A preliminary study of insect pollinators on apple in Seobagh, Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh

In flowering plants, pollination is the process by which pollen grains are transferred from the male anther to the female stigma. Fertilization and the establishment of fruit or seeds depend on pollination. Animal pollination is necessary for plants, and insects, birds, and bats are important pollinators. Many fruits, nuts, and oilseeds are among the crops that depend on or benefit from animal-mediated pollination. One of the most commercially significant crops pollinated by insects is apples. Apples need pollen transfer from another "polliniser" cultivar in order to bear fruit because they are self-incompatible. The present investigation on insect pollinators diversity on apple in Seobagh village of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh was conducted in the Department of Biosciences, M. L. S. M. College, Sundernagar and Seobagh (Kullu), Himachal Pradesh during March-April, 2025. Handpicking, fluorescent pan trap and sweep net capture methods were used to collect the diversity of insect visiting apple orchards. Insect diversity showed that apple flowers were visited by 34 insect belonging to 27 genera under 13 families and 5 orders. Out of which 12 species belonged to Hymenoptera, 10 from Diptera, 8 from Lepidoptera 3 from Coleoptera and 1 to order Thysanoptera. In addition to Hymenopterans, Dipterans were crucial pollinators of insects. Pollinator-dependent fruit crops often yield more than self-pollinating crops. Agro-ecosystem biodiversity is enhanced by the presence of a variety of pollinator species.