Insect Pollinator Diversity and Their Floral Preferences: A Seasonal and Habitat-Wise Analysis of Abundance and Species Richness

Insect pollinators are important in maintaining biodiversity and increasing agricultural productivity by promoting plant reproduction. Field surveys were conducted to assess insect pollinators diversity, abundance and floral preferences in the Ramnagar area of Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal, India. The scan sampling method was employed to investigate the diversity of insect pollinators across three habitats viz. agriculture fields (AF), orchards (OR), and natural vegetation (NV) for a year to capture temporal and seasonal variation in pollinator activity. A total of 44 species belonging to 18 families and 4 orders were recorded. Lepidoptera was the most abundant (1689 individuals) group followed by Hymenoptera (1211), Diptera (717) and Coleoptera (335). The highest abundance was observed in AF (1460) followed by OR (1359) and NV (1133) but NV exhibited the highest species richness (44 species) among the three habitats. Seasonal analysis of abundance exhibited the highest value during post-monsoon (1934) and the lowest value during monsoon (552). ANOVA test confirmed significant seasonal variations. Shannon and Simpson index values for diversity suggest a quite healthy diversity of insect pollinators. This study highlights the significance of habitat conservation for supporting insect pollinators, which in turn maintains ecological balance and enhances agriculture production. It presents crucial knowledge for future research on conservation of insect pollinators and their habitats. Keywords: Biodiversity; pollination ecology; Ramnagar; spatial analysis; temporal variation