Article
Pollen Resources Used by Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier in an Urban Forest in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil
Registro en:
FREITAS, Alex da Silva de; VANDERBORGHT, Bart; BARTH, Ortrud Monika. Pollen resources used by Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier in an urban forest in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. Palinology, v.42, n.3, p.392-399, 2018.
0191-6122
10.1080/01916122.2017.1363827
1558-9188
Autor
Freitas, Alex da Silva de
Vanderborght, Bart
Barth, Ortrud Monika
Resumen
Pollen loads collected by Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides were examined in order to detect the
botanical origin of pollen and to recognise the pollination action of these bees in an urban Atlantic
secondary forest. Pollen analysis followed standard methodology and without the use of acetolysis. The
results revealed a great contribution of monofloral (more than 90% of a single pollen type or more than
60% if no accessory pollen was present). Quantitatively, Myrtaceae pollen samples followed
Melastomataceae ones. Bifloral or heterofloral samples combine several pollen types. Besides Myrcia and
Eucalyptus, the most frequent pollen types were Solanum, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia and Alchornea. The
current study was related to the apiaries’ surrounding vegetation and reflected both the resources
available and the preference for native plant species by the bees. Furthermore, these results are relevant
to the management of primary and secondary forests in order to preserve the environments.