ARS | Publication request: Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia Ribifloris) As Blueberry Pollinators for the American South

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: August 19, 2002
Publication Date: August 19, 2002
Citation: Sampson, B.J., Cane, J.H., Stringer, S.J. 2002. Blue orchard bees (osmia ribifloris) as blueberry pollinators for the american south. Meeting Abstract.

Technical Abstract: Osmia ribifloris Cresson is a solitary stem-nesting bee whose adult emergence perfectly coincide with the flowering periods of cultivated southern blueberries. An isolated case of extended prepupal dormancy occurred, but never reappeared in O. ribifloris populations raised in Mississippi. Adults foraged from 0700 - 1800 hrs, and flight was initiated at an air temperature as low as 9 deg. C. Females were comparatively slow pollinators visiting about 8 blueberry flowers/min. 55 (sd=7)flowers were visited per pollen trip, and 18 (SD=2) pollen trips were necessary to fully provision a nest cell. About 1,400,000 (sd=160,000) tetrads constituted a full blueberry pollen provision. Despite a lack of floral sonication, O. ribifloris was an efficient blueberry pollinator with rabbiteye blueberry flowers setting 33-67% seeded fruits.