Species richness, diversity and abundance of insect flower visitors of Coffea arabica and Coffea fadenii in Taita hills, Kenya
Mwova, A.K., Otieno, M., Segar, S.T., Kioko, E.N. and Samita, E.N. (2025) Species richness, diversity and abundance of insect flower visitors of Coffea arabica and Coffea fadenii in Taita hills, Kenya. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. ISSN 1742-7592
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Pollination is a vital ecosystem service underpinning the production of both global food crops and wild plants. Although coffee (Coffea arabica) is capable of self-pollination, animal-mediated pollination is essential for maximizing yield and maintaining cup quality. This study investigated insect flower visitors of cultivated C. arabica and the endangered wild species Coffea fadenii in the Taita Hills, Kenya. Specifically, we compared species richness, diversity, abundance, and community overlap of flower visitors between the two coffee species to inform management and conservation strategies. Coloured pan traps and limited time searches were employed to sample for insect flower visitors. A total of 2,931 individual insect visitors, representing 153 species across four insect orders (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera), were recorded on both species. Species richness and diversity were greater in C. arabica than C. fadenii, though overall visitor abundance did not differ. The dominant visitor on C. fadenii was Melyridae sp. 1, a soft-winged flower beetle (37.12%), whereas C. arabica was primarily visited by Apis mellifera (19.31%) and Rhyncomya soyauxi (11.50%). Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination of flower visitor communities found significant differences between the two species, suggesting limited potential for pollen exchange. These findings highlight the distinct partitioning of pollinator assemblages between cultivated and wild coffee, emphasizing the ecological importance of insect pollinators for both the in-situ conservation of C. fadenii and the enhancement of C. arabica yields. Moreover, the prominent roles of beetles and flies alongside bees suggest that maintaining taxonomic diversity of flower visitors may be crucial for functional redundancy and effective pollination.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Full text not available from this repository. |
| Keywords: | Coffea fadenii, Coffea arabica, Pollination, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera |
| Divisions: | Agriculture and Environment (from 1.08.20) |
| Depositing User: | Mrs Susan Howe |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Dec 2025 12:33 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Dec 2025 12:33 |
| URI: | https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18293 |
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