Melissopalynology in Brazilian seacoast mangrove areas, a mini review

Abstract

Along the Brazilian coast, there are several types of mangroves with a variable predominance of trees of the genera Avicennia and Rizophora, as well as of the Laguncularia racemosa species. Mangrove beekeeping is a potential alternative source of income for many coastal communities in Brazil. Research activities on melissopalynology were initiated on Apis mellifera bees mainly by Barth and Luz in Rio de Janeiro, and with native bees by Kerr et al. in Maranhão States during the last century. Pollen analysis of honey, bee pollen and propolis were presented covering the Brazilian macroregions of the south, southeast, northeast and north. Bees showed preferential interest in Laguncularia racemosa in the southeast region. Studies with native bees are underway in an urban mangrove area of Rio de Janeiro. Laguncularia pollen occurred in reduced proportions in both honey and bee pollen. Avicennia predominated in the northeast region samples. Two samples of honey obtained from indigenous bees in the State of Espírito Santo, one sample from Maranhão and one sample of honey from Apis mellifera from Pernambuco, showed both Laguncularia and Avicennia pollen. All mangrove areas studied clearly showed the importance of Laguncularia racemosa. Studies of propolis highlighted the importance of vegetation along the inner edges of mangroves, such as Dalbergia ecastaphyllum, Schinus terebinthifolia and Symphonia globulifera.

Keywords:

• apiculture
• Brazilian coastline
• mangrove vegetation
• meliponiculture
• palynology

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr Jerônimo Kahn Villas-Bôas of Reenvolver Servicos Socioambientais Ltda, for providing the two samples of Melipona mondury honey produced in indigenous villages in Aracruz, Espírito Santo.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the ‘Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico’ (CNPq/Brazil) for providing financial support through the fellowship of ‘Productivity in research’ assigned to O.M. Barth (Process number 301992/2017-7) and assigned to C.F.P. da Luz (Process number 307607/2022-4), as well as the support from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (Grant number 2017/50341-0).