Estimation of abundance, distribution pattern and diversity of cash crop hymenopteran pollinators (Superfamily: Apoidea; Vespoidea) from irrigated areas of district Bhakkar and Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan
Aftab Raza Khan, Azhar Abbas Khan, Mohammad Khalid Mukhtar and Musarrat Ramzan
Detailed surveys were conducted during 2015-2016 in irrigated areas of District Bhakkar and Layyah. The main objective of the research was to estimate the abundance, pattern distribution and diversity of hymenopteran insects. Bowl traps containing detergent and hand nets were used in collection of insects. Eight hotspots were selected from each respective district and each hotspot was further divided into four replicates and insects were collected from each hotspot. A total of 7 families of order hymenoptera containing 13 genera from district Bhakkar and 14 genera from district Layyah were collected from respective crops of cotton, maize, millet, mustard and wheat. The maize crop expressed a rich diversity of hymenopterans (2.327) and wheat was the second crop showed the hymenopteran diversity (1.863) from district Bhakkar. Genus Apis was highly abundant in all crop fields and showed a total abundance of 4903 and 5780 from district Bhakkar and Layyah respectively. Nomia bees had maximum abundance of 124 from district Layyah while wasps Polistes (305) and Sceliphron (397) were highly encountered specimen in district Layyah.
Aftab Raza Khan, Azhar Abbas Khan, Mohammad Khalid Mukhtar, Musarrat Ramzan. Estimation of abundance, distribution pattern and diversity of cash crop hymenopteran pollinators (Superfamily: Apoidea; Vespoidea) from irrigated areas of district Bhakkar and Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan. J Entomol Zool Stud 2016;4(5):994-998.