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Journals / Bitki Koruma Bülteni / 2026 / Cilt: 66 Sayı: 3

Effectiveness of wild bees in the pollination of Citrullus lanatus in the Algerian Sahara

Cezayir Sahrası’nda Citrullus lanatus 'un tozlaşmasında yabani arıların etkinliği

Imane Mokrane(École Normale Supérieure de Kouba)0009-0005-2155-164X
Leila Bendifallah(M'hamed Bougara University)0000-0001-8073-9400
Yasemin Güler(Plant Protection Central Research Institute)0000-0002-7431-1341
Pages
256–269
Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

It was found that seven species of wild bees- Halictus rubicundus (Christ, 1791), Lasioglossum pallens (Brullé, 1832), Lasioglossum sisymbrii (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Hylaeus hyalinatus (Smith, 1842) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799), and Anthophora bimaculata (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were their most effective pollinators, although watermelon is a selfcompatible plant.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study was carried out at an experimental site in Laghrousse, province of Biskra (Algeria), on a Watermelon crop (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) during the 2024 flowering period.
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Key Findings & Data:It was found that seven species of wild bees- Halictus rubicundus (Christ, 1791), Lasioglossum pallens (Brullé, 1832), Lasioglossum sisymbrii (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Hylaeus hyalinatus (Smith, 1842) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799), and Anthophora bimaculata (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were their most effective pollinators, although watermelon is a selfcompatible plant.
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Conclusion & Impact:The study also identified five species of wild flowering plants: Reseda lutea L. (Resedaceae); Convolvulus cantabrica L. (Convolvulaceae); Carduus nigrescens Vill. (Asteraceae); Sinapis pubescens L. (Brassicaceae); and Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link. (Apiaceae), at the edges of the greenhouse, which attract these wild bee species pollinating watermelons.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2024 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Polinatörler · kantitatif ve kalitatif ürün · kendi-döller bitki

Abstract

This study was carried out at an experimental site in Laghrousse, province of Biskra (Algeria), on a Watermelon crop (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) during the 2024 flowering period. Among the inspected insect groups, Hemiptera and Coleoptera are considered as visitors; Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera are considered as pollinators of watermelon. The statistical analysis showed that Hymenoptera is the most abundant group and the main pollinators in this crop. It was found that seven species of wild bees- Halictus rubicundus (Christ, 1791), Lasioglossum pallens (Brullé, 1832), Lasioglossum sisymbrii (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Hylaeus hyalinatus (Smith, 1842) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799), and Anthophora bimaculata (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were their most effective pollinators, although watermelon is a selfcompatible plant. The intervention of pollinators in this culture by xenogamy improves the quantitative yield of the watermelon by a percentage of 94,27% and qualitatively by increasing the market value of the fruits by a percentage of 100%, compared to self-pollination by geitonogamy. The study also identified five species of wild flowering plants: Reseda lutea L. (Resedaceae); Convolvulus cantabrica L. (Convolvulaceae); Carduus nigrescens Vill. (Asteraceae); Sinapis pubescens L. (Brassicaceae); and Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link. (Apiaceae), at the edges of the greenhouse, which attract these wild bee species pollinating watermelons.

Özet

Biskra (Cezayir) ilinin Laghrousse bölgesindeki deneme alanında, Karpuz (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) bitkisinin 2024 incelenen böcek grupları arasında Hemiptera ve Coleoptera ziyaretçi olarak; Hymenoptera, Diptera ve Lepidoptera ise karpuzun tozlayıcıları olarak kabul edilmektedir. İstatistiksel analiz, Hymenoptera'nın en bol bulunan grup olduğunu ve bu bitkinin ana tozlayıcıları olduğunu göstermiştir. Karpuz kendi kendine döllenebilen bir bitki olmasına rağmen, yedi yabani arı türünün; Halictus rubicundus (Christ, 1791), Lasioglossum pallens (Brullé, 1832), Lasioglossum sisymbrii (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Hylaeus hyalinatus (Smith, 1842) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799) ve Anthophora bimaculata (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) türlerinin en etkili tozlayıcılar olduğu bulunmuştur. Bu kültürde yabancı tozlaşma yoluyla polinatörlerin müdahalesi, karpuzun niceliksel verimini %94,27 oranında, niteliksel olarak da meyvelerin piyasa değerini %100 oranında artırarak, kendi kendine tozlaşma yoluyla gerçekleşen geitonogamiye kıyasla önemli bir iyileşme sağlamaktadır. Çalışmada ayrıca, seranın kenarlarında karpuzları tozlaştıran yabani arı türlerini çeken beş yabani çiçekli bitki türü de tespit edilmiştir. Bu türler; Reseda lutea L. (Resedaceae); Convolvulus cantabrica L. (Convolvulaceae); Carduus nigrescens Vill. (Asteraceae); Sinapis pubescens L. (Brassicaceae); ve Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link. (Apiaceae)’dir.

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Cite This Article

Mokrane, I., Bendifallah, L., Güler, Y. (2026). Effectiveness of wild bees in the pollination of Citrullus lanatus in the Algerian Sahara. Bitki Koruma Bülteni, Cilt: 66 Sayı: 3, 256–269. https://doi.org/10.16955/bitkorb.1874036

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