Studies diversity, distribution and relative abundance of insect pollinators of Punica granatum L. from different areas of Himachal Pradesh

2021, Vol. 3, Issue 4

Studies diversity, distribution and relative abundance of insect pollinators of Punica granatum L. from different areas of Himachal Pradesh

authors
Poonam Kumari, Mahender Singh Thakur

abstract
The present studies were conducted on diversity, distribution and relative abundance of insect pollinators of wild pomegranate from eight localities of Himachal Pradesh viz Darlaghat (1563m), Jatoli (1464m), Kotla Panjola (1190m), Chandol (1418m), Dhar (1360 m), Aalsindi (1132 m), Jubbad (2050 m) and Potters hill (1887 m). Insect diversity studies showed a total of 25 species of insect pollinators belonging to 4 orders and 11 families of class Insecta. Of these, 13 species belonged to Order Hymenoptera, 6 to Diptera, 2 to Lepidoptera and 1 to Coleoptera. Analysis of data on relative abundance of different insect pollinators revealed that hymenopterans were the most prominent insect visitors of Punica flowers in all the localities i.e Darlaghat (86.89%), Jatoli (85.78%), Kotla Panjola (83.64%), Chandol (74.40%), Dhar (89.04%), Aalsindi (92.61%), Jubbad (80.39%) and Potters hill (72.58%). Apis cerana was the most abundant insect visitor to Punica flowers in all the experimental localities i.e. Darlaghat (29.51±1.10, 29.53%), Jatoli (18.95±3.14, 19.26%), Kotla Panjola (17.75±2.70, 19.05%,) Chandol (21.77±1.17, 22.01%), Dhar (89.04%), Aalsindi (92.61), Jubbad (80.39) and Potters hill (72.58%). Other important hymenopteran pollinators of Punica were Apis mellifera, Apis dorsata, Bombus haemorrhoidalis and Halictus sp. Besides hymenopterans, dipterans (Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis tenax, Eristalis cerealis and Epistalinus paria) also constituted an important group of insect pollinators followed by Lepidoptera (Gonepteryx rhamni neplensis and Papileo sp.) and Coleopteran (Buprestinae).

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How to cite this article:

Poonam Kumari, Mahender Singh Thakur. Studies diversity, distribution and relative abundance of insect pollinators of Punica granatum L. from different areas of Himachal Pradesh. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 4, 2021, Pages 81-86