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15 September 2016 Diversity and Resource Use Patterns of Anthophile Insects in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico
Omar Ávalos-Hernández, Zenón Cano-Santana, Marysol Trujano-Ortega, Uri Omar García-Vázquez
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Abstract

Bees and flies are the main pollinators responsible for the maintenance of plant diversity and crop production. Studies of pollinator communities have focused on bees; however, community structures may vary among groups of pollinators. We describe and compare the diversity and resource use patterns of six Apoidea and two Diptera anthophile families in Cuatro Ciénegas in the northeast of Mexico. We sampled insects in two distinct geographic units (valley and mountains) and two seasons (rainy and dry). Spatial and temporal patterns in species composition and abundance of these families were identified and the diversity in each family compared. The spatial and temporal patterns in species composition, diversity, and resource use were different for each family. Overall, diversity was higher during the rainy season. Only fly families and the Andrenidae presented season-specific differences in species composition, in contrast with the other Apoidea. Two bee families visited more plant species per insect species during the rainy season, whereas flies visited the same number of plant species in both seasons. Apidae, Megachilidae, and Bombyliidae visited more plant species in the mountains, while the other families exhibited no differences between the mountains and the valley. The variation in the community structures of each group may reflect distinct life histories, resources needs during larval stages, and foraging behaviors. These differences are relevant in management and conservation programs that could benefit one group of pollinators while harming others with different characteristics. The traits of some families indicate their potential value as pollinators.

© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Omar Ávalos-Hernández, Zenón Cano-Santana, Marysol Trujano-Ortega, and Uri Omar García-Vázquez "Diversity and Resource Use Patterns of Anthophile Insects in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico," Environmental Entomology 45(6), 1386-1397, (15 September 2016). https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw122
Received: 29 March 2016; Accepted: 25 July 2016; Published: 15 September 2016
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KEYWORDS
Apoidea
Bombyliidae
desert fauna
pollinator community structure
Syrphidae
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