Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Apis dorsata Fabr. was the only dominant flower visitor of loquat. Only one A. florea was found on the floweas in all the observations although it was present in very hign numbers on the flowers of Eruca sativa Mill, (an inter crop in the orchard), Other species of insects found occasionally were syrphids, housefly, antlion, bumble bee, cabbage buterfly and some other hymenopterous, dipterous, and lepidopterous insects. Syrphids occupied the second position following A. dorsata but their numbers were again very low. The period of maximum activity of A. dorsata was from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. The fruit set was 15.1 per cent more in unbagged flowers as compared to bagged ones.
