Foraging activity and breeding system of Avicennia officinalis L. (Avicenniaceae) in Kerala, India

Field studies were carried out to assess the foraging activity and breeding system of Avicennia officinalis L. in Chettuwa, Thrissur, India during two flowering seasons 2018–2019. A. officinalis, also known as Indian mangrove is a common occupying river banks Kerala coast southern India. The plant blooms massively onset first summer showers. fruiting period lasted from April July. Bagging experiments revealed that preferred mixed though they had low fruit set recorded self-pollination experiments. A total 15 species insects belonging three orders, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, observed. most abundant insect foragers Apis florea Fabr., Campsomeriella collaris Chrysomya megacephala Fabr. Among these, showed significantly high visitation rate followed by C. then megacephala. collaris, however, highest significant handling time for than florea. peak was 1000h 1100h 1500h 1700h. These findings emphasize importance flower visitors highlighting need maintain plant-pollinator relationships protection ecosystems.