Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smith の訪花性 : 日本産花蜂の生態学的研究 XXIII  [in Japanese] Flower-visiting habit of Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smith : Biological studies on Japanese bees XXIII  [in Japanese]

1. Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smithの訪花性について1952-1959年に篠山盆地において研究した.2. X. appendiculata circumvolansは, 近縁のCeratina japonicaと同様の生活史をもつもので, その訪花内容と卵巣発達度との関係も同様のものであつた.3. X. appendiculata circumvolans♀は29科53属59種の植物を訪花対象としたが, その約25%はマメ科植物であつた.訪花植物種のほぼ半ば以上が落葉喬木あるいは灌木の花であり, さらに草木の中でも草丈の高いものを訪花対象としていた.4. X. appendiculata circumvolansが盗蜜を行なつた植物種はナツグミ(グミ科), ツリフネソウ(ホウセンカ科), ハコネウツギ(スイカズラ科), クララ, ヤブマメ(マメ科), オオバギボウシ, ギボウシ(ユリ科)などである.5. 盗蜜の習性および草木より樹木の花を好む習性などから, いわゆる有用植物の花粉媒介者としての価値は低いものと推定される.

Flower-visiting habit of Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smith was examined during from April to October of 1952-1959. The life history and correlation between the request in flower-visiting and phase of ovary development were similar to those of Ceratina japonica Cockerell. The females visited flowers of 59 species belonging to 29 families. About 25 percent of these plants were the flowers of Leguminosae. Especially, the flowers of Vistaria brachybotrys was preferred by the bees. The plants species visited by the bees were mostly the flowers of shrubs or high trees than herbaceous plants. Moreover, the bees rather preferred flowers of taller ones than lower ones when visiting herbaceous plants. The habit of nectar stealing was observed in visiting the flowers of Elaeagnus multiflora, Impatiens textori, Weigela coraeensis, Sophora angustifolia, Falcata japonica, Hosta sieboldia, and Hosta undulata var. It is supposed that this species is almost worthless as visitors or pollinators for so-called useful plants.