Pollen Load Spectrum of Tomato Pollinators.

Vibrating bees are the main pollinators of the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Knowledge of other alternative food resources for these bees is fundamental for pollinator management actions in agricultural areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the plants used as food resources for the main pollinators Bombus morio (Swederus) and Exomalopsis analis Spinola in plantation areas. The study was conducted in 12 plantation areas in São José de Ubá, southeastern Brazil, during the flowering period of S. lycopersicum. The pollen material contained on the hind legs of 40 B. morio females and 72 E. analis females was analyzed and compared with the reference slides made from 155 flowering plant species (35 botanical families) sampled close to the plantations. The pollen material was submitted to acetolysis and mounted in glycerin gelatin and analyzed under optical microscope. From B.morio corbiculae were identified 188 pollen types (52 identified from reference slides) and 189 types from E. analis scopae (54 in reference slides). Besides tomato pollen, other most abundant types belong to Fabaceae (8%) in B. morio samples, and Hyptis and Solanum sp in E. analis samples. The trophic niche overlap was close to zero when the tomato pollen was disregarded, indicating that both pollinators use distinct sources. The results confirm the generalist character of tomato pollinators; in addition, the use of floral resources from several other plants, even at tomato flowering peak, emphasizes the importance of maintaining flowering plant composition around agricultural areas.

Pollen Ingestion by Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) Adults in a Diversified Organic Agroecosystem.

Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) larvae prey on pest insects and mites in agroecosystems, and adults mainly feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew. Therefore, preserving this lacewing in crop systems depends on having plants that provide these resources. The objectives of this research were to identify pollen grains ingested by Ch. externa adults collected in a diversified organic agroecosystem and to evaluate whether there is a difference in the amount of ingested pollen grains between males and females. The adults of Ch. externa were collected in four different crops during 13 months in Seropédica, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using a collecting net. The adults were killed and underwent acetolysis, in order to recover the pollen in the gut. A total of 37,441 pollen grains from 19 Angiospermae families were found, besides 16 Pteridophyte spores. Among the recognized pollen grains, those of Poaceae were the majority, both in frequency of occurrence (87.5%) and in quantity (33496), and were found and recovered in every month of collection. Females and males ingested, respectively, 71.9 and 28.1% of the total number of Angiospermae pollen grains consumed by both sexes. The highest number of Poaceae pollens was obtained from the females (72.1% of the total number of Poaceae pollen, recovered from females + males). Taken as a whole, this study showed that adults of Ch. externa find possibilities to maintain throughout the year, in different crops, but the main source of pollen to males and females was Poaceae plants.

Morphological characterization of pollens from three Apiaceae species and their ingestion by twelve-spotted lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) / Caracterização morfológica de três espécies de Apiaceae e sua ingestão pela joaninha de doze pintas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract Larvae and adults of certain species of predator lady beetles feed on pollen, guaranteeing their survival, and at times, reproduction in the absence of preferred prey. Palynology, therefore, may contribute in the investigation of botanical families visited by these predators in order to obtain this floral resource. There are records of the visitation of Apiaceae flowers by Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer, 1775 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), but not the ingestion of their pollen grains by this lady beetle. The external morphology of pollen grains of three Apiaceae aromatic species (Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) was characterized, and it was evaluated the ingestion of these pollens by fourth instar larvae and adults of C. maculata upon confinement along with flowers of these Apiaceae for 24 and 48 hours. The pollen grains of those species presented similar external morphology. In the two times of exposure, the larvae ingested the same amount of pollen from the three Apiaceae species, and the amount of C. sativum pollen ingested was the same between larvae and adults. The amount of A. graveolens pollen grains ingested by the adults was significantly greater than the pollens of C. sativum and F. vulgare, in 24 hours, with the opposite occurring in 48 hours. In the first 24 hours, the adults ingested more A. graveolens pollen than the larvae, with the opposite occurring with F. vulgare. There was no significant difference in the amount of Apiaceae pollen ingested between larvae and adults in 48 hours. The results suggest that the pollen-eating habits of certain aphidophagous lady beetles may be crucial in their preservation within agro-ecosystems.

Resumo Larvas e adultos de certas espécies de joaninhas predadoras podem se alimentar de pólen, garantindo a sua sobrevivência, e, às vezes, a reprodução na ausência da presa preferencial. Palinologia, portanto, pode contribuir na investigação de famílias botânicas visitadas por estes predadores a fim de obter esse recurso floral. Há registros da visitação de flores de Apiaceae por Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer, 1775 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), mas não da ingestão de seus grãos de pólen por essa joaninha. A morfologia externa de grãos de pólen de três espécies aromáticas de Apiaceae (Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) foi caracterizada e avaliou-se a ingestão desses polens por larvas de quarto instar e adultos de C. maculata em confinamento com flores dessas Apiaceae por 24 e 48 horas. Os grãos de pólen dessas espécies apresentaram morfologia externa semelhante. Nos dois tempos de exposição, as larvas ingeriram a mesma quantidade de pólen das três espécies de Apiaceae, e a quantidade de pólen de C. sativum ingerida foi semelhante entre as larvas e adultos. A quantidade de grãos de pólen de A. graveolens ingerida pelos adultos foi significativamente maior do que a dos polens de C. sativum e F. vulgare, em 24 horas, com o oposto ocorrendo em 48 horas. Nas primeiras 24 horas, os adultos ingeriram mais pólen de A. graveolens do que as larvas, ocorrendo o oposto com F. vulgare. Não houve diferença significativa na quantidade de pólen de Apiaceae ingerida entre as larvas e adultos em 48 horas. Os resultados sugerem que o hábito de alimentar de pólen de certas joaninhas afidófagas pode ser crucial para a sua preservação dentro dos agroecossistemas.

Morphological characterization of pollens from three Apiaceae species and their ingestion by twelve-spotted lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

Larvae and adults of certain species of predator lady beetles feed on pollen, guaranteeing their survival, and at times, reproduction in the absence of preferred prey. Palynology, therefore, may contribute in the investigation of botanical families visited by these predators in order to obtain this floral resource. There are records of the visitation of Apiaceae flowers by Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer, 1775 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), but not the ingestion of their pollen grains by this lady beetle. The external morphology of pollen grains of three Apiaceae aromatic species (Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) was characterized, and it was evaluated the ingestion of these pollens by fourth instar larvae and adults of C. maculata upon confinement along with flowers of these Apiaceae for 24 and 48 hours. The pollen grains of those species presented similar external morphology. In the two times of exposure, the larvae ingested the same amount of pollen from the three Apiaceae species, and the amount of C. sativum pollen ingested was the same between larvae and adults. The amount of A. graveolens pollen grains ingested by the adults was significantly greater than the pollens of C. sativum and F. vulgare, in 24 hours, with the opposite occurring in 48 hours. In the first 24 hours, the adults ingested more A. graveolens pollen than the larvae, with the opposite occurring with F. vulgare. There was no significant difference in the amount of Apiaceae pollen ingested between larvae and adults in 48 hours. The results suggest that the pollen-eating habits of certain aphidophagous lady beetles may be crucial in their preservation within agro-ecosystems.