Terminalia arjuna: An Important Subsistence Pollen Source for Apis florea During Spring Season in Southern West Bengal

Abstract

Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., a large evergreen tree, shows massive flowering during spring season (March–April). The floral characteristics with deep seated nectar having high sugar concentration serve this plant as an important pollen and nectar source for Apis bees. The inflorescences with clusters of flowers of this plant provide an excellent platform for foraging by Apis florea Fabr. In spite of diverse angiospermic flora in the present study area, A. florea intends to forage this handsome evergreen taxon because of its nutritious pollen and highest percentage of nectar sugar concentration. In the present article, pollen analysis of eight spring honey samples from different regions of Purulia district of West Bengal reveals that T. arjuna is found to be the predominant pollen type. So, a mutualistic relationship has been established between A. florea and T. arjuna. This plant taxon serves as a key nectar source for A. florea and takes the advantage of its highly nutritious pollen grains for increasing the colony and its strong nectar flow for honey production during the spring season in this southern part of Bengal. A. florea also foraged other angiospermic taxa such as Pedilanthus tithymaloides L., Croton bonplandianum Baill., Citrus, Solanum, Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., Semecarpus anacardium L., Flacourtia jamgomas Lour., Psidium guajava L., Borassus flabellifer L., Tamarindus indica L., Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. and Asteraceae.