Seasonal variation of collected pollen loads of honeybees (Apis mellifera L. anatoliaca)

Pollen collected by honeybees foraging in the region of Bursa, Turkey was analysed for a whole year. Pollen loads were collected from the hives of Apis mellifera anatoliaca once a week and were classified by colour. Forty‐one taxa were identified from the pollen analyses of the loads and 14 of these had percentages higher than 1%. Only 2.05% of the total pollen could not have been identified. Dominant taxa include; Brassicaceae (11.19%), Helianthus annuus L. (10.84%), Cichorioideae (8.93%) Salix spp. (7.99%), Rosaceae (7.37%), Centaurea spp. (7.56%), Papaver spp. (7.41%), Knautia spp. (6.99%), Fabaceae (6.01%), Asteraceae (5.73%), Xanthium spp. (2.65%), Chrozophora spp. (2.45%), Plantago spp. (1.56%) and Acer spp. (1.54%) representing 88.23% of the total. Distinct variations in plant usage are seen through the year with initial use of Rosaceae, Salix, and to a lesser extent Brassicaeae. As these groups finish flowering the bees move onto Helianthus annuus, Centaurea through the summer followed by Asteraceae in the late summer and Fabaceae in the autumn. There is a strong reliance on crop species for pollen forage but a number of indigenous species are also seen within the samples. The most productive period for collecting various pollen types, and the ideal period to determine pollen preferences of honey bees was June‐August.     

Palynological characterization of honeys from the Andean Patagonia (Chubut,Argentina)

The pollen content of 58 honey samples of Apis mellifera L. from the Andean region of Chubut (Argentinian Patagonia) was analyzed. The samples were provided by beekeepers between 1999 and 2004. Eighty‐eight pollen types were identified, 30 of them are not reported in Argentinian honeys. Identified types belong to 47 families, of which the most diverse were Asteraceae (15 pollen types), Fabaceae (13 pollen types), and Rosaceae (four pollen types). From the samples analyzed, 47% were monofloral and corresponded to the following taxa: Trifolium spp. (16%), Rosaceae (10%), Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stuntz (7%), Discaria‐Colletia (5%), Escallonia spp. (3%), Schinus patagonica (Phil.) I. M. Johnst. (2%), Phacelia secunda J. F. Gmel. (2%), Myrtaceae (2%). The results of this study show a high level of utilization of native flora by Apis mellifera. Four new types of monofloral honey were recognized: Aristotelia chilensis, Discaria‐Colletia, Phacelia secunda, and Schinus patagonica. The high representation of native flora distinguishes these honeys geographically.     

Floral resources and risk of exposure to pesticides for Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier 1836 in a Cerrado of São Paulo (Brazil)

Honey and bee bread samples from storage pots of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides were collected monthly from April 2015 to May 2016 in the Mogi Guaçu Biological Reserve (22º 10? S, 47º 11? W). The flora in the site is characteristic of the Atlantic Forest with preserved areas of savanna-like vegetation surrounded by commercial forests, orchards and various crops of exotic and native plants. Samples were analysed with the use of melissopalynological methodology and 46 pollen types from 38 genera and 30 families were identified in 25 honey samples. Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Sapindaceae showed the greatest pollen richness in honey. Predominant nectariferous pollen types were Anadenanthera, Cordia, Eucalyptus, Mimosa scabrella, Schefflera, Sida, Serjania and Vernonia. Twenty-eight types of pollen from 21 genera and 19 families were identified in 22 bee bread samples. Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae showed the highest pollen richness. Anadenanthera, Cecropia, Eucalyptus, Melastomataceae, Mimosa scabrella, Mimosa verrucosa and Myrcia were the most frequent polliniferous pollen types. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that honey and pollen samples formed two main groups of similarity, mainly due to Eucalyptus’ nectar and pollen of Melastomataceae, respectively. Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides collected nectar and pollen from the preserved areas as well as in the secondary and ‘ruderal’ vegetation and in cultivated forests/fields, suggesting their importance as pollinators both of native flora and exotic species. The use of trophic resources of plants grown with pesticides is a concern for the conservation of these species of bee and should be better studied.     

Seasonal variation in vegetation and pollen collected by honeybees in Thessaloniki,Greece

Pollen is important for the nutrition of honeybees and it is necessary for their survival and reproduction. In this study, we collected daily the pollen pellets from four colonies and also recorded the plants in flower in the area around the apiary, over a two‐year period. Field records revealed the presence of 204 species with Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Rosaceae being the most specious families. Although honey bees collected more than 140 pollen types, the main pollen sources (>60% of the total weight) came from less than ten taxa. The most important pollen types with respect to total weight were Sisymbrium irio, Papaver rhoeas, Verbascum sp., Polygonum aviculare, Zea mays and Olea europaea. The use of pollen traps proved a more accurate method to record the type and the foraging period during which the honeybees collect pollen, compared to field observations.     

Pollen analysis of Apis dorsata Fabricius honeys in Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts,West Bengal

One-hundred-and-five species corresponding to 38 families were identified through pollen analyses of 53 Apis dorsata honeys collected from Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts, West Bengal. The families most frequently encountered were Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae. Fabaceae had the greatest representation in number of pollen types (18 types), followed by Asteraceae (nine types), Cucurbitaceae (seven types), Lamiaceae and Myrtaceae (each with six types) and Malvaceae and Rutaceae (each with five types). Most of the honey samples correspond to class I. The presence of dominant pollen was detected in 18 samples. The predominant pollen types were Borassus flabellifer, Sesamum indicum (during summer), Eucalyptus globulus (during late autumn), Brassica nigra, Eucalyptus globulus (during winter) and Borassus flabellifer and Lannea coromandelica (during spring). The unifloral honeys obtained mostly during late autumn and winter were dominated by Eucalyptus globulus type. In monsoon and autumn unifloral honeys containing predominant pollen types (> 45%) were not found. However, according to frequency distribution the pollen types represented as very frequent were Peltophorum pterocarpum, Tridax procumbens (in monsoon) and Acacia auriculiformis, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Tridax procumbens and Ziziphus mauritiana (in autumn). The seasonal diversity of pollen types obtained was at a maximum during spring (36 types) and minimum during late autumn (14 types). Seasonal variation in the number of pollen types per sample range from 5.86 ± 1.87 (during late autumn) to 6.86 ± 1.95 (during autumn) and exhibit low correlation (r = 0.31) with floral diversity. The diversity of pollen types per unifloral honey sample remains lower than multifloral honeys.     

Floral resources collected by four native bees species in southern Mexico

Abstract

Melissopalynological analysis of 14 honey samples of Tetragonisca angustula (two), Scaptotrigona mexicana (six), Melipona beecheii (three) and Melipona solani (three) from Soconusco region in Chiapas, Mexico was performed. A total of 79 taxa were identified, being Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Melostomataceae and Rubiaceae the predominant pollen types. Melissopalynological analysis reported a monofloral composition for Melipona beecheii honeys, where the most predominant pollen type was Fabaceae (54.2%). T. angustula, Scaptotrigona mexicana and Melipona solani honey samples were multifloral and predominant pollen types were Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Melastomataceae and Solanaceae. The most frequent polliniferous pollen type were Asteraceae, Bernardia interrupta, Euphorbia heterophyla and Miconia. Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H′) for Melipona beecheii 2016 (2.21) and Melipona solani 2017 (1.64) were lower meanwhile honeys of Melipona beecheii 2017, S. mexicana 2017, Melipona solani 2016 and T. angustula 2017 were considered as fairly diverse, because they visited a wider range of plant species, by preferring shrub and wild strata such as: Asteraceae, Euphorbia, Euphorbiaceae, Miconia and Mimosa. Our results showed that the foraging behaviour of these bee species is polylectic, as no taxa was found to be more than 70% of the counted grains. Since the study of the collection of meliponine flower resources in the southern region of Mexico have not been studied yet, it is not possible to analyse the foraging behaviour, the use of resources and the management of these species in this region.     

Pollen analysis of honeys from the central zone of the Argentine province of Entre Ríos

Based on the melissopalynology 38 honey samples collected in the central region of the Argentine province of Entre Ríos were classified by botanical and geographical origin. According to qualitative analysis, 20 honey samples were monofloral and 18 were multifloral. Dominant pollen types were Scutia buxifolia Reissek (Rhamnaceae) in six samples, Baccharis spp. (Asteraceae) in five, Lotus spp. (Fabaceae) in three, Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae) and Eryngium spp. (Apiaceae) in two, Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam. (Apiaceae) and Trithrinax campestris (Burmeist.) Drude & Griseb. (Arecaceae) in one sample. One hundred and nineteen pollen types were identified belonging to 52 families; 75% of which were native species. The families best represented in number of species were Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Pollen types such as Scutia buxifolia, Trithrinax campestris, Schinus spp. (Anacardiaceae), Mimosoideae from Prosopis spp., Acacia spp., Mimosa ostenii Speg. ex Burkart, and M. strigillosa Torr. & A. Gray are considered the indicators for this geographical origin. The studied honeys were also characterized by a high frequency of Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Astereae, Echium plantagineum L. and cultivated Papilionoideae forage species such as Melilotus albus Desr., Lotus spp. and Trifolium spp. Honeydew elements were scarce.     

Palynological differences in the pollen content of Eucalyptus honey from Australia,Portugal and Spain

A melissopalynological study was carried out on 75 samples of Eucalyptus honey from different countries (22 from Australia, 13 from Portugal and 40 from Northwest Spain), in which a total of 145 different pollen types were identified. Of such, only Eucalyptus, Acacia, Brassica, Echium, Ligustrum, Plantago, Rumex, Taraxacum, Trifolium and Vicia pollen are present in the honeys from all three countries.

Among the most abundant pollen types in Australian honeys, those belonging to the following families stand out: Myrtaceae (Angophora and Melaleuca), Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Proteaceae and Euphorbiaceae, along with Raphanus, Echium and Citrus.

In the Portuguese honeys, the presence of Fabaceae, Rosaceae and Cistaceae stands out, with Castanea and Erica as secondary pollen types, while Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Cistaceae and Scrophulariaceae are the families with the highest quantity of pollen types in the samples from Spain. In the latter, the most important secondary pollen types are: Castanea, Cytisus, Erica, Lotus, Salix and Rubus.     

Airborne pollen grains in Yalova,Turkey, 2004

In this study, airborne pollen grains of Yalova province were investigated using VPSS 2000 from January to December 2004. During studying period, a total of 22409 pollen grains/m³ which belonged to 46 taxa and 74 unidentified pollen grains were recorded. From the identified taxa, 26 belong to arboreal and 20 to non-arboreal plants. Total pollen grains consist of 80.50% arboreal, 19.17% non-arboreal plants and 0.33% unidentified pollen grains. In the investigated region, from arboreal plant taxa Platanus spp. (29.08%), Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (21.22%), Pinus spp. (7.34%), Alnus spp. (4.75%), Castanea spp. (3.03%), Quercus spp. (3.07%), Olea spp. (2.50%), Acer spp. (2.21%), Corylus spp. (1.41%) and Fagus spp. (1.15%), and from non-arboreal plant taxa Poaceae (10.01%), Asteraceae (2.86%), Plantago spp. (1.47%) and Artemisia spp. (1.11%) were responsible for the greatest amounts of pollen.     

The role of Mimosa L. (Fabaceae) on pollen provision of Melipona asilvai Moure 1971 in a Caatinga area from Brazil

The pollen spectrum of Melipona asilvai pollen samples, collected over the course of two years, was analysed with the objective of inferring the flora visited by this bee in a region of Caatinga in Bahia, Brazil. This study also evaluated the role of Mimosa species as a source of resources used by Melipona asilvai. Forty-eight pollen types, distributed in 22 families, were morphologically distinguished. The family Fabaceae was notable in the pollen spectrum, with 14 identified types. Mimosa was the most representative and found in all samples analysed, sometimes with high frequency. Mimosa tenuiflora had a 91.5% frequency of occurrence in the sample set and greatly contributed to the monthly samples with percentages over 95% in four of the months analysed. The other Mimosa pollen types identified were M. arenosa, M. quadrivalvis, M. misera and M. pudica. In addition, the Angelonia (Plantaginaceae) type in three samples and the Chamaecrista racemosa (Fabaceae) type in one sample had frequencies over 50% in the pollen spectrum. Other very frequent types in the sample set, occurring in more than 50% of the samples analysed, were the following: Melastomataceae, Solanum paniculatum (Solanaceae), Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae) and Myrcia (Myrtaceae). Despite the variety of floral sources recorded, it was possible to identify the floral preference of this bee as Mimosa, indicating the importance of Mimosa species as a source of resources used by this bee.     

Palynological characterisation of sedra honeys (Ziziphus lotus) produced in Algeria

Abstract

A melissopalynological study was carried out on 46 samples of Ziziphus lotus honey from Laghouat and Djelfa region (central Algeria). The number of pollen types identified per honey sample ranges between nine and 39 with a mean of 24. These correspond to 52 botanical families with 79 different pollen types in the whole samples. Asteraceae and Fabaceae families were present in all the samples where as Apiaceae, Brassicaceae and Nitrariaceae (Peganum harmala) were identified in more than 90%. Other plant families as Boraginaceae, Cistaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Salicaceae or Urticaceae were identified in more than 50% of the samples but frequently as minor pollen. Ziziphus lotus pollen had a mean content of 68.9% (with a range of 45.3% to 93.4%). The secondary pollen types were Ononis natrix, Peganum harmala, Brassica napus, Echium and Olea europaea. Regarding the important pollen it is highlighted the presence Lotus t., Eucalyptus, Pimpinella anisum t., Trifolium t., Eryngium campestre t., Centaurea t., Galega officinalis t., Citrus or Scrophularia t. The sedra honeys of the studied region are characterised by their high content in pollen grains with a mean content of 188 403 grains/10 g. The presence of some pollen types in the pollen spectra of honeys such as Peganum harmala, Thapsia garganica, Launaea, Muscari comosum, Carthamus or Limonium bonduellei together several Asteraceae as Centaurea, Taraxacum, Carduus, Artemisia and Matricaria was proposed as geographical markers of this honey type.     

Pollen analysis of Atlantic forest honey from the Vale do Ribeira Region,state of São Paulo,Brazil

The pollen contents of 34 Apis mellifera honey samples from the Quilombola Community of Porto Velho (Vale do Ribeira, state of São Paulo, Brazil) were studied in order to identify their botanical and geographical origin. A total number of 114 pollen types distributed in 43 families were identified. Fabaceae pollen types were the most diverse (20). Dominant pollen was observed in 27 samples. The dominant type Piper was found in 21 samples and Zanthoxylum, Mikania cordifolia, Cupania oblongifolia, Cecropia, Attalea and Poaceae only in one sample. The quantitative analysis revealed a predominance of very-high pollen concentrations in the samples (Category IV, 35.3%). A second frequency of occurrence analysis revealed 67 pollen types from 26 botanical families from nectariferous species. Fabaceae was also the family with the largest number of nectariferous pollen types (15), followed by Sapindaceae, Asteraceae (six pollen types each), and Euphorbiaceae (five types). Dominant pollen occurred in 19 samples. The main nectariferous sources of pollen in the present study were: Arecaceae (Attalea and Euterpe/Syagrus), Asteraceae (Mikania cordifolia), Fabaceae (Machaerium), Rutaceae (Zanthoxylum), and Sapindaceae (Cupania oblongifolia). The honey was classified as predominantly heterofloral (67.6%). Monofloral honey from Mikania cordifolia, Machaerium, Zanthoxylum, Cupania oblongifolia, Euterpe/Syagrus and Attalea were also identified. The geographical origin demonstrates Apis mellifera using nectariferous sources available from the Atlantic Rainforest in the south and southeast of Brazil, as well as in the brushwood, secondary forest and field plants. This is one of the first works about melissopalynology in the Vale do Ribeira Region.     

Pollen hosts of western palaearctic bees of the genus Colletes (Hymenoptera: Colletidae): the Asteraceae paradox

To assess the pollen hosts of 60 western palaearctic bee species of the genus Colletes (Colletidae), we microscopically analysed 1336 pollen loads of collected females. Twenty‐six species (43.3%) were found to be specialized at the level of plant family, subfamily or genus. Thirty‐four species (56.7%) proved to be pollen generalists to varying degrees, visiting the flowers of up to 15 different plant families. Flowers of the subfamily Asteroideae (Asteraceae) are by far the most important pollen source, contributing 23.6% to the pollen‐plant spectrum of the whole bee genus. The high significance of Asteroideae pollen is due to the large number of specialists: 14 Colletes species belonging to four different taxonomic groups harvest pollen exclusively or predominantly on flowers of the Asteroideae. By striking contrast, Asteroideae pollen plays only a marginal role in the diets of the pollen generalists: it was recorded in only 2.7% of the pollen loads and in seven out of the 34 pollen generalists. Among the few generalists exploiting Asteroideae for pollen, three closely related species have ancestors which were possibly specialized on Asteraceae. The pattern of use of Asteroideae pollen by the Colletes bees supports recent findings that this pollen possesses unfavourable or protective properties, which render its digestion difficult, and suggests that bees need physiological adaptations to successfully utilize it. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95 , 719–733.     

Nectar and Pollen Sources for Honeybee （Apis cerana cerana Fabr.） in Qinglan Mangrove Area, Hainan Island, China

In the present study, nectar and pollen sources for honeybee （Apls cerana cerana Fabr.） were studied in Qlnglan mangrove area, Hainan Island, China, based on microscopic analysis of honey and pollen load （corblcular and gut contents） from honeybees collected In October and November 2004. Qualitative and quantitative melittopalynologlcal analysis of the natural honey sample showed that the honey is of unlfloral type with Mimosa pudlca L. （Mlmosaceae） as the predominant （89.14%） source of nectar and pollen for A. cerana cerana In October. Members of Araceae are an Important minor （3%-15%） pollen type, whereas those of Arecaceae are a minor （〈3%） pollen type. Pollen grains of Nypa fruticans Wurmb., Rhlzophora spp., Excoecarla agallocha L., Lumnitzera spp., Brugulera spp., Kandella candel Druce, and Ceriops tagal （Perr.） C. B. Rob. are among the notable mangrove texa growing In Qinglan mangrove area recorded as minor taxa In the honey. The absolute pollen count （I.e. the number of pollen grains/10 g honey sample） suggests that the honey belongs to Group V （〉1 000 000）. Pollen analysis from the corblcular and gut contents of A. cerana cerana revealed the highest representation （95.60%） of members of Sonneratia spp. （Sonneratlaceae）, followed by Bruguiera spp. （Rhizophoraceae）, Euphorblaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Araceae, Anacardlaceae, and Rublaceae. Of these plants, those belonging to Sonneratla plants are the most Important nectar and pollen sources for A. cerana cerana and are frequently foraged and pollinated by these bees in November.     

Partitioning of pollen resources by two stingless bee species in the north Bahia,Brazil

Analysing the pollen stored by stingless bees allows identification of the diversity of flowering plants visited by these bees while collecting resources during a given period. However, few studies have focused on investigating the sharing of resources between species of native bees that coexist in transitional plant formations, which support conservation efforts and increase colony productivity. This study aims to describe the partitioning of pollen resources among colonies of two species of stingless bees in the state of the Bahia (Brazil) through the analysis of stored pollen. The study was conducted in neighbouring vegetation zones of the relevant species Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides and Melipona scutellaris by collecting monthly pollen samples stored by three colonies of each species over one year. The collected samples were treated using the acetolysis technique, and the partitioning of pollen resources between the two species was investigated through quali-quantitative analysis of the treated pollen. The results show that among the 16 pollen types belonging to a particular species or group identified in the Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides samples and the 18 identified in the Melipona scutellaris samples, 13 were shared by both species. The two most common pollen types stored by both species were from Mimosa arenosa (Fabaceae, Mimosoidae) and Eucalyptus sp. (Myrtaceae). These results demonstrate the niche similarity of pollen pasture between these two species and suggest that conservation efforts for these bee species should focus on the plant families most visited by bees.     

Pollinator effectiveness of native and non‐native flower visitors to an apparently generalist Andean shrub,Duranta mandonii (Verbenaceae)

Not all visitors to flowers are pollinators and pollinating taxa can vary greatly in their effectiveness. Using a combination of observations and experiments we compared the effectiveness of introduced honeybees with that of hummingbirds, native bees and moths on both the male and female components of fitness of the Andean shrub Duranta mandonii (Verbenaceae). Our results demonstrated significant variation among flower visitors in rates of visitation, pollen removal ability and contribution to fruit set. This variation was not always correlated; that is, taxa that regularly visited flowers did not remove the most pollen or contribute to fruit set. Despite the taxonomic diversity of visitors, the main natural pollinators of this shrub are large native bees, such as Bombus spp. Introduced honeybees were found to be as effective as native bees at pollinating this species. Duranta mandonii has high apparent generalization, but low realized generalization and can be considered to be a moderate ecological generalist (a number of species of large bees provide pollination services), but a functional specialist (most pollinators belong to a single functional group). The present study has highlighted the importance of measuring efficiency components when documenting plant–pollinator interactions, and has also demonstrated that visitation rates may give little insight into the relative importance of flower visitors.     

Comparative floral preferences in nectar and pollen foraging by Scaptotrigona postica (Latreille 1807) in two different biomes in São Paulo (Brazil)

To describe the trophic resources used by Scaptotrigona postica, honey and bee bread samples were taken monthly from May 2015 to December 2016 at two different localities. Fontes do Ipiranga State Park (PEFI), an urban remnant of the Atlantic Forest, and the Mogi Guaçu Biological Reserve (RBMG), in the Cerrado. Two colonies were kept in each site. Samples were analysed with the melissopalynological method in order to calculate the relative frequencies. Principal component analysis was used to compare the similarity between the samples and to examine the influence of quantitative and qualitative data on the ordination of the pollen types. Similarity tests were performed to compare the pollen spectra of the bee bread and honey samples between the study sites and seasons. Hence, 69 and 61 pollen types were identified in 33 honey and 29 bee bread samples. The main families in honey were Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae; in bee bread Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Sapindaceae were the main families for both localities, followed by Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae at the RBMG. The results showed that the species maintains its floral preferences regardless of the biome in which it occurs. Also, demonstrates that the bees make use of nectariferous and polliniferous sources available in the preserved areas as well as in its surroundings. There is a risk of pesticides exposure caused by the use of trophic resources of cultivated plants by this bee. This points to the need for further studies.     

Palynological characteristics of different unifloral honeys from Greece

Three hundred and twenty-nine Greek honey samples of different botanical and geographical origin were collected and examined by organoleptic evaluation, melissopalynological analysis, measurement of electrical conductivity and colour. The results showed that 208 samples were unifloral with 178 of them representing the main types of unifloral honey produced in Greece; that is fir, pine, chestnut, cotton, orange and thyme honey. All honeys had the sensory characteristics typical of their origin and complied with the electrical conductivity standards set by Council Directive 2001/110/EC.

Fir and pine honeydew honey had a low honeydew element/pollen (HDE/P) ratio and belonged to Maurizio's Classes II or III. The pollen types identified in these honeys ranged from 11 to 45%. Chestnut nectar honey contained >90% chestnut pollen, had a total number of plant elements of >245,000/10?g, and low pollen diversity. Cotton honey contained 1.2 to 16.5% cotton pollen, belonged to Maurizio's Class II, and had 22 pollen types, with Castanea sativa L. present in all samples. Orange honey contained 2.9 to 26.5% Citrus spp. pollen, belonged to Maurizio's Class II, and was characterized by the presence of Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Olea europea L., Quercus coccifera L. and Rosaceae. In thyme honeys Thymus capitatus Hoffm. &; Link. pollen was secondary or predominant ranging from 18.3 to 69.3%. These honeys belonged to Maurizio's Classes I or II and contained greater than 30 pollen types. Other Lamiaceae, Hypericum spp., Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, and Cistus spp. pollen types appeared in the greatest number of thyme samples.     

Botanical origin and geographic differentiation of bee-pollen produced in high mountains from the Colombian eastern Andes

In the high mountains of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (~2000–3000 m above sea level), at the Altiplano Cundiboyacense region and surroundings, beekeepers have specialised in pollen production with substantial harvests all year round. Despite this productive advantage, the knowledge about plants used by honeybees as pollen resources is still limited. Hence, the aim of this work was to identify the botanical origin of bee pollen from this region and to examine differences between five distinguished sub-regions: Sabana de Bogotá, Fúquene, Márquez, Tundama and Norte-Gutiérrez. By means of palynological analyses of 86 pollen samples produced between 2008 and 2010, we found a total amount of 126 pollen types, most of them belonging to the families Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Major pollen types correspond to the exotic taxa Hypochaeris radicata, Brassicaceae, Eucalyptus globulus, Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense and the native taxa Quercus humboldtii and Weinmannia sp. Differences between sample groups from the five sub-regions were mainly associated to variations in pollen abundance and frequency of native plant species. This result highlights the potential for commercialising bee-pollen from the Colombian Eastern Cordillera with geographical origin differentiation, as well as the importance for beekeeping in promoting the conservation of the natural ecosystems from the region.     

Spectrum of plant species foraged by Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille in the North Sudanian phytogeographical region of Burkina Faso

Melissopalynological analysis of 60 honey samples collected from 50 Kenyan Top Bar Hives in the North Sudanian phytogeographical region of Burkina Faso established the plant species foraged by honeybees Apis mellifera adansonii. Forty-three pollen types from 29 families were identified in the honey samples. The most common families were Mimosaceae (9.30%), Asteraceae (6.98%) and Anacardiaceae (6.98%). The most frequently visited plants were Combretum (66.66%), Tridax procumbens (66.66), Acacia seyal-group (50%), Cleome viscosa-group (50%) and Cyperus esculentus (41.67%). The results showed that Apis mellifera adansonii is polylectic with a heterogeneous foraging behaviour. Pollen analysis showed that the honeys from the two main honey flows of Burkina Faso were polyfloral.