National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Insect Pollinators of Gates of the Arctic NPP A Preliminary Survey of Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Natural Resource Report NPS/GAAR/NRR—2017/1541 ON THE COVER Left to right, TOP ROW: Bumble bee on Hedysarum, Al Smith collecting bees at Itkillik River; MIDDLE ROW: Al Smith and Just Jensen collecting pollinators on Krugrak River, Andrena barbilabris on Rosa; BOTTOM ROW: syrphid fly on Potentilla, bee bowl near Lake Isiak All photos by Jessica Rykken Insect Pollinators of Gates of the Arctic NPP A Preliminary Survey of Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Natural Resource Report NPS/GAAR/NRR—2017/1541 Jessica J. Rykken Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 October 2017 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. 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This report is available in digital format from the Natural Resource Publications Management website. To receive this report in a format that is optimized to be accessible using screen readers for the visually or cognitively impaired, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Rykken, J.J. 2017. Insect pollinators of Gates of the Arctic NPP: A preliminary survey of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). Natural Resource Report NPS/GAAR/NRR—2017/1541. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 185/140541, November 2017 ii Contents Page Figures................................................................................................................................................... iv Tables .................................................................................................................................................... iv Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. vi Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Collecting Pollinators ..................................................................................................................... 3 Sample Processing and Specimen Identification ............................................................................ 8 Specimen Deposition ...................................................................................................................... 8 Habitat Data .................................................................................................................................... 8 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................. 8 Results .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Pollinator Diversity and Abundance .............................................................................................. 9 Comparison Between Habitats ..................................................................................................... 14 Floral associations ........................................................................................................................ 15 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Pollinator Distribution and Diversity ........................................................................................... 18 Focal Pollinator Taxa .............................................................................................................. 18 Species of Interest or Concern ................................................................................................. 20 Pollinator “Bycatch” from Bee Bowls .................................................................................... 21 Habitat and floral associations ...................................................................................................... 22 The Relative Importance of Insect Pollinators in Arctic Landscapes .......................................... 24 Educating Park Staff and Visitors About Pollinators ................................................................... 25 Threats to Pollinators and the Need for Monitoring ..................................................................... 25 Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................................... 27 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix A. List of Bee and Flower Fly Taxa Collected in Gates of the Arctic NPP in 2015-2016. ........................................................................................................................................... 33 iii Figures Page Figure 1. Approximate locations for pollinator sampling sites (see Table 1) located in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. .................................................................................... 4 Figure 2. Abundance and taxa richness of bumble bees (Bombus), other bees, and flower flies collected in Gates of the Arctic. ..................................................................................................... 9 Figure 3. Twelve genera of bees collected in Gates of the Arctic in decreasing order of abundance.. .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 4. Representative bee species and genera found in Gates of the Arctic. ................................. 11 Figure 5. Twenty-four genera of flower flies (Syrphidae) collected in Gates of the Arctic in decreasing order of abundance......................................................................................................... 12 Figure 6. Representative flower fly species and genera (Family Syrphidae) found in Gates of the Arctic. .............................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 7. Proportion of (a) pollinator samples and (b) pollinator specimens collected in five general habitat types across Gates of the Arctic in 2015 and 2016. ............................................. 14 Figure 8. Rarefaction curves for total numbers of pollinator taxa collected in four habitats in Gates of the Arctic. ............................................................................................................. 15 Tables Page Table 1. Location, elevation, and general habitat description for 71 pollinator sampling sites in Gates of the Arctic NPP.. ........................................................................................................... 5 Table 2. Pollinators net-collected from various plant genera in Gates of the Arctic. ......................... 16 Table 3. List of butterfly and skipper species collected in Gates of the Arctic in 2015 and 2016.....................................................................................................................................................