Effect of Weather Parameters on Floral Visitors Abundance in Wild and Cultivated Varieties of Jamun (Syzygium cumuni L. Skeels)
Eswarappa G *
Department of Apiculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, India.
Gagan B
Department of Apiculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, India.
Anitha S
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Hassan, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, India.
Somashekar R K
Department of Environmental Sciences, Bengaluru University, Bengaluru- 560056, India.
Jagadish K S
Department of Apiculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study on Effect of weather parameters on floral visitors abundance in wild and cultivated varieties of jamun revealed that thirty one species of floral visitors were recorded and were belongs to Hymenopterans, Dipterans, Lepidopterans, Coleopterans and Hemiptera. The mean abundance of Apis dorsata was highest followed by A. florea, A. cerana and Tetragonula iridipennis. Among other insects the mean abundance of ants that visited the flowers was highest, followed by Dipterans, Lepidopterans and Coleopterans. The number of floral visitors of A. cerana and A. florea on GKVK-1 had a significant positive correlation with hourly wind speed. A highly significant positive, a significant positive and a significant negative correlation at one and five per cent levels of significance has been recorded between the numbers of floral visitors of ants on wild and cultivated varieties of S. cumini with hourly relative humidity, wind speed and temperature. A highly significant positive, a significant positive and a significant negative correlation at one and five per cent levels of significance has also been recorded between the numbers of lepidopteran floral visitors on wild and cultivated varieties of S. cumini with hourly temperature wind speed and relative humidity.
Keywords: Floral visitor, weather parameters, relative humidity, Syzygium cumini