Visitors to flowers of Cornus florida and C. kousa were assessed in East Tennessee during spring in 2008 and 2009. Visitation rate data were compiled throughout the flowering period of both tree species across a range of environmental conditions. Diurnal and seasonal variations in visitation are reported. Pollen coverage on collected insects was assessed to estimate pollination efficiency. In total, 11 families from 4 insect orders were collected from C. florida and 26 families from 5 insect orders were collected from C. kousa. Visitors to C. florida varied considerably across sites and between years, however bees in the families Andrenidae and Halictidae were consistently present and are expected to be key pollinators of flowering dogwood. Although halictid bees were also common visitors to C. kousa the most common visitors to Chinese dogwood were scarab, cerambycid, and cantharid beetles.
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1 October 2011
Evaluating Pollination Biology of Cornus florida L. and C. kousa (Buerger ex. Miq.) Hance (Cornaceae: Cornales)
Paul R. Rhoades,
William E. Klingeman,
Robert N. Trigiano,
John A. Skinner
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Andrenidae
Anthophilid hymenoptera
Chinese dogwood
entomophily
floral visitors
flowering dogwood
halictidae