Comparative study of monitoring methods for Apoidea resources and diversity

Aims: Apoidea insects are crucial biological resources, providing bee products for humans and pollination services for ecosystems etc.However, global Apoidea resources are declining, highlighting the urgent need for monitoring and conservation efforts.Despite the availability of various methods to survey and monitor Apoidea diversity, there remains uncertainty regarding the most appropriate method and the taxa they effectively monitor.Methods: The study site is located at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences where biodiversity is high.Three methods commonly used for Apoidae monitoring were employed: transects, Malaise traps, and pan traps.The richness and abundances of Apoidae were recorded and the effectiveness was compared to determine the best monitoring approach.Results: Through one-year systematic monitoring, a total of 14,896 Apoidea insects were collected, including Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, Colletidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae, and Ampulicidae, which belonged to 7 families, 54genera, and 345 species.The rarefaction curve showed adequate sampling coverage for all three methods, and there were differences in the major taxa collected.The transects collected 6 families, 33 genera, and 133 species, of which Apidae, Megachilidae, and Halictidae had high diversity, including 3 dominant species and 44 rare species.The Malaise traps collected 7 families, 50 genera, and 260 species, of which Crabronidae, Megachilidae, and Halictidae had high diversity, including 6 dominant species and 130 rare species.The pan traps collected 6 families, 29 genera, and 122 species, of which the diversity of Crabronidae was high, but Apidae had the most individuals, including 6 dominant species and 49 rare species. Conclusion:The results demonstrate that different methods are effective for monitoring different Apoidea taxa and species.Combing multiple methods enhances the detection of Apoidea diversity.This study provides valuable methodological options for surveying Apoidea species and population monitoring, and also offer baseline data for the effective conservation of Apoidea resources.