Melissopalynological characterization of honeys from the Discovery Coast, Brazil

Abstract

Although Bahia presents high honey production, considering the national scenario, and has a diversity of environments, studies that characterize the state bee flora using melissopalynology cover relatively little spatial area. In this sense, we aimed to characterize the pollen spectrum of Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the Discovery Coast, Bahia. To this end, 21 honey samples were obtained from beekeepers from the municipalities of Belmonte, Eunápolis, Guaratinga, Itabela, Itagimirim, Itapebi and Porto Seguro, from November 2017 to August 2018. All honey samples were prepared using the acetolysis method and the slides were deposited in the palynotheca of the Federal University of Southern Bahia (palinoFLORAS, UFSB). The pollen types present in the honey samples were identified and, subsequently, at least 500 pollen grains per sample were counted, determining the frequency classes and frequency of occurrence. The pollen spectrum presented 44 pollen types distributed in 34 genera and 22 families. The pollen types Brosimum, Cecropia, Eucalyptus 1 and Mimosa pudica were found to be the predominant pollen. Eight pollen types were classified as very frequent, present in more than 50% of the samples: Borreria verticilata, Brosimum, Cecropia, Eucalyptus 1, Eucalyptus 2, Mimosa pudica, Myrcia 1 and Vernonia. We noted the absence of pollen types from the endemic species of the Discovery Coast, but some types such as B. verticillata and Vernonia, related to species that are on the list of vital plants for beekeeping, have been identified. Others helped to characterize the pollen spectra of regional honeys, such as those related to the genera Brosimum, Cecropia and Euterpe that are associated with typical forest species and are represented in the vegetation of the Atlantic Forest in the South of Bahia.

Keywords:

• Pollen analysis
• melissopalynology
• Apis mellifera
• Atlantic forest
• Brazil

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (Fapesb) for providing a grant to the first author and financial support for this research (APP011/2016). We are also grateful to the Plant Micromorphology Laboratory at Bahia State University at Feira de Santana (Lamiv, UEFS) and its staff for infrastructural facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michele da Silva Ferreira Bandeira

MICHELE DA SILVA FERREIRA BANDEIRA received a BS degree in biological sciences from Salvador Faculty of Science and Technology, a first specialization degree in environmental management from the Salvador Catholic University, a second specialization in environmental sciences and technologies from the Bahia Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, and an MS degree in environmental sciences and technologies from the Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB), Brazil. Michele’s interests lie in palynology and environmental sciences.

Jaílson Santos de Novais

JAÍLSON SANTOS DE NOVAIS is a professor at the Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB), based in Porto Seguro, BA, Brazil. He coordinates the interdisciplinary licentiate on natural sciences at UFSB and is curator of palinoFLORAS, a palynological collection associated with the FLORAS Botanical Garden. He holds an MS degree in botany from Bahia State University at Feira de Santana and a PhD in biological sciences (botany) from the Amazon Research National Institute, Brazil. His main research interests lie in melissopalynology and science education.