Monitoring 2016
- author: Marta
- Thursday 21 July 2016
We continue our activities of monitoring after the end of the project: analysis of the dittamo population fitness and of pullinator diversity.
field activity
Monitoring actions – 2015
- author: Chiara Lelli
- Wednesday 20 May 2015
June 3, 2015 – June 9, 2015
Monitoring the fitness of dittany (production of fruits and seeds) in the project area
May 14, 2015 – May 19, 2015
Monitoring the fitness of the plants and demographic surveys in the project area
April 29, 2015 – May 6, 2015 – May 12, 2015
Periodic monitoring of pollinators on Dictamnus albus plants and in the project area
Action C.3 2015
- author: Francesco Bisognin
- Wednesday 6 May 2015
6 May 2015
Liberation of bumblebee colonies in the project area, to reinforce the wild pollinator populations
March 2015
Artificial rearing of the collected bumblebee queens
02-10 March 2015
Collection of 25 bumblebee queens in the surrounding of the target area.
Action C.3 2014
- author: Francesco Bisognin
- Tuesday 26 August 2014
25-27 February 2014
Collection of bumblebee queens in the surrounding of the target area.
The almond tree flowering, greater than the previous years, and the mild climate, allowed the collection of an high number of queens.
March–April 2014
Artificial rearing of the colonies originated by the collected wild queens.
05 May 2014
Re-entering of 9 colonies of different size in the project area.
06 June 2014
Checking of the released colonies: the 3 smallest colonies did not survive to the re-entering in nature.
Larger colonies continue to grow, although many Diptera larvae are present in the nests.
25 August 2014
Recovery and checking of the introduced colonies, already extinguished.
For unknown reasons, none of the colonies has reached the stage of males and queens production. Parasite and commensal flies and moths are present, but it wasn’t possible to determine if this is the cause of colony decline.
Action C.2 2014
- author: Francesco Bisognin
- Thursday 12 June 2014
March 2014
The set up of the Beehotels has been completed.
Hollow bricks filled with soil and clay were added for digger bees. At the base of one of the Beehotels an area with no vegetation was prepared and filled with sand and soil, for ground nesting Apoidea (sweat bees, mining bees). Gastropod empty shells, used as nesting sites by some Megachilidae species, were placed on the ground.
For the first time nesting carpenter bees (Xylocopa violacea) were observed in one of our Beehotel.
06 June 2014
During Beehotels monitoring it has been observed a typical bee nest competitor, the wasp Isodontia Mexicana, also called “cricket-hunter wasp” or “grass-carrying wasp”.
Action C.2 2013
- author: Francesco Bisognin
- Saturday 30 November 2013
30 April 2013
Placing of two Beehotels in the project area.
Beehotels were set up with reeds of variable length and diameter for cavity nesting Apoidea
(Megachilidae and carpenter bees) and a box filled with soil for ground nesting Apoidea (sweat
bees, mining bees).
June 2013
Nest occupation monitoring, performed monthly from February to September 2013
Successful occupation is verified at sight (surface of the hole closed with a mud cap) or using a
small rod and a flashlight when the closure cap is not visible.
Checking the nests, it is possible to identify the most common parasites.
In the hole at the middle you can see a bee fly exuvia (Anthrax anthrax), a parasite of the larval
stage of some solitary Apoidea.
20 August 2013
Beehotels monitoring to verify the reed occupation.
End of field work
For this year we have finished field work with insects observations on plants in the study area.
Blooming during the end of Summer here is charachterized byPeucedanum cervaia (Umbelliferae), together with Centaurea bracteata and the hemiparasitic Orthantha lutea.
Plants germinated at the Botanic garden and later transplanted in the area show a good flowering success as well, like Veronica barrelierii and Cephalaria transsylvanica.
We will be back with field work in 2014, see you soon!
Study area with the white P. cervaia.
Transplanted individuals of V. barrelierii (purple).
Dead stem with fruits of D. albus.
November 2013
Some of the solitary bee nest have moved to the CRA-API labs for the identification of nesting bees
and parasites.
Adult male of Osmia cornuta found in a nest.
Different species of parasites and kleptoparasites found in the nests.
Action C.3 2013
- author: Francesco Bisognin
- Monday 26 August 2013
11-22 March 2013
Collection of bumblebee queens in the surrounding of the target area.
Almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is one of the first plants to flower and represents a strong call for
bumblebee queens.
March–April 2013
Artificial rearing of the 9 collected bumblebee queens
First attempt of rearing Bombus pascuorum queens.
02 May 2013
Release of the colonies obtained from wild queen rearing.
A well developed colony and two early stage colonies with the first workers were re-entered in the
target area.
Two other colonies, in the very first developmental stage, were placed in two bumblebee artificial
nests.
20 August 2013
Recovery of the extinct reintroduced colonies to check the development status and possible
problems.
State of progress: demo station at Parco Villa Ghigi
- author: Marta
- Tuesday 10 July 2012
Azione E.1
- author: Marta
- Friday 11 May 2012
Plant fitness monitoring.
Hand-pollinations on dittany flowers and observations of fruit and seed production would allow us to understand if pollination service by natural pollinators is insufficient.
Azione E.2
- author: Marta
- Wednesday 2 May 2012
Pollinator monitorning on the target plant.
Observations of insects visiting dittany flowers allow us to understand their behaviour and their role as pollinators.
Here we can see a pollinator. An individual of Habropoda tarsataseeks nectar in a dittany flower.
