Pollinator’s diversity and abundance on Strychnos nux-vomica L.: A valuable medicinal plant of tropical dry deciduous forest
Madhab Chandra Behera, Alok Mohanty and Uma Sankar Nayak
Studies were conducted to document pollinator diversity and foraging behaviour of major insect pollinators on Strychnos nux-vomica L. (Loganiaceae) during 2017 at Silvicultural Research Station, Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Ten species of insects belonging to nine genera, six families and four orders were recorded. Among the insects species Apis dorsata (Apidae: Hymenoptera) and Episyrphus balteatus (Syrphidae: Diptera) were the most dominating foragers. Hymenopterans constituted 53.01% to the total insect pollinators. The mean number of pollinators foraging nux-vomica flower was 22.13 insects/m2 branch/10 min. Peak activity of all foragers was between 9.00-12.00hours. They were rewarded with nectar and pollen. Vespa spp. visited maximum number of inflorescences per minute and spent least time in a flower.