POLLINATION EFFECTIVENESS OF APIS CERANA FABRICUS AND APIS MELLIFERA LINNAEUS (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) IN JATROPHA CURCAS L. (EUPHORBIACEAE)

• Main Authors: TRI ATMOWIDI, PUJI RIYANTI, ANDENG SUTRISNA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SEAMEO, BIOTROP 2008-01-01
• Series: Biotropia: The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Biology
• Subjects: Pollination; eff ectiveness; Apis cerana; A. mellifera; seed set; Jatropha curcas .
• Online Access: http://journal.biotrop.org/index.php/biotropia/article/view/72/50

Pollinators are well known to provide key ecosystem. Animal pollinators are thought to contribute between 15 and 30% of global food production and bees are recognized to be the most important taxon. h e pollination eff ectiveness of two species of bees, Apis cerana and A. mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) was studied. h ree cages, made of insect screen were set up. Each cage contains three individual plants. One colony of A. mellifera and A. cerana were placed in the fi rst and second cage, while the third cage was used for control plants. Bee colonies were placed during one month in the fi rst and second cages. Fruit set of plants pollinated by A. mellifera, A. cerana, control plants, and open plants were counted and compared. Pollination by honeybees increased the number of fruits per plant and fruits per raceme of J. curcas. Based on measuring of fruit produced by plants, pollination eff ectiveness of A. mellifera was higher than A. carana.