Relative attractiveness of ruderals and ornamental plants to flower-visiting insects in a tropical anthropogenic landscape

摘要: Abstract Insects are declining in many parts of the world. Under this context, flower gardens useful for insect conservation human settlements. However, tool is rarely used tropics due to low awareness and lack information on suitable plants. Therefore, our objective was identify a planting design native anthropogenic landscapes Sri Lanka. We selected seven wild, ruderal plant species cultivated ornamental plant, Zinnia elegans. established three designs with four replicates each: (1) only plants, (2) plants mixed Z. elegans, (3) Insect monitoring done each replicate five sunny days. Over entire study, we observed > 16,000 visits from 96 orders. Hymenopterans lepidopterans comprised most plots. The differed significantly terms visitation richness. For orders, more or equally attractive insects compared design, than elegans design. community composition also different among designs, 38 identified as significant indicators one designs. highest number indicator recorded Our recommendation depends landscape context. best easy establish maintain, but (a close second) might be areas high activity its pleasing aesthetics.