J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2015: Vol.

29 (2):455-457
(455) ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

A NOTE ON THE APOIDEAN VISITORS ON SUN FLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUS L.)

AROUND LUDHIANA, PUNJAB (INSECTA : HYMENOPTERA)
Rajiv K. Gupta* and Sunder Lal Sharma1
*Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India.
1
Dept of Zoology, Raj Rishi Govt. College, Alwar 301001.
[Corresponding autnor E-mail*: beesind@gmail.com]

Received: 01-09-2015 Accepted: 10-10-2015

This note enlists Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) recorded on Sun flower (Helianthus annus L.) in and around Ludhiana (Punjab).
The repetitive collections were made during years 1981, 1984, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2013 on various crops, including Sun
flower at the referred district. The list of apoidean pollinators on sun flower consists of 38 species, out of which 20 species were
identified belong to family Megachilidae, 10 to Family Apidae and eight belong to Halictidae. No species of Family Andrenidae,
Colletidae and Melittidae was ever collected on sun flower crop. Species of genus Euaspis and Coelioxys are well known
cleptoparasites therefore their role in pollination of this crop is doubtful. Rest of Megachilidae, Halictidae and Apidae were collected
with their scopa filled with pollens of Sun flowers.

Ludhiana is situated near the western boarder of Punjab. It is
a rich cultivated area having ample of crops which includes
both food grain and non-food grain products such as of several
fruits, vegetables and oil seeds. This land is quite fertile so as
the rich number of bee species (Apoidea) forage in this area.
Initially the species of bees were recorded1.Gupta listed many
crops visited by several megachilid bees including those on
Helianthus annus from Punjab (and Ludhiana)2. During year
2001 Gupta & Yadav published bee species compositions of
four crops for the area of eastern Rajasthan and adjacent U.P.
A total of 25 species of Apoidea were collected visiting sun
flowers from this area3.
The authors have made repetitive collections from Punjab more
so from and around Ludhiana during years 1981, 1984, 1991,
1994, 1998, 2006 and 2011. During years 2011 and 2013
workers namely Ms. Suman Kumari, Mr. Sikander and Mr. G.
S. Makkar from PAU, Ludhiana and other sites of Punjab also
supplied few more bees collected on various crops including
those on Helianthus annus. Similarly in August, 2015 some
more bee species were received from Ms. Navdeep Kaur of
PAU. This note consolidates all these identification records
as visitors on sun flowers.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The material for this study was from the fiels where bees
foraging on the flowering cups were collected. A total of 1189
bees were collected by sweeping insect nets on Sun flowers
NAAS Rating (2016)-4.20
during the springs from various locations in and around
Ludhiana. These collected bee samples were instantly killed
in a killing bottle using Benzene fumes and were brought to
the laboratory where they were identified and, the list of the
species was thus apprehended.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Table-1 on following page enlists the species of bees
identified as visitors of Helianthus annus L. at and around
district of Ludhiana in Punjab. During February to May there
were many cultivated and wild crops growing in the rural area
of the district. They were sarson, cabbage, cauli flower, radish,
gram, tomato, marigold, tegetes cult, many legumes and
several wild crops. Collection of bees was made on all crops
and the bee species compositions were apprehended. There
are 38 species of bees which were found as regular visitor on
Helianthus annus (Table-1). Species of Megachilidae (20
species), more particularly of genus Megachile Latreille (12
species) may be ranked as the top pollinator with good
population and their efficiency in pollen transportation. Species
of genus Xylocopa Latr., Ceratina Latr., Amegilla Friese and
Apis Linnaeus were also there in good numbers and stayed
for long on each flower collecting both nectar and pollen grains.
Eight species of Halictidae were identified on sun flower.
Pseudapis, Halictus and Lasioglossum were present in
sufficient number and are considered here as slow but quite
efficient pollinator, however, after genus Megachile Latr., due

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 A NOTE ON THE APOIDEAN VISITORS ON SUN FLOWER (456)

Tabel-1. List of apoidean species recorded on Helianthus annus Linn. around Ludhiana, Punjab

+++ high population density, ++ moderate, + rare visitor

to occurrence of pollen collecting area quite restricted on the
posterior fringe of hind legs. On the contrary, species of
Megachile had ample of scopal area on ventral surface of
abdomen in females. Batra also reported 02 species of
Xylocopa, 03 of Megachile, 01 each of Halictus and
Lasioglossum, on this crop at PAU1. However, her identification
of Nomioides pusilla seems to be doubtful.
Crop visiting population for every bee species may also be
concluded based upon direct field observations and
identification of species as indicated in the Table-1. Identically
bee species visiting periodicities on the crop may also be
apprehended by making repetitive collections. Authors suggest
to make further collections in the destined area so as
determination of complete crop rotation for all bee species
and their exact population density would be apprehended.
Considering the parameters of efficiency, these investigations
would further calculate the most useful species of bees which
may be further used for the efficient cross pollination of sun
flower crop in plains of north India.

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 (457) GUPTA AND SHARMA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS North-western India. viii+294; Figs. 1032. (Reprints: 1999, 2007,

2012) Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur.
Authors are thankful to S. Simlote, S. Yadav, S. K. Charan, 3. Gupta, R. K. & S. Yadav (2001). Opuscula zoologica fluminensia
S. K. Naval and J. Saini for providing help during field No. 198: 1.
collections. We also express thanks to Head of the
Department of Zoology and U. G. C. (University Grant
Commission) for providing laboratory facilities and financial
support, respectively.

REFERENCES

1. Batra, S. W. T. (1967). Jour. the Kansas Entomol.Soci.40: 164.

2. Gupta, R. K. (1993). Taxonomic studies on the Megachilidae of

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