Pollinator Diversity in a Bunchgrass Prairie

Melissa McKenneyDr. Sujaya Rao, Dept. Crop and Soil ScienceDr. Sandy DeBano, Dept. Fish and Wildlife

~70,000 acres

How can one determine pollinator diversity in such a large

landscape?

Problem:

Blue Vane Trapping

4 pastures 4 traps per pasture—16 traps per sample period Three sample periods—48 traps total

19%

20%

0%

2%

47%

11%

0%

Total Non-Bees Trapped

ColeopteraDipteraEphemeropteraHomopteraOther HymenopteraLepidopteraOrthoptera

319 Specimens

Total Invertebrates Trapped

ApoidiaeColeopteraDipteraEphemeropteraHomopteraOther HymenopteraLepidopteraOrthoptera

3%3%

0%0%

8%2%

0%

83%

Total Invertebrates Trapped

ColeopteraDipteraEphemeropteraHomopteraOther HymenopteraLepidopteraOrthopteraApoidiae

1896 Specimens

And

rena

Per

dita

Em

phor

opsi

s

Mel

isso

des

Bom

bus

Col

lete

s

Hyl

aeus

Hal

ictu

s

Lasi

oglo

ssum

Sph

ecod

es

Meg

achi

le

Osm

ia

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

0.0625 0.0625

5.95833333333333

3.875

0.18750.0416666666666667

6.0625

9.3125

0.02083333333333330.208333333333333

1.66666666666667

Seasonal Average Abundance of Bee Genera

Genus

Bee

s pe

r tr

ap p

er d

ay

< <

4.6

Jul 03 Jul 22 Aug 100

50

100

150

200

250

300

Temporal Bee Abundance for Common Genera

PerditaMelissodesBombusHalictusLasioglossumOsmia

Date

# o

f b

ee

s tr

ap

pe

d

Jul 03 Jul 22 Aug 100

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50Bombus Temporal Abundance

B. bifariusB. californicusB. centralisB. flavifronsB. griseocollisB. mixtusB. nevadensisB. occidentalisB. rufocinctusB. vagans

Date

# of

bee

s tr

appe

d B. bifarius

B. flavifrons

Jul 03 Jul 22 Aug 100

2

4

6

8

10

12

14Temporal Variance in B. flavifrons Sex Ratios

B. flavifrons ♀B. flavifrons ♂

Date

# o

f B

ee

s

Jul 03 Jul 22 Aug 1005

1015202530354045

Temporal Variance in B. bifarius Sex Ratios

B. bifarius ♀B. bifarius ♂

Date

# o

f B

ee

s

P=0.1135

P=0.1595

P=<0.0001

Future Research

Determine which pollinators depend on which plants and visa versa

Determine annual and seasonal variation of pollinator species

Use data to make conservation plans for pollinator species

Acknowledgments

NSF REU ProgramDr. Sujaya Rao

Dr. Sandy DeBanoDr. Andy MoldenkeDr. W.P. StephenDr. Richard Halse

Dr. Jeff MillerHHMI Program

Questions?