1. Continuous availability of food resources, such as pollen, is vital for many insects
that provide pollination and pest control services to agriculture. However, there is
a lack of knowledge about the shared or complementary use of floral resources by
such species, which hampers more effective landscape management to simultaneously
promote them in agroecosystems.
2. Here, we simultaneously quantified pollen use by a bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
and a mason bee (Osmia bicornis), two bee species recognized as important crop
pollinators, as well as a lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) and a ladybeetle species
(Harmonia axyridis), both common predators of crop aphids, throughout the season
in 23 agricultural landscapes in Germany and Switzerland.
3. Pollen diets were more diverse and similar among C. carnea and H. axyridis compared
to the two bee species, but all four species shared key pollen types early
in the season such as Acer, Quercus, Salix and Prunus. All species exhibited a pronounced
shift in pollen sources from primarily woody plants (mainly trees) in
spring to primarily herbaceous plants in summer. The majority of pollen (overall
≥64%) came from non‐agricultural plants even in crop‐dominated landscapes.
4. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the importance of trees as pollen
sources for many insect species, particularly early in the season. Our findings support
incentives that promote heterogeneous agricultural landscapes including both
woody and herbaceous semi‐natural habitats, ensuring phenological complementarity
of floral resources for insect species that can provide pollination and pest control
services to agriculture. The identified key plant species can help to design and optimize
agri‐environment schemes to promote these functionally important insects.