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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403832
Research Project: Biological Control and Habitat Restoration for Invasive Weed Management

Location: Pest Management Research

Title: Assessing the attractiveness of native wildflower species to bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) in the southeastern United States

Author
item ABBATE, ANTHONY - Auburn University
item Campbell, Joshua
item GRODSKY, STEVE - Cornell University
item WILLIAMS, GEOFFREY - Auburn University

Submitted to: Ecological Solutions and Evidence
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2024
Publication Date: 7/23/2024
Citation: Abbate, A.P., Campbell, J.W., Grodsky, S.M., Williams, G.R. 2024. Assessing the attractiveness of native wildflower species to bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) in the southeastern United States. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 5, e12363. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12363.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12363

Interpretive Summary: Many government, profit, and non-profit organizations encourage the planting of wildflowers to enhance floral resources (e.g., pollen and nectar) for pollinators. However, little information is known regarding which bees are attracted to the majority of these wildflowers. We planted 18 wildflower species and monitored the flowers for bees. Each bee taxa were attracted to a particular combination of planted wildflower species. Overall, we found that Asclepias tuberosa, Gaillardia pulchella, and Verbena hastata attracted the greatest abundance, richness, and diversity of native bees compared to the other wildflower species. The information gathered through this study can be used to help landowners choose plants that attract numerous bees or certain bee taxa of interest.

Technical Abstract: 1. Pesticide use, disease, climate change, and habitat loss associated with agricultural intensification and urbanization have contributed to the decline of numerous insect groups. Recent government incentives have recognized the importance of supplementary wildflower plantings to support native bee populations, yet little information exists on the attractiveness of recommended plant species to bees. 2. We evaluated the attractiveness of 18 wildflower species belonging to six families (Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae) through timed sweep netting surveys. We also evaluated the preferences of seven bee taxa (Apis mellifera, Halictus poeyi/ligatus, Bombus griseocollis, Bombus impatiens, Lasioglossum spp., Megachile spp., and Xylocopa virginica) to the planted wildflower species. 3. We found that Asclepias tuberosa, Gaillardia pulchella, and Verbena hastata attracted the greatest abundance, richness, and diversity of native bees compared to the other wildflower species. While several wildflower species attracted low abundance, richness, and diversity of native bees, they are still ecologically important for attracting uncommon or specialist bee species. 4. Each bee taxa were attracted to a particular combination of planted wildflower species; collectively, Asclepias tuberosa, Gaillardia pulchella, and Verbena hastata attracted 89% of all be taxa in the study, further exemplifying the importance of including them in a wildflower mixture to attract native bees. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight that each species of native wildflower varies in the abundance, richness, and diversity of native bees they attract; this should be considered in the decision-making of landowners and land managers in order to promote wildflower plantings to reflect their needs.