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Pollen Collecting Behavior of Buzzing Bees from Tubular Anther in Solanum lycopersicum
Indraswari Suhri A.G.M.
Aip Conference Proceedings
Abstract
This study aims to determine the behavior of bees that collect pollen by vibrating tubular anther. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are agricultural plants that have hermaphrodite flowers and are unique because of the flower morphology with the stamen fused to form cones or tubules that surround and encase stigma. Access to pollen is very limited by a small gap in the terminal, causing some types of bees to adapt behaviorally so that it is more effective in releasing pollen. We observe the behavior of the bees taking pollens such as the number of flowers visited per minute (foraging rate), the length of visits per flower (flower handling time), and the length of visits to tomato plantations. The results showed that the buzzing bees X. confusa and A. cyrtandrae are able to visit more flowers, in a shorter time, than the biting bee C. cognata. Xylocopa and Amegilla collect tomatoes pollen with special behavior, with vibrating the stamen so that pollen falls to the stigma, while pollen that comes out from the terminal gap of flowers attaches to the bee's body to be used as food. The difference in the efficiency of pollen release on flowers is one reason why flowers that have tubular anther are generally visited by buzzing bees.