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1 October 2006 Spatial Distribution of Bumblebees Foraging on Two Cultivars of Tomato in a Commercial Greenhouse
Diane Lefebvre, Jacqueline Pierre
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Abstract

The spatial distribution of foraging bumblebees, Bombus terrestris L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), was studied in a greenhouse planted with two cultivars of tomato, Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. (Solanaceae), in two patches. In both patches, bumblebee densities per square meter were measured on plots, and the results showed that their densities were nearly similar. The densities of available flowers, their pollen production, and availability also were measured. Our results showed that, although the cultivars greatly differed in flower density, flower morphology, and pollen production, their pollen availability (i.e., pollen actually collected by bumblebees per square meter) was approximately the same. Therefore, the mean quantities of pollen collected per bumblebee were similar in each patch. Knowing that bumblebees do not visit different varieties randomly, our results suggest that the major factor affecting the bumblebee distribution among patches was the density of available resource. Results are discussed both from an applied point of view and in relation to the assumptions of the ideal free distribution theory.

Diane Lefebvre and Jacqueline Pierre "Spatial Distribution of Bumblebees Foraging on Two Cultivars of Tomato in a Commercial Greenhouse," Journal of Economic Entomology 99(5), 1571-1578, (1 October 2006). https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-0493-99.5.1571
Received: 5 September 2005; Accepted: 1 April 2006; Published: 1 October 2006
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KEYWORDS
Bombus terrestris
greenhouse
ideal free distribution theory
Lycopersicum esculentum
pollen foraging
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