G. it. Ent., 5 (25): 67-87
August 31, 1990
Insect pollination of Bursaria spinosa (Pittosporaceae)
in the Armidale area, New South Wales, Australia
by
TREVOR J. HAWKESWOOD
Abstract - Thirty-eight species of insects from the Orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera were collected from the open flowers of Bursaria spinosa Cav. at two sites during the period 8-14 February 1979 when peak flowering of the plant occurred. Samples of all insect species were examined for the presence of Bursaria pollen and the places of pollen deposition recorded. Feeding and flight behaviour of the most common insect species were observed. Beetles (Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae and Mordellidae) and native wasps (Scoliidae) appear to be the most important agents of geitonogamous pollinations in B. spinosa at Dangars Falls, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, while most of these, in addition to certain rarer, but usually more active insect species (e.g. Diptera), probably facilitate most xenogamous pollinations. The diversity of insects at Bakers Creek Falls was lower than at Dangars Falls, but beetles (Buprestidae) and wasps (Scoliidae) were equally important pollen vectors. The floral morphology of B. spinosa does not conform with any of the pollination syndromes proposed by Faegri & Van der Pijl (1976), although it does possess some characters of cantharophily (beetle pollination), myophily (fly pollinated blossoms) and melittophily (bee pollinated blossoms). Observations at Armidale indicated that B. spinosa is a generalist entomophile, attracting a wide range of insect visitors capable of transporting pollen and successfully pollinating flowers.
