Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka

Plant-animal interaction has been a major theme in ecology as it has helped ecologists to rule out different patterns they observed in the surrounding environments. Chromolaena odorata is another plant species that is studied extensively as it has become a major troublesome weed in many parts of the...

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Main Authors: D. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake, W. M. G. Asanga S. T. B. Wijetunga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8746251
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author D. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake
W. M. G. Asanga S. T. B. Wijetunga
author_facet D. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake
W. M. G. Asanga S. T. B. Wijetunga
author_sort D. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake
collection DOAJ
description Plant-animal interaction has been a major theme in ecology as it has helped ecologists to rule out different patterns they observed in the surrounding environments. Chromolaena odorata is another plant species that is studied extensively as it has become a major troublesome weed in many parts of the tropics. But, handful of studies are available on pollination of this invasive plant species in dry forests and its function as a pollinator sink in these environments. The current study was carried out in a dry zone secondary forest patch in North-Central Sri Lanka to assess the diversity, abundance, and pollination strength of flower visitors associated with the C. odorata. The results suggest that the diversity of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera is higher than the other insect orders that visited C. odorata, but all species exerted equal pollination strength on the plant. The attraction of large numbers of insects is concluded to as one of the factors that contribute to the reproductive success of C. odorata in dry zone forests.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
spelling doaj-art-a835c9e4834d4717aa319f77f54a4c872025-02-03T01:01:11ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382016-01-01201610.1155/2016/87462518746251Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri LankaD. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake0W. M. G. Asanga S. T. B. Wijetunga1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri LankaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri LankaPlant-animal interaction has been a major theme in ecology as it has helped ecologists to rule out different patterns they observed in the surrounding environments. Chromolaena odorata is another plant species that is studied extensively as it has become a major troublesome weed in many parts of the tropics. But, handful of studies are available on pollination of this invasive plant species in dry forests and its function as a pollinator sink in these environments. The current study was carried out in a dry zone secondary forest patch in North-Central Sri Lanka to assess the diversity, abundance, and pollination strength of flower visitors associated with the C. odorata. The results suggest that the diversity of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera is higher than the other insect orders that visited C. odorata, but all species exerted equal pollination strength on the plant. The attraction of large numbers of insects is concluded to as one of the factors that contribute to the reproductive success of C. odorata in dry zone forests.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8746251
spellingShingle D. G. R. M. M. Kaushalya Rathnayake
W. M. G. Asanga S. T. B. Wijetunga
Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
title Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
title_full Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
title_fullStr Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
title_full_unstemmed Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
title_short Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata in a Dry Zone Forest Patch of Sri Lanka
title_sort species composition and visiting frequencies of flower visitors of chromolaena odorata in a dry zone forest patch of sri lanka
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8746251
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