Diversity of Insect Flower Visitors on Macadamia within a Monoculture Orchard in Murang’a County, Central Kenya

Macadamia is cultivated for its nutritious edible kernel. In Kenya, the crop is predominantly grown by smallholder farmers mainly for export markets. Macadamia trees also enhance agro-forestry conservation, in the East African farmlands, by providing habitat and floral resources to beneficial arthropods such as insect pollinators. Allogamy of macadamia flowers is largely dependent on insects that pollinate and consequently influence the nut set, retention and yield. However, there is limited information on macadamia insect flower visitors in Kenya. This article assessed the diversity of insects that forage flowers of macadamia crop, and further evaluated their temporal distribution, in Murang’a county, central Kenya. Insect flower visitors were sampled weekly using a butterfly net for twelve consecutive months, from January 2021 to December 2021. Sixty-one insect species were recorded foraging macadamia flowers in Murang’a county, central Kenya. There was a statistical difference in the Simpson diversity index among weather seasons, dry, long rain, cold and short rain (p Apis mellifera), a key pollinator species, being the most abundant flower visitor. This study provides strong baseline information, to scientists and farmers, on probable macadamia pollinator species, in central Kenya.