Department of Entomology and Apiculture, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173 230, H.P. (India).
*Present address: Assistant Scientist (Entomology), T.H.R.S., Kotkhai-171 202, District Simla, Himachal Pradesh, (India).
Comparative studies conducted on the pollinating activities of Apis cerana indica F. and Apis mellifra L. revealed that the former spent 22.1 per cent more time per day in pollinating cauliflower bloom than the latter. Mean number of A. c. indica and A. mellifera visits per inflorescence per hour was 4.75 and 2.06, respectively. Mean duration of each blossom visit by pollen foraging, nectar foraging and nectar robbing A. c. indica was recorded as 5.14±0.21, 6.34± 0.26 and 6.05±0.24 seconds, respectively. The comparative statistics for A. mellifera were 6.62±0.26, 7.37±0.43 and 5.26± 0.25 seconds. Number of flowers visited per plant by A. c. indica or A. mellifra bees seeking pollen or robbing nectar were almost equal. However, A. c. indica bees gathering nectar visited 18.15±1.10 flowers per plant as compared to 16.47±0.64 flowers visited by A. mellifera. Depending upon the mean quantities of loose pollen carried on their bodies, the various worker groups comprised three statistically different categories as follows: pollen foraging A. mellifera > pollen foraging A. c. indica = nectar foraging A. mellifera = nectar foraging A. c. indica = nectar robbing A. mellifera and A. c. indica On the basis of relative pollinating efficiency rating, both the species were equally good pollinators, the average rating obtained by A. mellifera being 3.1 as against 3.4 by A. c. indica
