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: Special issue, Vol. 1; 247 - 250

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DIVERSITY OF POLLINATING INSECTS ON ACACIA CONCINNA

WALL

S. Neli et al.

KEYWORDS

Acacia concinna
Apis dorsata
Diversity
Insects
Pollinator

Paper presented in 3rd International Conference on

Climate Change, Forest Resource and Environment
(ICCFRE, 2011)
December 09 - 11, 2011, Thiruvananthapuram,
organized by
Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Kerala
in association with
National Environmentalists Association, India
www.neaindia.org

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S. NELI*, O. HEMCHANDRA, D. BRAHMA, P. SAIKIA, S. CHOUDHURY AND J. KALITA
Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781 014, Assam
E-mail: neli.sou@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Acacia concinna Wall, the most widely used
medicinally important plant of the family
Mimosaceae is a perennial and prickly scandent
shrub which provides a good amount of
nutrient supply to a considerable number of
insects. The pollination ecology of A. concinna
was investigated through direct observation
and video recording during three consecutive
years i.e., 2009, 2010 and 2011 at Rani
Reserve Forest, Assam, India situated at
2655N to 2605' NL and 9135' E to
9149EL. In this present study, 21 species of
insects were recorded in association with the
plant among which 14 are primary pollinators
and the other 7 are secondary pollinator
insects of the plant. Among the 21 pollinating
insects of A. concinna, the potent pollinator
was found to be exclusively a bee species,
Apis dorsata which visitation rate (27.23%)
was recorded highest. The foraging period of
A. dorsata per inflorescence (about 4-9 sec)
covering about (10-15) flower heads per
minute was also recorded highest. The
percentage of fruit set (3.25%) was found to
be low. Future conservation and management
of this medicinally important plant species
needs to take into account the needs and
biology of its pollinators.
*Corresponding author
N
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INTRODUCTION
Acacias are dominant woody plants in many tropical and subtropical habitats,
particularly in semi-arid regions across the world (Ross, 1981). A. concinna, one
of the widely used medicinally important plant is native to Tropical Asia (Nielson,
1992). The habitat of this plant is Rain forest, disturbed forest, open grassland,
fields, creek sides, in open areas often a sprawling shrub; also recorded from
limestone; altitude 50-1050 m (Nielsen, 1992). It is a prickly woody shrub and is
valued for its pods (Solomon and Rao, 2002). The pods of this plant are rich in
Saponins and are used for washing hair, promoting hair growth and also as an
expectorant, emetic and purgative (Gafur et al., 1997). It is an insect pollinated
plant although birds also visit them because of the nectar source. The aim of the
study is to know the flower-visitor assemblages, floral rewards and flowering
phenology of A. concinna and identify the taxa that are likely to represent important
pollinators (Stone et al., 2002).
Keeping these points in view, a study was carried out in Assam on the pollination
ecology of A. concinna in Rani Reserve Forest, a highly disturbed area lying in
Kamrup district for three consecutive years (2009-2011) for better understanding
of plant-pollinator interaction. This plant produces pollen and trace amount of
nectar which are consistently being exploited by a number of insects which in
turn help in bringing about cross pollination. A few numbers of insects also dwell
in this plant. These insects are not actually direct pollinators of this plant but
contribute to some degree to the pollination of this plant. The work has been
carried out to study the pollination ecology of this plant and to take up
conservational efforts of this plant in the fragmented habitats of this highly disturbed
area.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
Rani Reserve Forest has an area of 4372.380 Area in Hectare situated at 2655N
to 2605' NL and 9135' E to 9149EL in Kamrup district, Assam, India. It has an
average annual rainfall of 2000 cm and temperature range of 10C to 32C
approximately. Rani Reserve forest is a mosaic of mixed deciduous, short grassland
and semi evergreen forest. The landscape is hilly terrain with gentle slope. It is
associated with wetland areas and paddy fields.
Description of Acacia concinna
A stout prickly scandent shrub of medium size (5-10m height). Branches with
brown smooth stripes, thorny and the thorns are short, broad-based, flattened.
Leaves are with caducous stipules; petiole 1-1.5 cm long with prominent gland
about the middle; blade bipinnate, with 5-7 pairs of pinae, the primary rachis are
thorny, pubescent, the pinnae are with 12-18 pairs of pinnae and are oblong-
lanceolate, 3-10 mm long, accrescent, acute and apiculate at apex, obliquely
rounded at base, entire, glabrous. Inflorescences are of 2 or 3 peduncled globose
heads in axils of upper reduced leaves, appearing paniculate; peduncles 1-2.5
248
 DIVERSITY OF POLLINATING INSECTS

cm long, pubescent; heads are about 1 cm in diameter when
mature, polygamous. Flowers are white, without or with
reduced subtending bracts; ovary stipitate and glabrous. Pods
are thick, somewhat flattened, short-stalked, 8 cm long, 15-18
mm wide, 8-10 seeds per pod. Propagation is by seed.
Flowering started in the month of August. A branch of A.
concinna plant with receptive flowers was taken and marked
with a marking tag. Morphological observations of floral form
and variation were made in order to better inform observation
during fieldwork. The number of individual flowers heads on
the branch was counted and visits were recorded. The marked
branch was observed for 10 minutes/observation, counting
the number of visits of each insect species. The plant was
visited for 15 days a month starting from 0800 am- 1600 pm
and temperature, relative humidity were also recorded. The
activity patterns of flower-visiting diurnal insects were recorded.
Plants were watched from a short distance in order to not
disturb the pollinating insects. The foraging insects were
recorded and also observed using a Digital Camera (Canon
Power Shot A630). Close observations were made of visitor
behaviour at flowers. The duration of visits as well as the
number of flowers visited by each insect species were
recorded. The collected data of foraging insects of A. concinna
flower are analyzed with suitable statistical method through
SPSS-12.
Flower visiting insects were captured with an aerial net and
they were later identified through different available insect
taxonomic literature and respective authenticated taxonomist
from different part of the country as well as abroad. Pollen
grains from legs, mouth parts, thorax and abdomen were taken
for checking of pollen loads using the fuschin gel method
(Beattie, 1971). These fuschin gel pollen extractions were later
melted onto glass slides and observed through a stereoscopic
binocular microscope to confirm that the pollen was of A.
concinna flowers and unidentified pollen grains were noted.
No netting of bees was done at the flowers being studied so as
not to negatively impact on visitation rates and/or startle and
scare the insects away (Dino, 2008). Other secondary
pollinators were also collected and recorded.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. concinna flowering occurs from August to October. The
mature buds open simultaneously in one day from 0630 to
0730 h (Tyrbik, 1989, 1993; Stone et al., 1996, 1998; Tandon
et al., 2001). Flowers are white in colour and their colour
remains unchanged during its whole flowering time period.
The flowers secrete a trace amount of nectar and ample pollen.
Pollen release is accompanied by a discrete burst of scent,
provide easy access to the foragers for probing floral rewards.
The insects started their foraging of pollen and nectar from
0800 in the morning to 1600 in the afternoon. Apis dorsata,
Apis cerana indica, Amegilla cingulata, Amegilla confusa,
Coletes sp. Xylocopa aestuens were regular visitors in the
morning and towards the evening. Whereas, Species of wasp,
Vespa, six species of butterfly and Syrphid fly were casual
visitors from 0800 to 1600 also described by Solomon and
Rao, 2002. Bees work in between 0800 to 1600 hrs but during
noon they were not seen on the floral heads possibly because
of high prevailing temperature. Similar observation was also
reported by Stanley and Whitehead, 1945. A. concinna were
not able to held large bees like Xylocopa aestuens due to its
size and weight as described earlier by Stone et al., 2002.
Insect visitors to Acacia concinna observed in 2009-2011
and their estimated visitation rates i.e., percentage of total
number of flower visits made per day
The butterflies visit lasted for 20 sec to 1 min. which was the
highest recorded length of visit per inflorescence. Bees did
not forage for long on a single inflorescence which was for
about 4-9 sec. They were found to forage very fast than the
other insect pollinators associated with A. concinna collecting
as much pollen as possible from the good number of
inflorescence within a short period probably because there
were many competitors. If the relationship between the bee
and its nectar source is a specific one, then conservation of
the nectar source is essential for the bee and the acacia it
pollinates (Stone et al., 1999). But again plants linked by shared
pollinators in this way do not compete, but facilitate each
others reproduction (Bernhardt and Walker 1984; Hingston,
1999).
Within the bee species, Apis dorsata constitutes 27.23 % of
the total pollination, Apis cerana indica 14.24 %, Coletes
9.56 % and Xylocopa aestuens 5.16 %. Wasp, Vespa sp. 4.02
%. The only fly, Episyrphus balteatus constituted 8.95 %. The
highest record in butterflies was of Euploea core with 7.74%.
From the present find it is found that among the pollinator
insects associated with A. concinna, the Apidae family
occupied highest percentage of total pollination. From the
earlier works it was found similar records that honeybees
(several species in the genus Apis) are important pollinators of
Acacias worldwide (Stone et al., 1999).
45
40
35
30
Percentage

strong and distinctive. The inflorescence head when mature 25

is about 1 cm in diameter. The inflorescence is polygamous. 20

The stigma is receptive to pollen for about 3 days after anthesis.
15
The inflorescence never closes during its flowering period.
10
The present finding was confirmed with those early
observation of Solomon and Purnachandra, 2002. They are 5

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Insect species
2002 also reported similar observation on Acacia sinuata,
they mention that the globose inflorescences Figure 1: Visitation rates of insects of A. concinna

249
S. NELI et al.,

Table 1: Foraging behaviour of insect sp. on Acacia concinna

Insect species Foraging time (h) Foraging activity Average no. of foraging %age of total Average no. of inflorescence
visits made per day visits foraged per min
Amegilla cingulata 1000-1600 CP,FN 470.3 4.63 5.08 0.24
Amegilla confusa 1000-1600 CP,FN 62.09 0.34 6.12 11.62 0.29
Apis cerana indica 0800-1600 CP,FN 144.36 0.43 14.24 15.15 0.37
Apis dorsata 0800-1600 CP,FN 276.18 0.4 27.23 12.08 0.21
Catopsilla pomona 0900-1600 FN 31.36 0.49 3.09 1.31 0.13
Catopsilla pyranthe 0900-1600 FN 22.36 0.34 2.2 2.38 0.13
Colletes sp. 0800-1600 FN 96.91 0.21 9.56 10.08 0.45
Euploea core 0900-1600 FN 78.45 0.16 7.74 1.46 0.14
Jamides celeno 0900-1300 FN 19.18 0.59 1.89 3.08 0.37
Episyrphus bultatus 1000-1600 FN 90.73 0.59 8.95 10.92 0.37
Troides helena darsius 0900-1600 FN 32.18 0.57 3.17 1.92 0.21
Vespa sp. 1000-1600 FN 40.73 0.52 4.02 11.77 0.41
Xylocopa aestuens 0800-1600 FP,FN 52.36 0.53 5.16 6.770.3
Zeneros flegyas indicus 0900-1300 FN 20.18 0.48 1.99 1.620.18
CP = Collecting Pollen, FP = Feeding on Pollen, FN = Feeding on Nectar

Early in the morning, about 5 7 numbers of thrips per
inflorescence were seen probing into the flowers in search of
nectar and pollen. Likewise, 7 - 10 numbers of ants (Formicidae)
per branch were seen operating on the flowers for 40 sec to 2
min. They bring about pollination of the plant while feeding
on the nectar and pollen. Occasionally, one mantis,
Sphodromantis viridus was seen waiting for its prey and
sometimes walking around the inflorescence in search of its
prey. Its activity indirectly helps in the pollination of the plant
but again it becomes the cause for the reduction in the number
of the insect pollinator while feeding upon them. Neither
anybody reported the pollination by mantis to any flowering
plants nor its negative impact on the pollination of the plant. It
may be due to the lack of observation and/or their solitariness
in the environment.
Two species of spiders dwell in the plant weaving their cob
webs over the flower heads. Their webs form a barrier between
the flower heads and the insect visitors which negatively affects
pollination of the plant. One unidentified beetle and Rice
weevil helps to some extent in pollination during their stay in
the flower.
The percentage of fruit set was found to be 3.245 % during
windy autumn season which was higher than the value
reported by Solomon and Rao, 2002 from Andhra Pradesh
on same plant species during spring season. The variation
occurred on same plant species may be due to the activities of
insect pollinators as well as heterogeneities of environment.
The high temperature range during the flowering period was
recorded as 28-32C and relative humidity of 78-85%. Most
of the inflorescence heads cannot be covered by the low
frequency of the insect visitors thereby resulting in the loss of
virgin flowers without fruiting. There may be other reasons
also i.e., like human encroachment within the forest area.
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