Pollinators are essential for sustaining the pollination services, because of variation in pollinator community. Therefore, the present investigation were conducted on taxonomy of insect pollinators of medicinally important plant Vinca major (L.) in Shimla Hills. The collections of insect pollinators were made during flowering season i.e. April-May. During this study period a total 11 insect pollinators were recorded, collected and indentified on Vinca major, and their taxonomic studies were made on the basis of their morphological characters and genitalic attributes. Of these 11 species 08 belonged to sub-order Rhoplaocera (Celastrina huegelii, Celastrina lavendularis, Lampides boeticus, Aglais cashmirensis, Pieris brassicae, Pieris canidia, Gonepteryx rhamni neplensis & Hyarotis adrastus), of Order Lepidoptera and 01 each to Hymenoptera (Xylocopa sp.), Coleoptera (Coccinella septumpunctata) and Diptera (Macroglossum pyrrhosticta).
Citation: Katoch A. & Thakur M.S. (2022) Studies on Insect Pollinators of Vinca major (L.) in Shimla Hills, Western Himalaya, India, International Journal of Entomology and Nematology Research, Vol.6, No.1, pp.29-46
Keywords: Vinca major, insect pollinators, taxonomy
