Abstract:

Aims: Apoidea insects are crucial biological resources, providing bee products for humans and pollination services for ecosystems etc. However, global Apoidea resources are declining, highlighting the urgent need for monitoring and conservation efforts. Despite the availability of various methods to survey and monitor Apoidea diversity, the most appropriate method and the taxa to be monitored remain unclear. 

Methods: The study site is located at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences where biological resources are very abundant. To systematically monitor the Apoidea resources and diversity, three methods were employed: transects, Malaise traps, and pan traps. These methods were used to monitor both Apoidea species and individuals, and their effectiveness was compared to determine the best monitoring approach. 

Results: Through one-year systematic monitoring, a total of 14,896 Apoidea insects were collected, including Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, Colletidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae and Ampulicidae, which belonged to 7 families, 54 genera, and 345 species. The rarefaction curve showed adequate sampling coverage for all three methods, but there were differences in the major taxa collected. The method of transects collected 6 families, 33 genera, and 133 species, of which Apidae, Megachilidae and Halictidae had high diversity, including three dominant species and 44 rare species. The method of Malaise traps collected 7 families, 50 genera, and 260 species, of which Crabronidae, Megachilidae and Halictidae had high diversity, including 6 dominant species and 130 rare species. The method of pan traps collected 6 families, 29 genera, and 122 species, of which the diversity of Crabronidae was high, but Apidae had the most individuals, including 6 dominant species and 49 rare species. 

Conclusion: The results showed that the different methods are suitable for monitoring different Apoidea taxa and species. Combing multiple methods can enhance the detection of Apoidea diversity. This study will provide methodological options for surveying Apoidea species and population monitoring, and also offer foundational data for the effective conservation of Apoidea resources.

Key words: Apoidea insects, transects, Malaise traps, pan traps, diversity monitoring