Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the polliniferous floral sources used by Apis mellifera (L.) (africanized) in an apiary situated in Pará de Minas, Minas Gerais state, and evaluate the pollen prefences among the beehives. Two beehives of Langstroth type with frontal pollen trap collectors were used. The harvest was made from September 2007 to March 2008, with three samples of pollen pellets colected per month per beehive. The subsamples of 2 grams each were prepared according to the European standard melissopalynological method. A total of 56 pollen types were observed, identifying 43 genus and 32 families. The families that showed the major richness of pollen types were: Mimosaceae (8), Asteraceae (6), Fabaceae (3), Arecaceae (3), Euphorbiaceae (3), Rubiaceae (3), Caesalpiniaceae (2), Moraceae (2) and Myrtaceae (2). The most frequent pollen types (> 45%) were Mimosa scabrella, Myrcia and Sorocea. The results demonstrated a similarity regarding the preferences of floral sources during the major part of the time. There was a distinct utilization of floral sources among the pollen types of minor frequency. In spite of the strong antropic influence, the region showed a great polliniferous variety, which was an indicative of the potential for monofloral as well as heterofloral pollen production.
Highlights
Pollen is essential for the development of larvae that, for their survival, depend on available stocks in the combs
There were found 46 pollen types in beehive A and 44 in beehive B, of which some pollen types were only found in beehive A (Apocynaceae, Chenopodium, Commelina, Elephantopus, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae 2, Ludwigia, Mimosa caesalpinaefolia, Mimosa verrucosa, Struthanthus, Trema and Vigna) while others were only found in beehive B (Acacia, Bauhinia, Bignoniaceae, Euterpe/ Syagrus, Ilex, Inga, Jacquemontia, Mimosa selloi, Piptadenia and Polygonum) (Table I and Figs. 1 to 20)
Researches from Apis mellifera pollen pellets collected in Rio de Janeiro (Barth 1973, 1989, Barth and Luz 1998, Luz and Barth 2001, Luz et al 2007a) showed that the most common pollen types were Eupatorium, Ricinus communis and Sapindaceae, together with Cecropia, Borreria, Gochnatia, Panicum, Spondias, Triumfetta and Vernonia
Summary
Pollen is essential for the development of larvae that, for their survival, depend on available stocks in the combs. The regulatory mechanisms that incite a smaller or bigger interest in searching for pollen in specific plants by the foraging worker bees are intricate and subject to controversy (Sagili and Pankiw 2007). Apart from this, the pollen types observed in the pollen pellets can vary according to the region where they are offered, a factor which depends on the available surrounding bee pasture in the apiary vegetation. To know, it is one of the most important requisites in choosing a local for installation of the apiaries, because it reflects on the number of beehives and on the production of beekeeping derivates that they can bear
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