The utilization of floral resources from mangroves of the Gulf of Urabá (Colombian Caribbean) by introduced honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Abstract

We studied the importance of pollen from mangrove plant species in the diet of Apis mellifera (a non-native honey bee species), the relationship between tree flowering and pollen contained in Apis mellifera honey and bee bread samples. In addition, we recorded the type of interaction between insect visitors and two mangrove flowering plant species. We found that pollen grains from Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa and Cecropia peltata, were the most important resources in the diet of Apis mellifera, while those from Raphia taedigera, Amanoa guianensis and Pterocarpus officinalis, were alternative resources. The highest percentages of pollen from Rhizophora mangle were related to flowering peaks of this species, while the percentages of pollen from Laguncularia racemosa did not show a clear relationship with its flowering peaks. Collectively, our findings suggest that Apis mellifera is an opportunistic visitor and the interaction is mutually beneficial although it is not an obligated relationship.

Keywords:

• Beebread
• honey
• flowering phenology
• botanical source
• flower visitors

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of Urabá (CORPOURABÁ), for financing the project (2017), especially to Diana Andrade for her enthusiasm with this project. We also thank the Francisco Luis Gallego Entomological Museum of the National University of Colombia, Medellin, for the identification of bees. Finally, we would like to give special recognition to the community of Bocas del Atrato, particularly to Elida Vivas and Jesús Morelo, for their collaboration and support in the field sampling. We are also in debt to Bethany Karman for the English revision of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Corporación para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Urabá (CORPOURABÁ).