Spatial and Temporal Variations in Richness, Diversity and Abundance of Floral Visitors of Curry Plants (Bergera koenigii L.): Insights on Plant-Pollinator Interactions.

Simple Summary: Flower-visitor communities and plant-pollinator interactions are species- and region-specific and may vary spatially and temporally. We studied flower visitor interactions with curry plants, considering both daily fluctuations and differences across zones characterized by varying vegetation densities (i.e., dense, medium-density, and low-density vegetation). The visitors' richness, diversity, and abundance were higher in the area with dense vegetation. Specifically, between 10.00 h and 14.00 h, these parameters reached their peak, contrasting with lower activity observed during early mornings and late afternoons. For most visitors, the flower handling time was lower, and the visitation rate was higher in dense vegetation areas (at 10.00–14.00 h) than in medium- and low-density vegetation areas. The proportions of foraging categories varied over time, with higher ratios of mixed foragers observed in the early morning. Bee species, such as Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, Halictus acrocephalus, Nomia iridescens, and Tetragonula iridipennis, and butterfly species, such as Appias libythea, were the most effective pollinators of curry plants. The effectiveness of pollinators also varied spatially and remained region-specific. In conclusion, flower-visitor communities and plant-pollinator interactions varied spatially and temporally. The reproductive success of flowering plants relates to flower-visitor communities and plant-pollinator interactions. These traits are species- and region-specific and vary across regions, pollinator groups, and plant species. However, little literature exists on the spatiotemporal variation in visitor activity, especially in India. Here, we aimed to depict the spatial and temporal variation in visitor activity on the curry plants (Bergera koenigii). Data were collected at different daytime slots from three vegetation zones (confirmed by field surveys and normalized difference vegetation index values in remote sensing)—dense, medium-density, and low-density vegetation in West Bengal, India. The visitors' richness, diversity, and abundance were higher in the area with dense vegetation. Considering daytime patterns, higher values for these parameters were obtained during 10.00–14.00 h. For most visitors, the flower handling time was shorter, and the visitation rate was higher in dense vegetation areas (at 10.00–14.00 h) than in medium- and low-density vegetation areas. The proportions of different foraging categories varied over time. Vital pollinators were Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, Appias libythea, Halictus acrocephalus, Nomia iridescens, and Tetragonula iridipennis. However, the effectiveness of pollinators remained region-specific. Therefore, it can be concluded that floral visitors' richness, diversity, abundance, and plant-visitor interactions varied spatially with their surrounding vegetation types and also changed daytime-wise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]