Foraging preferences of the native stingless bee Melipona seminigra pernigra (Apidae: Meliponini) in campo rupestre on canga of Serra dos Carajás, southeastern Amazonia

Abstract

Honey pollen samples of Melipona seminigra pernigraMoure & Kerr 1950 sampled between 2017 and 2019 from experimental apiaries installed in campo rupestre on canga (CRC) vegetation of the Serra dos Carajás aimed to evaluated seasonal floral availability of undisturbed and mining-influenced areas. Around one hundred pollen types were identified mainly belonging to Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Euphorbiaceae (31, 6 and 5 species, respectively). Mining area presented the highest pollen richness, almost twice those identified in the undisturbed areas. 80% of the pollen types are rare with concentrations ≤ 2,000 pollen grains/10 g, while the remaining were the most abundant, frequent and the primary bee sources. These latter correspond mostly to native plants species such as Tapirira guianensis Aubl., Protium spp., Aparisthmium cordatum (A.Juss.) Baill., Mimosa acutistipula var. ferrea Barneby, Periandra mediterranea (Vell.) Taub., Miconia spp., Pleroma carajasense K.Rocha, Myrcia splendens (Sw.) DC., Serjania spp. and Solanum crinitum Lam. All pollen types were identified during both seasons, but higher concentration values are related to the dry period (June-September). The statistical analysis of the pollen data indicated that there was no significant difference between undisturbed and mining-influenced areas, since primary bee sources of this study are widespread used in revegetation of mined areas.

Cuban stingless bee livestock exhibit specialized floral resource use: a palynological study on honey samples from Matanzas and Mayabeque provinces

“…Studies conducted in 18 colonies of three species of the Meliponini tribe found a prevalence of small pollen grains, suggesting the preference of these bees for small-size flowers with short pistils (Vossler, 2015). Guimarães et al (2021) studies confirm the results obtained in the Mayabeque honey regarding the abundance of M. pudica pollen grains (10 µm). These authors detected high representativeness of the Mimosa type in the pollen content of honey samples of Melipona seminigra pernigra Moure andKerr, 1950, ascribable, according to Ferreira andAbsy (2017), to its release in large quantities, their configuration, and the small size of pollen grains (Zappi et al, 2018).…”