Pollinator Diversity in a
Bunchgrass Prairie
Melissa McKenney
Dr. Sujaya Rao, Dept. Crop and Soil Science
Dr. Sandy DeBano, Dept. Fish and Wildlife
~70,000 acres
Problem:
How can one determine
pollinator diversity in such a large
landscape?
Blue Vane
Trapping
4 pastures
 4 traps per pasture—16
traps per sample period
 Three sample periods—
48 traps total

Total Non-Bees Trapped
0.3%
19%
11%
47%
20%
0.3%
2%
Coleoptera
Diptera
Ephemeroptera
Homoptera
Other Hymenoptera
Lepidoptera
Orthoptera
319 Specimens
Total Invertebrates
Invertebrates Trapped
Trapped
Total
0.4%
2%
3%
3%
0.1%
Coleoptera
Apoidiae
Diptera
Coleoptera
8%
0.1%
Ephemeroptera
Diptera
Homoptera
Ephemeroptera
83%
Other
HyHomoptera
menoptera
Other HyLepidoptera
menoptera
Orthoptera
Lepidoptera
Apoidiae
Orthoptera
1896 Specimens
Bees per trap per day
0
< 0.0
Genus
2
0.2
Osmia
< 0.0
Megachile
6.0
Sphecodes
10
Lasioglossum
7
Halictus
0.2
Hylaeus
0.1
Colletes
4
Bombus
6
Melissodes
0.1
Emphoropsis
5
Perdita
1
Andrena
Seasonal Average Abundance of Bee Genera
9.3
9
8
6.1
4.6
3.9
3
1.7
Bombus Temporal Abundance
# of bees trapped
50
B. bifarius
45
40
B. californicus
B. bifarius
35
30
B. flavifrons
B. griseocollis
25
20
B. mixtus
B. flavifrons
15
10
5
0
03/Jul
B. centralis
B. nevadensis
B. occidentalis
B. rufocinctus
B. vagans
22/Jul
Date
10/Aug
Temporal Variance in B. flavifrons Sex Ratios
# of Bees
14
12
10
P=0.1135
8
B. flavifrons ♀
B. flavifrons ♂
6
4
2
P=0.1595
0
03/Jul
22/Jul
10/Aug
Date
Temporal Variance in B. bifarius Sex Ratios
# of Bees
50
40
30
20
P=<0.0001
B. bifarius ♀
B. bifarius ♂
10
0
03/Jul
22/Jul
Date
10/Aug
Future Research



Determine which pollinators depend
on which plants and visa versa
Determine annual and seasonal
variation of pollinator species
Use data to make conservation
plans for pollinator species
Acknowledgments
NSF REU Program
Dr. Sujaya Rao
Dr. Sandy DeBano
Dr. Andy Moldenke
Dr. W.P. Stephen
Dr. Richard Halse
Dr. Jeff Miller
HHMI Program
Questions?