Identity, Behavior, and Efficacy of Nitidulid Beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Pollinating Commercial Annona Species in Florida

Insect pollination of commercial annonaceous crops is variable among localities and poorly understood. To gain basic information for use in pollinator management programs, we studied the nitidulids that pollinate commercially grown sugar apples (Annona squamosa L.) and atemoyas (A. squamosa X A. cherimola P. Miller) in Florida. Only flowers visited by nitidulids set fruit. We found nine species of nitidulid flower visitors, seven of which pollinated. Carpophilus mutilatus Erichson was the most important pollinator in terms of efficacy and abundance, followed by C. fumatus Boheman and Haptoncus luteolus (Erichson). The Annona flowers, which are protogynous, are entered by the beetles usually during the female phase. Peak entry into atemoya flowers occurs in the morning (0700–0900 EST) and into sugar apple flowers both in morning (0700–1100) and evening (1700–2100). The beetles remain inside up to 22 h, until the flowers senesce and the stamens fall. In 1989, natural fruit set ranged from 0–29% of sampled flowers per day in atemoya groves and from 0–10% of flowers per day in sugar apples. Percentage of fruit set is correlated with numbers of nitidulids in the flowers.