And Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae)
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Insect Pollinators of Denali National Park and Preserve A Survey of Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Natural Resource Report NPS/DENA/NRR—2015/952 ON THE COVER Bumble bee (Bombus sp.) on Hedysarum flowers. Photograph courtesy of Jessica Rykken, Harvard University Insect Pollinators of Denali National Park and Preserve A Survey of Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Natural Resource Report NPS/DENA/NRR—2015/952 Jessica Rykken Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University 26 Oxford Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 April 2015 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from Denali National Park and Preserve website (http://www.nps.gov/dena/naturescience/index.htm), and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Rykken, J. 2015. Insect pollinators of Denali National Park and Preserve: A survey of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). Natural Resource Report NPS/DENA/NRR—2015/952. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 184/128407, April 2015 ii Contents Page Figures................................................................................................................................................... iv Tables .................................................................................................................................................... iv Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. vi Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Collecting Pollinators ..................................................................................................................... 3 Habitat and Floral Data .................................................................................................................. 4 Sample Processing and Specimen Identification ............................................................................ 9 Specimen Deposition ...................................................................................................................... 9 Results .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Denali’s Pollinators ...................................................................................................................... 16 Bumble Bees (Bombus species) .............................................................................................. 16 Solitary and Cuckoo Bees ....................................................................................................... 17 Flower Flies (Syrphidae) ......................................................................................................... 18 Efficacy of Collecting Methods .................................................................................................... 18 The Relative Importance of Insect Pollinators in Denali ............................................................. 19 Habitat Requirements and Associations ....................................................................................... 20 Potential and Current Threats to Pollinators ................................................................................ 22 Educating Park Staff and Visitors about Denali’s Pollinators ...................................................... 23 Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................................... 24 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................................... 26 iii Figures Page Figure 1. Approximate locations for pollinator sampling sites 1-13 (see Table 1) located in the eastern entrance area of Denali National Park and Preserve ........................................................ 5 Figure 2. Approximate locations of pollinator sampling sites 14-58 (see Table 1; note there is no site 46) along the park road in Denali NPP .......................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Number of Bombus females and males collected between June 22 and July 22, 2012 in Denali NPP. ............................................................................................................................ 17 Tables Page Table 1. Location, elevation, and general habitat description for 57 (#46 is eliminated) pollinator sampling sites in Denali NPP. ............................................................................................... 7 Table 2. Bee and flower fly species collected during 2012 pollinator survey in Denali NPP.. .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 3. Summary of habitats sampled for pollinators in Denali NPP, including: number of sites sampled; elevational range of sites; and total abundance and species richness of pollinators within each habitat. ............................................................................................................ 13 Table 4. Plant genera recorded in eight habitats across 57 pollinator sampling sites in Denali NPP. Site numbers correspond to those in Table 1. ................................................................. 14 iv Abstract Insect pollinators, specifically bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), are critical to maintaining healthy plant communities and functioning ecosystems in Denali National Park and Preserve. Despite their ecological importance and potential vulnerability to environmental threats such as climate change, the diversity of these pollinators has remained largely unknown to park scientists and managers. In an effort to establish a pollinator database, I conducted a survey in 2012 with three main objectives: (1) to document bee and flower fly diversity and distribution across selected areas of the park; (2) to provide information on habitat and plant community associations for individual species; and (3) to engage in outreach activities and create educational products to inform park staff and visitors about insect pollinators. In 2012, between June 21 and July 22, I used an insect net, bee bowls, and vane traps to collect bees and flower flies at 57 sites along the Denali Park Road. Sites were located between the eastern park entrance and Kantishna, approximately 148 km to the west; elevations ranged from 472 to 1480 m. I targeted early successional habitats, including gravel bars, and areas of high plant diversity, such as alpine tundra. A cooler and wetter than average growing season resulted in low pollinator activity. In all, I collected