Comparative pollen spectra of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae, Meliponini) from the Lower Amazon (N Brazil) and caatinga (NE Brazil)

Abstract

-Tetragonisca angustula is a stingless bee species widely distributed in Brazil. Past studies have shown a rich native flora supplying this meliponine with pollen and nectar. The aim of this study was to compare the food provisions of T. angustula in two areas in the Lower Amazon mesoregion in the state of Pará and two areas of caatinga vegetation in the state of Bahia, Brazil. We used a published data set of 57 samples of honey and 46 samples of pollen stored in colonies of T. angustula . The honeys from the Lower Amazon and from the caatinga displayed 23 and 16 pollen types with frequency higher than >10 %, respectively, with emphasis on the families Fabaceae, Solanaceae, and Urticaceae. In the pollen stored samples, 18 and 11 pollen types were found, respectively. Cluster analyses (Dice similarity) performed with these published pollen spectra of the honeys grouped the samples from each geographic region with higher similarity than the analyses performed with the pollen spectra of the stored pollen.cluster analysis / Dice similarity / entomopalynology / honey / melissopalynology / pollen stored / stingless bees

Pollen Resources Used by Two Species of Stingless Bees (Meliponini) in a Tropical Dry Forest of Southern Ecuador

“…These findings agree with other studies that have reported similar results for eusocial bees, such as those of the Meliponini tribe and Apis mellifera L. (Apini) both in genuine drylands and tropical regions (Dórea et al 2010, Faria et al 2012, de Novais et al 2015). The Fabaceae family is identified in most previous studies as the most important pollen source both in terms of the number of pollen morphotypes and their relative abundances (e.g., Ramalho et al 1990, Faria et al 2012, de Novais et al 2015). In the present study, these results are not unexpected as the three plant families are also the richest ones in the aboveground vegetation of our study area (Cueva-Ortíz et al 2019).…”

Pollen Sources Used by Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille, 1811) (Apidae, Meliponini) in the Atlantic Forest, Northern Coast of Bahia

“…In the present study, small pollen grains belonged to the pollen types that presented the highest frequency values in the samples, of which Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) and Cecropia (Urticaceae) were also reported by Novais et al (2014) with frequency values above 45%, being considered as predominant pollen types in samples of pollen sediment stored by T. angustula in an area of the Amazon Forest. Cecropia pollen type, although represents an anemophilous plant, is produced by plants in large amounts of pollen, which is of importance for maintaining colonies mainly in periods of pollen scarcity (such as rainy seasons, for example), as stated by Rech and Absy (2011).…”

Pollen spectrum of honey ofApis melliferaL. and stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the semi-arid region of Bahia State, Brazil

“…Pagano and Araújo (2010) reported on the diversity of the native vegetation of the Brazilian north-eastern semi-arid region. However, the pollen spectrum of beehive products of stingless bees (Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier, 1836, Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811, Tetragonisca angustula Latreille, 1811) and Africanised bees (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus, 1758) of this region commonly displays a large number of representatives of Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Myrtaceae (Novais et al 2013(Novais et al , 2015Costa et al 2015;Oliveira et al 2016).…”