Pollinator and pollination mechanism of Impatiens furcillata (Balsaminaceae) in Korea

Abstract

An effective pollinator was investigated based on visiting insects to confirm the pollination mechanism of Impatiens furcillata Hemsl. (cheo-jin-mul-bong-seon), an annual herb that is also a species endemic to Korea that has hardly been studied in relation to pollination ecology. The insects that visited the group of I. furcillata studied here consisted of four orders, 11 families, and 16 species; Hymenoptera had seven species (43.8%), Lepidoptera had four (25.0%), Diptera four (25.0%), and Hemiptera one (6.2%). Visiting insects were divided into those that took only nectar, those that took nectar and pollen, and those that took neither. Insects that are effective for pollination are judged considering the length and body type of their mouth parts, and Amegilla florea Smith (huin-jul-beol) is judged to be the most effective pollinator in the survey area. As a result of observing pollination behavior, when visiting a flower, A. florea, which extended its glossa, approached the front, landed on a wing petal of I. furcillata, crawled into the flower tube, and then backed up and reversed its steps, with pollen adhered to its back. The findings here present basic information about species biology related to both I. furcillata and A. florea.