Reproductive biology [ Dry Season Blooming Tree species, Boswellia ovalifoliolata (Burseraceae) and Terminalia pallida (Combretaceae) as key food plants for Insects/Sunbirds during Dry Season in Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh ]

1. Dry Season Blooming Tree species, Boswellia
ovalifoliolata (Burseraceae) and Terminalia pallida
(Combretaceae) as key food plants for Insects/Sunbirds
during Dry Season in Southern Eastern Ghats of
Andhra Pradesh
P Hareesh chandra
Research Scholar
Department of Environmental Sciences
Andhra University ,Visakhapatnam 530003
hareeshchandu@gmail.com

2. Introduction
• The genus Boswellia belongs to the Burseraceae family and is widely
distributed in the dry regions of tropical Africa, Arabia and India.
• There are about 18 species of Boswellia which are shrubs or trees
with outer bark often flaking.
• B. serrata and B. ovalifoliolata have been reported to be distributed in
India.
• The genus Terminalia includes about 200 species of trees and shrubs
distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.
• 20 species have been reported to be distributed in tropical and sub-
tropical states of India.
• The study is contemplated to provide Reproductive Biology
information keeping in view their prominent role in the forest
ecosystem where they have been reported to be key species.

3. ANDHRA
PRADESH
Boswellia ovalifoliolata
Terminalia pallida
SESHACHALAM HILLS
TALAKONA
SRI VENKATESHWARA
NATIONAL PARK
TIRUPATI

4. Boswellia ovalifoliolata
• Boswellia ovalifoliolata occurs on the foothills of the Seshachalam
hill ranges of Eastern Ghats in Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool
districts of Andhra Pradesh up to an altitude of about 600-900 m.
• Local tribes and others make deep incisions on the main trunk to
extract the gum and resin causing damage to trees which in turn
leading to the depletion of the plant population in the natural
habitat.
• The gum together with other undisclosed combinations is used
extensively to cure a number of diseases: mouth, throat and
stomach ulcers, fever, stomach pain, ulcers, scorpion sting, amoebic
dysentery, hydrocele, etc.
• The decoction of the bark is used for joint or rheumatic pains.

5. Terminalia pallida
• Terminalia pallida occurs on rocky hilly areas of dry deciduous
forests of Chittoor, kadapa and Kurnool districts at 700-800 m
elevation in the Eastern Ghats but it is mainly centered at Tirumala
Hills of Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
• The leaf is used for treating skin blisters and skin diseases while the
stem bark as diuretic and swellings.
• The fruit is used as anti-pyretic, purgative, for diarrhea, peptic
ulcers, diabetes, venereal diseases, cough, cold, dysentery, fissures,
cracks and in tanning.
• It is also used as a substitute for the fruit of Terminalia chebula.

6. Materials and Methods
• Examination of Flower Morphology
• Flower Behaviour
• Determination of Pollen Output
• Examination of Nectar Production (Baker and Baker, 1973)
• Determination of Stigma Receptivity (Dafni et al, 2005)
• Observations of Flower-Visitors
• Examination of Foraging Behaviour of Insects/birds
• Observations of seed dispersal and seedling ecology
• Olympus Binoculars (PX35 DPSR Model)
• Nikon D40X Digital SLR (10.1 megapixel) and Nikon D90 Digital
SLR (12mega pixel)

7. Boswellia ovalifoliolata

8. Acraea violae, Danaus chrysippus, Nectarinia asiatica, Funambulus palmarum

9. List of flower foragers on Boswellia ovalifoliolata
Family Scientific Name Common Name
Order: Hymenoptera
Apidae Apis dorsata Rock bee
A. cerana Indian honey bee
A. florea Dwarf honey bee
Trigona iridipennis Stingless bee
Ceratina sp. Small carpenter bee
Xylocopa latipes Large carpenter bee
X. pubescens Large carpenter bee
Scoliidae Scolia sp. Digger wasp
Vespidae Eumenes petiolata Potter wasp
Rhynchium sp. Potter wasp
Eumenidae Eumenes conica Potter wasp
Eumenes sp. Potter wasp
Diptera
Bombyliidae Hyperalonia sp. Pomace fly
Lepidoptera
Pieridae Catopsilia Common Emigrant
Nymphalidae Junonia lemonias Lemon Pansy
Acraea violae Tawny Coster
Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Capitonidae Megalaima haemacephala Coppersmith
Order: Passeriformes
Nectariniidae Nectarinia asiatica Purple Sunbird
N. zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird
Pycnonotidae Pycnonotus jocosus Red Whiskered Bulbul
P. cafer Red-vented Bulbul
Campephagidae Pericrocotus cinnamomeus Small Minivet
Dicruridae Dicrurus adsimilis Black Drongo
D. caerulescens White-bellied Drongo
Paridae Parus xanthogenys Yellow-cheeked Tit
Muscicapidae Turdoides striatus Jungle Babbler
Motacillidae Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail

13. Terminalia pallida
Apis cerana, Scolia sp., Ceratina sp., Eumenes petiolata, Hyperalonia sp.

14. Graphium nomius, Hypolimnas bolina, Precis iphita, Tirumala limniace

15. List of flower foragers on Terminalia pallida
Family Scientific Name Common Name
Hymenoptera
Apidae Apis dorsata Rock bee
A. cerana Indian honey bee
A. florea Dwarf honey bee
Trigona iridipennis Stingless bee
Ceratina sp. Small carpenter bee
Xylocopa latipes Large carpenter bee
Halictidae Halictus Sweat bee
Scoliidae Campsomeris annulata Flower wasp
Scolia sp. Digger wasp
Vespidae Eumenes petiolata Potter wasp
Vespa cincta Yellow-banded wasp
V. orientalis Oriental Hornet
Eumenidae Eumenes conica Potter wasp
Eumenes sp. Potter wasp
Hemiptera
Lygaeidae Lygaeus sp. Black and Red bug
Diptera
Bombyliidae Hyperalonia sp. Pomace fly
Syrphidae Helophilus sp. Hoverfly
Lepidoptera
Papilionidae Papilio polytes Common Mormon
Graphium nomius Spot Swordtail
Nymphalidae Junonia lemonias Lemon Pansy
Precis iphita Chocolate Pansy
Hypolimnas bolina Great Eggfly
Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger
Phalanta phalantha Common Leopard
Tirumala limniace Blue Tiger
Euploea core Common Indian Crow
Neptis hylas Common Sailer
Arhopala amantes Large Oakblue
Hesperiidae Pseudocoladenia indrani Tricolour Pied Flat

19. Conclusions
• In Boswellia ovalifoliolata, the flowers are small, mildly odoriferous
and weakly protandrous.
• Insects, especially juvenile Xylocopa bees and Apis dorsata and wasps are
important pollinators in effecting cross-pollination.
• The flowers are not appropriate for birds, however, sunbirds visit them for
nectar regularly and pollinate the flowers.
• Fruit set in open-pollination is below 10% while it is up to 34% in manual
cross-pollination.
• limitation of cross-pollination, space constraint for seed production from
all ovules of the flower and availability of limited resources to the tree
with rocky, dry and limited litter in the floor of the forest seem to be the
constraints for higher fruit set.
• Mature fruits dehisce and disseminate their light weight, papery and
winged seeds with the aid of wind.

20. • In T. pallida, protogyny is a device to promote out-crossing but it is
very weak, however it is partly promoted by gradual anther
dehiscence over a period of six hours.
• The plant is entomophilous and cross-pollination is effected mainly by
large bees, wasps and butterflies.
• The natural fruit set stands around 6% as against the 62% fruit set realized
in manual xenogamous pollinations.
• Fruit predation rate is excessively high by a rodent species, Funambulus
palmarum.
• The fallen fruits are dispersed by rain water and the seeds germinate and
establish seedlings depending on the soil status.
• There is a mutualistic relationship between the tree species studied and
the dependent pollinators, the former for pollination while the latter for
food.

21. Thank you