Bees Diversity on Flowers of Eremanthus spp. (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Bees are considered important pollinators due to their fidelity to plants, enabling the maintenance of gene flow between plant species. The objective of this study was to recognize the visit of bees in two Candeia species, Eremanthus erythropappus and Eremanthus incanus (Asteraceae), as well as to analyze the pollen content carried by bees in a regeneration area. Nine samplings were taken in each plant species using entomological nets. The pollen grains were obtained in 338 bees from their legs and bodies. The species Trigona spinipes, Apis mellifera, and Bombus pauloensis were most frequent. Candeias are essential in the study area because they have high adaptive potential, but besides them, other plants are also important for attracting bees searching for pollen and/or nectar.Melastomataceae, mainly Tibouchina sp., appear to be important sources of pollen. The presence, in greater quantity, of Bombus spp. in Eremanthus flowers probably occurs more by the demand for nectar, since the pollen frequency of other families such as Melastomataceae and Myrtaceae was higher. However, the use of Eremanthus spp. pollen is more frequent by A. mellifera and T. spinipes. CONCLUSIONS • The eusocial bees Bombus pauloensis, Trigona spinipes,and Apis mellifera were the ones with the highest occurrence in the two species of Eremanthus.• The pollen of Eremanthus spp. showed higher frequency in Trigona spinipes and Apis mellifera.