Vol. 11, Special Issue 12 (2022)

The cucumber flowers were found to be visited by three species of honeybees viz., A. dorsata, A. cerana, A. florae as well as stingless bees, lepidopterans, coleopterans, dipterans and hemipterans. Among different flower visitors, in natural pollination, honey bees were the major visitors of cucumber flower constituted (72.33% of total visitors) which was followed by sting less bees (11.94%), lepidopterans (5.12%), hemipterans (3.92%), dipterans (3.63%) and coleopterans (3.06%) during summer 2018 while during summer 2019, honey bees constituted 74.98 per cent which was followed by stingless bees (8.99%), lepidopterans (4.92%), coleopterans (3.58%), dipterans (4.35%) and hemipterans (3.19%). Among different bee species, A. dorsata was the predominant flower visitors constituting 30.46 per cent of total flower visitors during summer 2018 and 31.20 per cent of total flower visitors during summer 2019. The mean activity of total visitors during 2018 was maximum at 11 00 h (12.86 visitors/m²/5 minute). The lowest activity of flower visitors was observed at 13 00 h (1.11 visitors/m²/5 minute). During summer 2019, the mean activity of flower visitors was maximum at 10 00 h (12.96 visitors/m²/5 minute). While the lowest activity of flower visitors was recorded at 14 00 h (0.86 visitors/m²/5) In treatment of augmentation of A. cerana bees to natural pollination, during summer 2018, honeybees were the major visitors of bitter gourd flower constituted 70.02 per cent which was followed by stingless bees (9.83%), lepidopterans (6.06%), dipterans (5.10%), coleopterans (4.69%) and hemipterans (4.29%). Similarly, during summer 2019, honeybees constituted 75.64 per cent which was followed by stingless bees (10.18%), lepidopterans (4.69%), dipteran flies (3.62%), coleopterans (2.96%) and hemipterans (2.91%). minute). Among different bee species, A. cerana was the predominant flower visitors constituting 36.13 per cent of total flower visitors during summer 2018 and 39.75 per cent during summer 2019. The mean activity of total visitors during 2018 were more at 10 00 h (13.13 visitors/m²/5 minute). The lower activity of flower visitors was observed at 13 00 h (1.14 visitors/m²/5 minute). During summer 2019, the mean activity of flower visitors was more at 11 00 h (18.46 visitors/m²/5 minute). The lower activity of flower visitors was recorded at 14 00 h (1.18 visitors/m²/5 minute).