Bipartite interactions network of flowers visitors in Guanabo, Eastern Beaches, Habana, Cuba
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Abstract
Coastal dunes stabilize soil and protect adjacent habitats against wind intensity, sea intrusion and erosion. Conservation of pollination interactions is vital for the resilience of these ecosystems. The present study identifies basic aspects of composition and structure of observed interactions among honey bee, Cuban carpenter bee and butterflies with flowering plants in Guanabo Beach, at east of Habana. This ecosystem has been modified by extensive destruction of its original dunes. The study was developed through 15 visits since April 2019 to March 2023. Observations were made by transects around 600m between 9:00-13.00 hours by the posterior face and the immediate zone of post-dune. It was obtained a bipartite network with two bees species, 27 butterfly species and 14 plant species. Network connectivity was 94 and intensity was 610. Network showed significant nested structure and a low specialization index. Overlap among insects and plants was low, but higher than expected. Network links robustness was high for both insects and plants. There were identified five modules of plant-insects combinations. The core plants of each module corresponded to Spilanthes urens, Bidens alba, Vigna luteola, Borrichia arborescens and Canavalia rosea, respectively. Leptotes cassius was the insect species with more interactions in the module of Spilanthes urens; Apis mellífera, in the module of Bidens alba; Poltes baracoa, in the module of Vigna luteola; Ascia monuste, in the module of Borrichia arborescens and Xylocopa cubaecola, in the module of Canavalia rosea. Anartia jatrophae, Hemiargus ceraunus and Phoebis sennae were module connectors and Leptotes cassius module hub. Plant module connectors were Bidens alba and Vigna luteola. Network composition and structure were very similar to the observed in a better conserved space between Santa María and Boca Ciega beaches, which denotes stability and resilience of these interactions.
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