Affiliation:
1. School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
2. Costa Group Exchange Pty Ltd Dirty Creek New South Wales Australia
Abstract
AbstractWe observed the brown honeyeater, Lichmera indistincta, visiting blueberry orchards in eastern Australia. L. indistincta is considered to be a nectarivorous bird, feeding almost entirely on nectar. However, we report observations of this species as both a nectarivore and insectivore in blueberry crops and as an insectivore in raspberry crops. Brown honeyeaters may be acting as biological control agents when feeding on leaf‐roller caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in blueberry orchards and on brown blowflies (Calliphora stygia) in raspberry orchards. Although most blueberry growing regions use managed honey bees as the main pollinator, more studies on the complex tritrophic interactions occurring in these crops are needed to better understand the costs and benefits of different farm management practices upon alternative pollinators.
Subject
Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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