Flowering Phenology and Honeybee (Apis Mellifera L.) Visitation to Apple, Pear, and Plum Blossoms in Al-Abrag Region of Jabal Al Akhdar, Libya

• Salma Yaseen Essa

  Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science (Al Guba), Derna University, Derna, Libya

  Author

• Ali A. Bataw

  Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Omar Al Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya

  Author

This study evaluated the relationship between flowering phenology and honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) visitation to apple (Malus domestica), pear (Pyrus communis), and plum (Prunus domestica) blossoms in Al-Abrag area of Jabal Al Akhdar, Libya. Branches were monitored from flower opening to senescence over nine days. Bee visitation was recorded hourly from 08:00 to 16:00 within a 1 m × 1 m observation area for 15 min each hour, while the numbers of open flowers and visiting workers were counted. Honey bee visitation varied among the three fruit-tree species and changed with flowering intensity. In plum, flowering began on 14 April 2015 and bee visitation showed the closest correspondence with flower abundance, although peak visitation did not always coincide exactly with peak bloom. In pear, flowering began on 20 April 2015, but the relationship between flower abundance and bee visitation was comparatively weak, with the highest visitation recorded at the beginning of flowering rather than at maximum flower density. A similar pattern was observed in apple, which began flowering on 23 April 2015. Peak bloom occurred on 26 April, whereas the highest bee visitation was recorded on 24 April despite a lower number of open flowers. Overall, flowering phenology was associated with temporal variation in honey bee visitation, but the strength and timing of this relationship differed among plum, pear, and apple. These findings indicate that flower abundance alone does not fully explain honey bee visitation and suggest that additional factors, including floral reward and environmental conditions, may influence visitation patterns

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