Trophic resources used by Plebeia intermedia in the locality of Baritú, Salta, Argentina. Botanical characterization of its honeys

Abstract

Trophic resources used by Plebeia intermedia in the locality of Baritú, Salta, Argentina. Botanical characterization of its honeys. With the purpose of knowing the trophic resources used by Plebeia intermedia, a stingless bee of frequent use in Baritú locality (22° 28’ 54.1” S; 64° 45’ 39.4” W; at 1546 masl), ten honey samples were melissopalynologically analyzed, collected in September and October of 2011 and in January of 2012. The qualitative examinations showed a certain specialization of these bees for using native and arboreal plants, and with flowers clustered in dense inflorescences (mass flowering). The dominant pollen types that originated monofloral honeys were Allophylus edulis (Sapindaceae), Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Myrtaceae) and Myrcianthes pseudomato (Myrtaceae), followed by Handroanthus ochraceus (Bignoniaceae), Ilex argentina (Aquifoliaceae), Parapiptadenia excelsa (Leguminosae) and Sambucus peruviana (Adoxaceae). Other pollen types observed in the samples, with frequency classes important minor or secondary, were Eupatorium (Compositae), Senecio (Compositae), Paullinia (Sapindaceae) and pollens of the families Boraginaceae and Rhamnaceae. The realized examinations in the honeys of Plebeia intermedia and results obtained in this study, constitute the first data on the trophic resources used by this species of stingless bee in the period spring - summer.