FLOWERING ENTOMOFAUNA IN TITHONIA DIVERSIFOLIA (HEMSL.) A. GRAY (COMPOSIT AE)
Keywords:
Tithonia diversifolia, pollination, insect visitors, floral biologyAbstract
FLOWERING ENTOMOFAUNA IN Thitonia diversifolia (HEMSL.) A.GRAY (COMPOSIT AE). Studies on Tithoniadiversifoliadiversity, frequency and constancy
of floral visiting at different hours were carried out. The floral biology studies included occurence of osmophores, corolla pigments, ultraviolet reflexion and absorption patterns, viability of pollen, pollinators and flower visitors. The behavior of the most frequent insects and their relation to environmental factors was observed. A large range of insects visiting the flowers was seen, belonging to eleven insect orders (Lepidoptera 52,21 %, Hymenoptera 27,68%, Diptera 11,9% and 8,19% consisting of Coleoptera, Psocoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Odonata, Mantodea, Orthoptera and Neuroptera). The most frequent and constant species (up to 5%) were Apis mellifera L.,175812,44%, Urbanus viterboana alva Evans, 195212,35%, Urbanus teleus (Hübner,1821) 9,74%, Euphyes d. derasa (Herrich-Schãffer,1870) 8,56%,
Bombus atratus Franklin, 19137,66%. Although psychophilywere predominat,Apis and Bombus were also considered legitimate visitors (pollinators).
Downloads
References
BERNHARDT,P. 1987. A comparison of diversity, density and foraging behavior of bees and wasps on Australian Acacia. Annals of Missouri Botanical Garden 74: 42-50.
FAEGRI, K. & van der PIJL. L. 1979.The principies of pollination ecology. Oxford,pergamon Press,224p.
INOUYE,D.W.1980. Theterminologyofflorallacerny. Ecology 61 (5): 1251-1253.
LORENZI,H. & H.M. de SOUZA. 1995. Plantas ornamentais do Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras. Nova Odessa, S.P., Editora Plantarum, 736 p.
OLIVEIRA-FILHO, AT. & L.C. OLIVEIRA 1988. Biologia floral de uma população de Sotanum tycocarpum St. Hil (Solanaceae) em Lavras, M.G. Rev. bras. Bot.11: 23-32.
RADFORD, A.E.; W.C. DICKINSON; I.R. MASSAY Jr. & C.R. BELL. 1974. Vascular Plants Systematics. New York, Harper & Row, 891 p.
ROS,G.S. O. 1952. Flora Apícola de la América Tropical. Un estudio de Ias plantas que visitam las abejas en busca de nectar y polen. La Habana, Cuba, Editorial Lex, 334 p.
VOGEL,S. 1983. Ecophysiologyof zoophilic pollination, p.560-612. In. O L. LANGE; P.S. NOBEL; C.B.
OSMOND & H. ZIEGLER (eds.). Physiological plant ecology III, Berlin,Springer-Verlag, 799 p.
