FORAGING BEHAVIOUR AND DIVERSITY OF INSECT POLLINATORS ON BAEL (AEGLE MARMELOS CORREA.) AT INDO-GANGATIC PLAIN OF EASTERN UTTAR PRADESH

S.N. SATAPATHY¹*, UMESH CHANDRA^2
1Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad 224229, Uttar Pradesh
²Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad 224229, Uttar Pradesh
* Corresponding Author : satyanarayansatapathy40@gmail.com

Received : 25-04-2016     Accepted : 03-06-2016     Published : 24-09-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 39       Pages : 1799 - 1801
Int J Agr Sci 8.39 (2016):1799-1801

Keywords : Bees, Foraging Behaviour, Pollinator, Bael
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

The investigation was conducted to document and understand the foraging behaviour and diversity of major insect pollinators on Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa., Family- Rutacae) during 2014 at Main Experimental Station, Department of Horticulture, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.). The major floral visitors were from Hymenoptera order, comprising of six species from four families and this was followed by three species from Lepidoptera and one species from Diptera. Apis dorsata and Eupeodes corolae were the most dominant foragers with mean number of visit of 3.15 and 0.43/panicle/5 minutes, respectively. Other species included Apis mellifera F., unidentified Apis spp., Xylocopa pubescens, Polistes hebraeus, Eupeodes corolae and Anaphaeis aurota. Peak activities of polleniferous and nectariferous insect foragers was recorded between 6 AM-8 AM and 10 AM- 12 Noon respectively. The study established the role of pollinators in Bael fruit set and hence conserving natural populations or augmenting them through placing honey bee colonies could realize maximum fruit set in bael.