Hadda beetle Epilachna sp. Coccinellidae 47 Lady bird beetle Coccinella transversalis (F.) Coccinellidae 48 Three striped ladybird beetle Brumoides suturalis (F.) Coccinellidae 49 Parthenium beetle Zygogramma bicolorata (Pallister) Chrysomelidae 50 Soldier beetle Cantharis sp. Cantharidae 51 Small longicorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis (F.) Cerambycidae 52 Blister beetle Mylabris pustulata (Thunberg) Meloidae 53 Nitidulid beetle Carpophilus sp Nitidulidae 54 Pumpkin beetle Aulacophora foevicollis (Lucas) Chrysomellidae 55 Flea beetle Alticini sp. Chrysomellidae 4 Indian Journal of Entomology Online published (Preview)

Table 3. Relative abundance of insect visitors (0.949), Kachiara North 24 parganas (0.921), Central research farm Gayeshpur (0.835) and AB-Block farm Cultivated crop ecosystem Pollinators Mean Mean % BCKV Kalyani (0.751). Species Evenness represents (No./ m2/ 5 min) the distribution of individual species in a particular Apis dorsata 1.33 4.70 area. From the above data, Jhanti pahari Bankura (0.14), Apis mellifera 1.33 4.70 Central research farm Gayeshpur (0.26) & AB-Block Apis florae 0.33 1.16 Xylocopa sp. 0.66 2.33 farm BCKV (0.23) are quite similar. Whereas, Kachiara Lasius niger 10 35.37 North 24 parganas (0.42), Teaching farm Mandouri Meghachile sp. 0.33 1.16 (0.41), Lower Bongbasti Kalimpong (0.46) & C-Block Blue mud dauber 0.33 1.16 Ceratina sp. 0.33 1.16 farm BCKV Kalyani (0.55) approaching the similar Tawny coster 1.0 3.53 value of species evenness. On the contrary, Upper Junonia almana 0.33 1.16 Bongbasti Kalimpong (0.81), IARI-RS Kalimpong Eurema hecabe 1.0 3.53 (1.21) and Khelia North 24 Parganas (1.34) showing Catopsilia Pomona 1.0 3.53 Ariadne ariadne 0.33 1.16 comparatively higher values. Danaus chrysipus 0.33 1.16 Epilachna sp. 3.0 10.61 A total of 497 individuals of insect pollinators Coccinella transversalis 1.33 4.70 belong to 43 species under Hymenoptera, Diptera, Alticini sp. 0.66 2.33 and Lepidoptera had been observed by Siregar et Flea beetle 1.0 3.53 Aulacophora foevicollis. 1.66 5.87 al. (2016) in three different agricultural land uses in Musca domestica 0.33 1.16 Jambi, Sumatera. Bashir et al. (2019) observed 8,812 Lucilia porphyrina 0.33 1.16 individuals of Hymenoptera and Diptera with 154 Episyrphus sp. 1.33 4.70 species from four forested ecosystems of southern Total 28.27 Weed ecosystem Punjab, Pakistan and bees were the most abundant. In Lasius niger 1.66 8.46 rabi cultivated crops, a total of 18 species were observed Oecophylla sp. 5.0 25.48 in Assam (Das et al., 2018) in Assam. The present Blue mud dauber 0.33 1.68 Halictus sp. 0.33 1.68 study reveals that pollinators conserved with weeds Ceratina sp. 0.33 1.68 and ornamentals can provide an alternative to counter Eurema hecabe 0.33 1.68 threats to biodiversity as shown by Steffan-Dewenter Papilio demoleus 0.33 1.68 and Westphal (2008). Rollin et al. (2016) revealed that Epilachna beetle 3.0 15.29 Coccinella transversalis 0.66 3.36 though weeds are serious competitors, they enhance Monolepta signata 0.33 1.68 floral diversity in agricultural landscapes and provide Alticini sp. 1.0 5.09 food for insects in exchange for pollination. Chatterjee Aulacophora foevicollis. 5.0 25.48 et al. (2020) predicted that 27% and 18% thresholds Mylabris pustulata 0.66 3.36 Chrysomya sp. 0.33 1.68 for natural vegetation cover to safeguard pollinator Eristalinus sp. 0.33 1.68 services in brinjal and mustard, respectively. Rollings Total 19.62 and Goulson (2019) and Hennig and Ghazoul (2011) Ornamental ecosystem Apis dorsata 1.33 7.27 demonstrated the attractiveness of ornamentals for Apis mellifera 1.66 9.08 pollinators. Xylocopa sp. 1.0 5.47 Lasius niger 4.66 25.50 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Polistes wattii 0.33 1.80 Halictus sp. 0.33 1.80 The authors acknowledge the AICRP (Honey Bees Tawny coster 1.0 5.47 Zizeeria karsandra 0.66 3.61 and Pollinators) for providing financial support. Also, Papilio demoleus Preview1.0 5.47 thank the Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology Junonia atlites 0.33 1.80 for giving technical facilities. Support and guidance Coccinella transversalis 2.33 12.75 extended by Dr. P. Debnath, Department of Agricultural Carpophilus sp. 0.66 3.61 Monolepta signata 0.33 1.80 Entomology, for specimens’ identification is also Musca domestica 0.66 3.61 acknowledged. Lucilia porphyrina 0.66 3.61 Episyrphus sp. 1.0 5.47 REFERENCES Eristalinus sp. 0.33 1.80 Total 18.27 Aguilar R, Ashworth L, Galetto L, Aizen M A. 2006. Plant reproductive susceptibility to habitat fragmentation: review and synthesis through a meta-analysis. Ecology Letters 9: 986-980. Insect pollinators and their abundance in West Bengal 5 Sneha Latha Nagulapalli et al.

Table 4. Diversity and evenness of insect visitors Locations No of species Simpson’s Simpson’s Simpson’s Evenness recorded index D index of reciprocal (E0) diversity (SID) index (I/D) Kachiara village, North 24 Parganas 20 0.079 0.921 12.65 0.42 Khelia village, North 24 Parganas 27 0.012 0.988 83.33 1.348 Teaching Farm, Mandouri, BCKV 27 0.116 0.988 8.62 0.418 Central Research Farm, Gayeshpur, 21 0.165 0.835 6.06 0.26 BCKV AB- Block, BCKV Farm, Kalyani 28 0.249 0.751 4.016 0.230 C-Block Farm, BCKV, Kalyani 21 0.051 0.949 19.6 0.552 IARI, Research Complex, Kalimpong 28 0.011 0.989 90.9 1.21 Upper Bongbasti, Kalimpong 28 0.020 0.98 50 0.81 Lower Bongbasti, Kalimpong 28 0.005 0.995 200 0.46 Jhanti Pahari, Bankura 22 0.11 0.989 9.09 0.14

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(Manuscript Received: February, 2020; Revised: April, 2020; PreviewAccepted: May, 2020; Online Published: May, 2020) Online published (Preview) in www.entosocindia.org Ref. No. 20057