Survey of anthophilous insects in managed wildflower habitat and lightly managed wildflower-free habitat along interstates in North Carolina

Pollinators play a significant role in our ecosystem. Insect pollinators are responsible for pollinating up to 75% of the world’s food crops³. With increasing urbanization across the United States, the stability of insect pollinator habitat is on the decline. This decline can partially be attributed to loss of food and nesting resources in these human modified landscapes². One way to improve urbanized areas for pollinating insects is to increase food resource availability in these areas⁴. For example, increasing the population of flowering plants in urban areas can increase both bee abundance and diversity^1,2,4,5. The objective of this study was to determine if planting pollinator habitat along interstates would increase pollinator abundance and richness compared to "lightly-managed" turf. Sites were established in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the following counties: Alamance, Guilford, Johnston, Orange, Nash, and Wilson. For the pollinator sites, an acre of wildflower seeds were broadcast-seeded by N.C.D.O.T in medians, shoulders and interchanges in 2014. Control sites were lightly-managed, naturalized areas not planted with wildflowers. All locations were sampled every three weeks from May 2015 through August 2015 using bee bowls and sweep netting. Insect pollinators including ‎bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and flies were identified; species richness and abundance were determined. Flower diversity was also determined at each site. Results from this study will answer the following questions: How does planting “pollinator-specific habitat” increase the species richness and abundance of insect pollinators in these locations? And how does vegetation species impact insect pollinator species and abundance in these highly human-modified areas?