Buzzing Havens: Plant-Insect Interactions in Pollinator Gardens

Maria Escobedo, blankfo1@unca.edu

mescobe2@unca.edu

BIOLOGY

Pollinating insects promote plant diversity, increase the stability of ecosystems, and maintain the reproductive success of most flowering plants; therefore, monitoring plant-pollinator interactions is necessary for conservation efforts. Little research is available on pollinator communities at the local scale in the Southeastern United States. Our investigation assessed plant-insect interactions in pollinator gardens at UNC-Asheville by evaluating diversity, abundance, and species assemblages through weekly visual surveys and pan trap collections in Garden 1 and Garden 2. The primary focus was preference and relationships between color, plant, and insect species. Plant assemblages and insect diversity varied significantly between sites. Garden 2 had greater diversity and abundance than Garden 1. Yellow flowers attracted a higher diversity of insects than purple or white flowers. Green and yellow pan traps had the highest insect diversity in both gardens and among pan trap colors, specifically for Hemiptera, Diptera, and one Coleopteran family. Andrenidae and Apidae had the highest abundance in blue traps, but this trend was not evident within Hymenoptera. These findings can inform conservation decisions around the impacts of cultivating and maintaining plant assemblages to increase pollinator diversity.

May-14-2024