Pollinator identity and behavior affect pollination in kiwifruit ( Actinidia chinensis Planch.)

Many crop plants rely on insect pollination, particularly insect-pollinated crops which are functionally dioecious. These crops require insects to move pollen between separate plants which are functionally male or female. While honey bees are typically considered the most important crop pollinator species, many other insects are known to visit crops but the pollination contribution of the full diversity of these flower visitors is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the role of diverse insect pollinators for two kiwifruit cultivars as model systems for dioecious crops: var. 'Hayward' (a green-fleshed variety) and A. var. 'Zesy002' (a gold-fleshed variety). In our round-the-clock insect surveys, we identified that psychodid flies and mosquitoes were the second and third most frequent floral visitors after honey bees ( L), but further work is required to investigate their pollination efficiency. Measures of single-visit pollen deposition identified that several insects, including the bees spp. and spp. and the flies and , deposited a similar amount of pollen on flowers as honey bees ( ). Due to their long foraging period and high pollen deposition, we recommend the development of strategies to boost populations of spp., and other hover flies, and unmanaged bees for use as synergistic pollinators alongside honey bees.