Achik Dorchin

Université de Mons · Biology

Animal-pollination is crucial in the reproduction of many crops grown in the tropics, including the self-incompatible Robusta coffee. Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner. is indigenous to the Congo basin where it is growing in the rainforest understorey yet providing very low yields. Cultivation therefore mainly occurs in either unshaded monocul...

The long-horn bee genus Tetralonia consists of 35 Western Palaearctic species that are associated mostly with the family Asteraceae as host plants. A minority of the species are, however, exclusively associated with other host plants that have particularly large pollen grains, such as those in the plant families Caprifoliaceae, Malvaceae, and Onagr...

Natural history collections are a cornerstone of entomology, and the conservation of specimens is the essential prerequisite for the development of research into systematics, biogeography, ecology, evolution and other disciplines. Yet, specimens collected during decades of entomological research conducted in less developed countries across Sub-Saha...

Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems globally, ensuring the seed production of most flowering plants. They are threatened by global changes and knowledge of their distribution at the national and continental levels is needed to implement efficient conservation actions, but this knowledge is still fragmented and/or difficult to access. As a...

At a time when nature conservation has become essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of our environment, it is widely acknowledged that conservation actions must be implemented within a solid taxonomic framework. In preparation for the upcoming update of the IUCN Red List, we here update the European checklist of the wild bees (sensu the...

An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial...

Long-horned bees (Apidae, Eucerini) are found in different biomes worldwide and include some important crop pollinators. In the Western Hemisphere, Eucerini received extensive taxonomic study during the twentieth century, resulting in several revisions of its genera. In contrast, progress on eucerine phylogenetic research and the genus-level classi...

This work presents a first taxonomic revision of the historical type collections of West Palaearctic bees in the tribe Eucerini (Apidae) that are preserved in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. A total of 72 species names are revised, 147 type specimens are recognised, and 33 synonyms are newly proposed. Unexpectedly, some of the olde...

Natural history collections (NHCs) are a cornerstone of entomology, and the conservation of specimens is the essential prerequisite for the development of research into systematics, biogeography, ecology, evolution and other disciplines. Yet, specimens collected during decades of entomological research conducted in less developed countries across S...

Agroecosystems are often impoverished ecosystems, but they can host diverse communities of insects which provide ecosystem services. Specifically, crops may benefit from insect pollinators that increase their quantity and quality of yields. Basic knowledge is still needed regarding the identity, diversity, abundance, and ecology of insect pollinato...

The role of plant–pollinator interactions in the rapid radiation of the angiosperms have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. Studies have brought evidence for pollinator-driven diversification of various plant lineages, particularly plants with specialized flowers and concealed rewards. By contrast, little is known about how this crucial inter...

The role of plant–pollinator interactions in the rapid radiation of the angiosperms have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. Studies have brought evidence for pollinator-driven diversification of various plant lineages, particularly plants with specialized flowers and concealed rewards. By contrast, little is known about how this crucial inter...

The evolution of floral host preference in longhorn bees of the genus Eucera (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Eucerini): is association with pollen from bee-flowers advantageous? Flowers with specialised pollination mechanism with concealed pollen, such as in the Fabaceae and Lamiaceae, are pollinated primarily by bees and often referred to as 'bee flowers'....

The aequata-group of the subgenus Eucera s. str. Scopoli from the Eastern Mediterranean region, Bulgaria, and Iran is described, and the three species included are revised. The little-known E. aequata Vachal 1907 known from Turkey, Cyprus, Syria and Israel, is redescribed and a Lectotype is designated. Two species are described as new: E. dafnii sp...

The subgenus Pseudomegachile Friese of the large genus Megachile Latreille is revised for the Western Palaearctic region, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula. Twenty species are recognized, of which five are new: Megachile blepharis Dorchin & Praz from Israel, M. plumigera Dorchin & Praz from Oman and the United Arab Emirates, M. syriaca Dorchin & Praz...

Wainia , a species-poor genus of osmiine bees, contains two Palaearctic species, whose biologies are unknown. In the present publication, we describe the nesting site and nest architecture of W.sexsignata and analyse the pollen host spectra of W.sexsignata and W.eremoplana by microscopical analysis of larval faeces and female scopal contents. W.sex...

The Eucera complex (Apidae: Eucerini), which traditionally included the genus Eucera and a few other related genera comprises a large complex in which generic boundaries have long remained unsettled. Based on comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, a recent study completely reorganized the generic classification of the group. Unexpectedly, both morpho...

The Eucera complex (Apidae: Eucerini), which traditionally included the genus Eucera and a few other related genera comprises a large complex in which generic boundaries have long remained unsettled. Based on comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, a recent study completely reorganized the generic classification of the group. Unexpectedly, both morpho...

The Eucera complex (Apidae: Eucerini), which traditionally included the genus Eucera and a few other related genera comprises a large complex in which generic boundaries have long remained unsettled. Based on comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, a recent study completely reorganized the generic classification of the group. Unexpectedly, both morpho...

Recent reports of pollinator declines have stirred interest in investigating the impacts of habitat exploitation on the conservation of pollinator and plant communities. An important prerequisite to tailor conservation action is to understand the drivers and patterns of species-rich communities, and how they change in space and time during a whole...

Herein we present information on the nesting behavior of Ochreriades fasciatus (Friese) found occupying beetle galleries in dead trunks and branches of certain trees and shrubs in israel. We also describe the pre-and postdefecating larvae thereby making known the mature larva for this uncommon Old World genus. Females of O. fasciatus build linear n...

In this Letter we highlight our recent work on a topic highly relevant to the work presented by Lavi & Sapir (2015) (dealing with the same issues, in the same species, in the same biogeographical region) in order to provide the scientific community with a balanced view of contemporary research on the pollination of Oncocyclus irises. We encourage t...

Pollination is a crucial process for maintaining plant reproduction, and is responsible to the yield of about two third of the world's crops. In recent years, there are growing concerns over pollinator declines and global pollination crisis. A decrease in pollinator populations also affects plants' reproductive success, and alters the composition o...

Road runoff is recognized as a substantial nonpoint source of contamination to the aquatic environment. Highway seasonal first flushes contain particularly high concentrations of pollutants. To fully account for the toxicity potential of the runoff, the cumulative effects of the pollutants should be assessed, ideally by biological analyses. Acute t...

Fragmentation and loss of natural habitats are major threats to many bee species. Large, long-distance flying bees are predicted to be more efficient in utilizing resources and at the same time may function as important pollinators in a fragmented landscape. Using mark-recapture experiments, this study evaluates the movement of bees belonging to th...

† Background and Aims ‘Human-red’ flowers are traditionally considered to be rather unpopular with bees, yet some allogamous species in the section Oncocyclus (genus Iris, Iridaceae) have evolved specialized interactions with their pollinators, a narrow taxonomic range of male solitary bees. The dark-red, tubular flowers of these irises are nectarl...

12 Ambophily and "super generalism" in Ceratonia siliqua (Fabaceae) pollination 12.1 Introduction Since ancient times, the evergreen carob tree Ceratonia siliqua L. (Fabaceae: Caesalpinoideae) has been grown in most countries of the Mediterranean basin for its edible seed pots, which are an important crop (Hasselberg 2000). It has been used histori...

What are the evolutionary mechanisms and ecological implications behind a pollinator choosing its favourite flower? Sixty-five million years of evolution has created the complex and integrated system which we see today and understanding the interactions involved is key to environmental sustainability. Examining pollination relationships from an evo...

Road runoff is a major source of environmental pollution, significantly threatening nearby aquatic habitats. Chemical analyses indicate high pollutant concentrations in the road's "first flush", but bioassays are more advantageous for addressing the cumulative effects of the numerous pollutants within the runoff. We used Bufo viridis embryos and la...