Insect pollinators of Gates of the Arctic NPP: A preliminary survey of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Rykken, Jessica

Insect pollinators, specifically bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), are critical to maintaining healthy plant communities and functioning ecosystems in Gates of the Arctic NPP. Despite their ecological importance and potential vulnerability to environmental threats such as climate change, the diversity of these pollinators has remained largely unknown to park staff and visitors. In an effort to establish a pollinator database, I conducted surveys to document bee and flower fly diversity across focal habitats within the park. Field work was conducted from July 2-18, 2015, and June 7-16, 2016. With the help of several assistants, I used an insect net and bee bowls to collect bees and flower flies at 71 sites in selected areas of the park, as well as at several sites outside the park boundary. Sites were located south of the Brooks Range between Walker Lake and the Middle Fork Koyukuk River, and further north in the Brooks Range, from Lake Isiak and the Noatak River in the west, to Oolah Lake and the Itkillik River in the east. Elevations ranged from 179 to 1,176 m. Focal habitats included tundra, lake edges, riparian gravel and sand bars, sandy bluffs, roadsides, and other disturbed areas in the villages of Bettles and Anaktuvuk Pass. In all, we collected 574 bees and 351 flower flies, representing 35 bee taxa and 55 flower fly taxa, several of these represent new records for Alaska. Bumble bees dominated the catch (43% of the total), but we also collected a diversity of solitary and parasitic bees in addition to flower flies. Several pollinator species were collected throughout the park (e.g., Bombus sylvicola, Sphaerophoria abbreviata), but many species collections were restricted geographically (e.g., south of the Brooks Range) or associated with particular habitats or elevational ranges. Additional surveys and future monitoring are recommended, particularly for species with primarily arctic/alpine ranges. Outreach activities included one pollinator presentation for park staff and visitors at the visitor center in Bettles. A pollinator display for the visitor center at Anaktuvuk Pass is planned, as well as a story map for the park website.

Insect pollinators of Gates of the Arctic NPP: A preliminary survey of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae)

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