Diversity, abundance, and pollen affinity of wild bee pollinators of almond: Insights from a Moroccan orchard

Almond trees are economically important and widely cultivated across the Mediterranean. Their yield depends on cross-pollination by insects, yet their pollinators remain largely unknown, particularly in North Africa. This study investigated the diversity, abundance, and pollen affinity of wild bee species in a Moroccan almond orchard. Using sweep netting and pan traps, a total of 813 specimens representing 104 species, 17 genera, and five families were recorded in the studied orchard. Bee diversity and abundance peaked during the flowering phase, reflecting the key role of bloom phenology in shaping pollinator activity. The most species-rich and abundant genera were Andrena, Eucera, and Lasioglossum. In total, 26 species were identified as almond floral visitors (AFV), with Andrena flavipes and Andrena bimaculata being the most abundant floral visitors. Among them, palynological data identified eight species as almond pollen victors (APV), with a total of 182 plant-bee interactions and ..., , # Diversity, abundance, and pollen affinity of wild bee pollinators of almond: Insights from a Moroccan orchard

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.3n5tb2rzj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3n5tb2rzj)

## Description of the data and file structure

The data presented in this repository were collected as part of a field study on wild bee communities. Sampling was conducted in an almond orchard in the Marrakech–Safi region. Data collection took place over multiple observation periods corresponding to the different flowering stages of the almond trees (pre-flowering, early flowering, peak flowering, and end of flowering), with standardized repetitions to ensure representative sampling of the species assemblages.

### Files and variables

#### File: Suplimentary_Tables.xlsx

**Description:** Supplementary Tables provide information on wild bees in the almond orchard, listing all collected species and showing the flight activity periods of the 26 species identified as almond pollinators.

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