In Mizoram, rapeseed is an important winter vegetable grown after the harvest of Jhum rice. The flowers attract many pollinators and therefore a study was carried out at Experimental farm of College of Horticulture, CAU (Imphal), Thenzawl, Mizoram from 2021-2023 to study the pollinator diversity and foraging activities of major pollinators under open field conditions. The study reveals that a total of 12 pollinators belonging to 5 families and 3 orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera) were recorded visiting flowers of rapeseed, with highest foraging activity during 0900 to 1200 hrs. The pollinator assemblage includes Apis cerana, Tetragonula sp. (red and black abdomen), Lepidotrigona sp., Bombus sp., Nomia sp., hover flies, house fly and pierid butterflies. Interestingly, the stingless bees (Tetragonula sp. and Lepidotrigona sp.) were recorded pollinating rapeseed flowers in Thenzawl for the first time. Among the pollinators, Apis cerana was the dominant forager with a relative abundance of 23%. The number of A. cerana m-2 min-1 was highest 7.00±0.57 during 1100-1200 hrs and lowest, 0.67±0.33 during 1600-1700 hrs. The frequency of flowers visit min-1 was also maximum, 13.67±0.33 during 1100-1200 hrs. However, maximum time spent flower-1 was highest, 5.11±0.21 during 1000-1100 hrs. Among the pollinators, A. cerana is the main pollinator on rapeseed and stingless bee under the genus Tetragonula and Lepidotrigona also observed pollinating the rapeseed for the first time in Mizoram. The finding also highlights the importance of pollinators and provides the baseline data for managing pollinators and sustaining pollinator diversity in the region
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Diversity, Foraging, Mizoram, Pollinators, Rapeseed
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