Busy Bees: Variation in Insect Flower-Visiting Rates across Multiple Plant Species

Figure 1

We investigated insect visitation rate on five plant study species: bramble (Rubus fruticosus (a), (b)), California lilac (Ceanothus spp. (c)), marjoram (Origanum vulgare (d)), ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris (e)), and ivy (Hedera helix and H. hibernica spp. (f)). Other than California lilac, a garden shrub, all plants are native to the study area and all five plants were abundant and found in large patches (a). All insects seen are honey bees, with the exception of the similar-sized hoverfly Eristalis spp. on ragwort in (e) and on the right on ivy in (f) (insect on the left in (f) is honey bee).

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)