Agricultural dependency on insect-mediated pollination is increasing at the same time that pollin... more Agricultural dependency on insect-mediated pollination is increasing at the same time that pollinator populations are experiencing declines in diversity and abundance. Current pollinator research in agriculture focuses largely on diurnal pollinators, yet the evidence for pollination by moths and other nocturnal pollinators is growing. Apples are one of the most valuable and important fruits produced globally, and apple production is dependent on insect-mediated cross-pollination to generate a profitable crop. We examined contributions to apple production provided by nocturnal insects via an exclusion experiment. We compared the relative contributions to apple production provided by nocturnal and diurnal pollinators using fruit set, the likelihood of cluster pollination, and seed set. We found nocturnal pollinators capable of facilitating the production of as many apples at similar levels of pollination as diurnal pollinators. We further found evidence that nocturnal and diurnal poll...
Honey bees forage across a large area, continually scouting the local landscape for ephemeral foo... more Honey bees forage across a large area, continually scouting the local landscape for ephemeral food resources. Beekeepers often rely on flowering plants in and around irrigated farmland to maintain their colonies during dry seasons, despite the potential risk of pesticide exposure. Recent declines in pollinator abundance and diversity have focused attention on the role of pesticides and their effects on honey bee health. This investigation examined two types of landscapes within a two-mile (3.2 km) radius of honey bee colonies: an intensive agricultural setting and a rural setting without intensive agriculture. More than 10,000 acres of agricultural land was surveyed to quantify the area of cultivated crops and the area treated with pesticides, including seed treatments and foliar applications of insecticides. Samples of honey, bee bread (stored pollen), beeswax, and adult bees were collected from hives in both landscape types and screened for pesticide residues to determine if forag...
Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an a... more Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an alarm, given the crucial pollination services that bees provide. Population dips have specifically been noted for both managed and feral bee species. The simultaneous increased cultivation of bee-dependent agricultural crops has given rise to additional concern. As a result, there has been a surge in scientific research investigating the potential stressors impacting bees. A group of environmental and anthropogenic stressors negatively impacting bees has been isolated. Habitat destruction has diminished the availability of bee floral resources and nest habitats, while massive monoculture plantings have limited bee access to a variety of pollens and nectars. The rapid spread and increased resistance buildup of various bee parasites, pathogens, and pests to current control methods are implicated in deteriorating bee health. Similarly, many pesticides that are widely applied on agricultural ...
The 2008 ESA Annual Meeting, November 16-19, 2008, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 D0485. Efficacy of imidacloprid (Confidor 200 SL) for the management... more Wednesday, November 19, 2008 D0485. Efficacy of imidacloprid (Confidor 200 SL) for the management of aphids infesting wheat crop. Neelendra Joshi, nkjentomology@gmail.com, GBPUA & T., Pantnagar, Entomology, College of Agriculture, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. ...
The 2008 ESA Annual Meeting, November 16-19, 2008, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008 D0064. Oviposition preferences of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.... more Monday, November 17, 2008 D0064. Oviposition preferences of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) for different apple cultivars. Neelendra K. Joshi, nkj105@psu. edu, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology ...
Wild bees form diverse communities that pollinate plants in both native and agricultural ecosyste... more Wild bees form diverse communities that pollinate plants in both native and agricultural ecosystems making them both ecologically and economically important. The growing evidence of bee declines has sparked increased interest in monitoring bee community and population dynamics using standardized methods. Here, we studied the dynamics of bee biodiversity within and across years by monitoring wild bees adjacent to four apple orchard locations in Southern Pennsylvania, USA. We collected bees using passive Blue Vane traps continuously from April to October for six years amassing over 26,000 bees representing 144 species. We quantified total abundance, richness, diversity, composition, and phylogenetic structure. There were large seasonal changes in all measures of biodiversity with month explaining an average of 72% of the variation in our models. Changes over time were less dramatic with years explaining an average of 44% of the variation in biodiversity metrics. We found declines in a...
Most of the world's crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees ra... more Most of the world's crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees raise concerns about food security. However, the degree to which insect pollination is actually limiting current crop production is poorly understood, as is the role of wild species (as opposed to managed honey bees) in pollinating crops, particularly in intensive production areas. We established a nation-wide study to assess the extent of pollinator limitation in seven crops at 131 locations situated across major crop-producing areas of the USA. We found that five out of seven crops showed evidence of pollinator limitation. Wild bees and honey bees provided comparable amounts of pollination for most crops, even in agriculturally-intensive regions. We estimated the nation-wide annual production value of wild pollinators to the seven crops we studied at over $1.5 billion; the value of wild bee pollination of all pollinator-dependent crops would be much greater. Our findings show that pollin...
Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit... more Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit both the agricultural economy and the sustainability of many native ecosystems. Many solitary bees, however, are experiencing decreases in their populations and ranges, resulting in an overall loss of pollinator species richness in many areas. Several interacting factors have been implicated in this decline, including increased pesticide use, climate change, and pathogens, but habitat loss remains one of the primary drivers. The widespread conversion of natural habitats into agricultural landscapes has decreased the availability of adequate nesting sites and floral diversity for many bee species. Large monocultures with intensive production systems often cannot support the populations of wild bees (particularly species with short foraging ranges) necessary to ensure adequate pollination of animal-pollinated crops. Diversifying agricultural landscapes through the incorporation of wildflo...
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the pa... more An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
ABSTRACT The nest provisions of a native predator species Bicyrtes quadrifasciata (Say) (Hymenopt... more ABSTRACT The nest provisions of a native predator species Bicyrtes quadrifasciata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) were surveyed and examined for the presence of nymphs of Halyomorpha halys, which is an invasive pest of many economically important agricultural crops in the U.S.A. We found 96% of the nest provisions of B. quadrifasciata were H. halys indicating the potential of B. quadrifasciata in biocontrol of this pest. Potential of B. quadrifasciata in regulating population dynamics of H. halys is discussed.
Agricultural dependency on insect-mediated pollination is increasing at the same time that pollin... more Agricultural dependency on insect-mediated pollination is increasing at the same time that pollinator populations are experiencing declines in diversity and abundance. Current pollinator research in agriculture focuses largely on diurnal pollinators, yet the evidence for pollination by moths and other nocturnal pollinators is growing. Apples are one of the most valuable and important fruits produced globally, and apple production is dependent on insect-mediated cross-pollination to generate a profitable crop. We examined contributions to apple production provided by nocturnal insects via an exclusion experiment. We compared the relative contributions to apple production provided by nocturnal and diurnal pollinators using fruit set, the likelihood of cluster pollination, and seed set. We found nocturnal pollinators capable of facilitating the production of as many apples at similar levels of pollination as diurnal pollinators. We further found evidence that nocturnal and diurnal poll...
Honey bees forage across a large area, continually scouting the local landscape for ephemeral foo... more Honey bees forage across a large area, continually scouting the local landscape for ephemeral food resources. Beekeepers often rely on flowering plants in and around irrigated farmland to maintain their colonies during dry seasons, despite the potential risk of pesticide exposure. Recent declines in pollinator abundance and diversity have focused attention on the role of pesticides and their effects on honey bee health. This investigation examined two types of landscapes within a two-mile (3.2 km) radius of honey bee colonies: an intensive agricultural setting and a rural setting without intensive agriculture. More than 10,000 acres of agricultural land was surveyed to quantify the area of cultivated crops and the area treated with pesticides, including seed treatments and foliar applications of insecticides. Samples of honey, bee bread (stored pollen), beeswax, and adult bees were collected from hives in both landscape types and screened for pesticide residues to determine if forag...
Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an a... more Large-scale declines in bee abundance and species richness over the last decade have sounded an alarm, given the crucial pollination services that bees provide. Population dips have specifically been noted for both managed and feral bee species. The simultaneous increased cultivation of bee-dependent agricultural crops has given rise to additional concern. As a result, there has been a surge in scientific research investigating the potential stressors impacting bees. A group of environmental and anthropogenic stressors negatively impacting bees has been isolated. Habitat destruction has diminished the availability of bee floral resources and nest habitats, while massive monoculture plantings have limited bee access to a variety of pollens and nectars. The rapid spread and increased resistance buildup of various bee parasites, pathogens, and pests to current control methods are implicated in deteriorating bee health. Similarly, many pesticides that are widely applied on agricultural ...
The 2008 ESA Annual Meeting, November 16-19, 2008, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 D0485. Efficacy of imidacloprid (Confidor 200 SL) for the management... more Wednesday, November 19, 2008 D0485. Efficacy of imidacloprid (Confidor 200 SL) for the management of aphids infesting wheat crop. Neelendra Joshi, nkjentomology@gmail.com, GBPUA & T., Pantnagar, Entomology, College of Agriculture, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. ...
The 2008 ESA Annual Meeting, November 16-19, 2008, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008 D0064. Oviposition preferences of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.... more Monday, November 17, 2008 D0064. Oviposition preferences of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) for different apple cultivars. Neelendra K. Joshi, nkj105@psu. edu, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology ...
Wild bees form diverse communities that pollinate plants in both native and agricultural ecosyste... more Wild bees form diverse communities that pollinate plants in both native and agricultural ecosystems making them both ecologically and economically important. The growing evidence of bee declines has sparked increased interest in monitoring bee community and population dynamics using standardized methods. Here, we studied the dynamics of bee biodiversity within and across years by monitoring wild bees adjacent to four apple orchard locations in Southern Pennsylvania, USA. We collected bees using passive Blue Vane traps continuously from April to October for six years amassing over 26,000 bees representing 144 species. We quantified total abundance, richness, diversity, composition, and phylogenetic structure. There were large seasonal changes in all measures of biodiversity with month explaining an average of 72% of the variation in our models. Changes over time were less dramatic with years explaining an average of 44% of the variation in biodiversity metrics. We found declines in a...
Most of the world's crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees ra... more Most of the world's crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees raise concerns about food security. However, the degree to which insect pollination is actually limiting current crop production is poorly understood, as is the role of wild species (as opposed to managed honey bees) in pollinating crops, particularly in intensive production areas. We established a nation-wide study to assess the extent of pollinator limitation in seven crops at 131 locations situated across major crop-producing areas of the USA. We found that five out of seven crops showed evidence of pollinator limitation. Wild bees and honey bees provided comparable amounts of pollination for most crops, even in agriculturally-intensive regions. We estimated the nation-wide annual production value of wild pollinators to the seven crops we studied at over $1.5 billion; the value of wild bee pollination of all pollinator-dependent crops would be much greater. Our findings show that pollin...
Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit... more Solitary bees and other wild pollinators provide an important ecosystem service which can benefit both the agricultural economy and the sustainability of many native ecosystems. Many solitary bees, however, are experiencing decreases in their populations and ranges, resulting in an overall loss of pollinator species richness in many areas. Several interacting factors have been implicated in this decline, including increased pesticide use, climate change, and pathogens, but habitat loss remains one of the primary drivers. The widespread conversion of natural habitats into agricultural landscapes has decreased the availability of adequate nesting sites and floral diversity for many bee species. Large monocultures with intensive production systems often cannot support the populations of wild bees (particularly species with short foraging ranges) necessary to ensure adequate pollination of animal-pollinated crops. Diversifying agricultural landscapes through the incorporation of wildflo...
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the pa... more An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
ABSTRACT The nest provisions of a native predator species Bicyrtes quadrifasciata (Say) (Hymenopt... more ABSTRACT The nest provisions of a native predator species Bicyrtes quadrifasciata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) were surveyed and examined for the presence of nymphs of Halyomorpha halys, which is an invasive pest of many economically important agricultural crops in the U.S.A. We found 96% of the nest provisions of B. quadrifasciata were H. halys indicating the potential of B. quadrifasciata in biocontrol of this pest. Potential of B. quadrifasciata in regulating population dynamics of H. halys is discussed.
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