Identification of Floral Resources Used by the Stingless Bee Melipona beecheii for Honey Production in Different Regions of the State of Campeche, Mexico

The stingless bee Melipona beecheii is experiencing colony decline due to floral resource scarcity caused by deforestation. A study was conducted to identify the floral resources used by M. beecheii using honey samples collected in four regions of the state of Campeche, Mexico. A melissopalynologica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity (Basel) 2023-12, Vol.15 (12), p.1218
Main Authors: León-Canul, Román Alberto, Chalé-Dzul, Juan Bautista, Vargas-Díaz, Arely Anayansi, Ortiz-Díaz, Juan Javier, Durán-Escalante, Kelly Cristina, Carrillo-Ávila, Eugenio, Santillán-Fernández, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bees
Deforestation
diversity
floral resources
Flowers & plants
Food resources
Grain
Honey
Melipona beecheii
melissopalynology
Palynology
Plant nectar
Plant species
Vegetation
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Summary:The stingless bee Melipona beecheii is experiencing colony decline due to floral resource scarcity caused by deforestation. A study was conducted to identify the floral resources used by M. beecheii using honey samples collected in four regions of the state of Campeche, Mexico. A melissopalynological analysis of sixteen collected honey samples identified 69 plant species from 24 families, and established that Fabaceae was the main plant family visited. Based on botanical origin, seven samples were classified as monofloral and nine as multifloral. The predominant species were Bursera simaruba, Lonchocarpus longistylus, Piscidia piscipula, Senna pallida and Senna racemosa. Shannon diversity index values (2.06–2.55) indicated moderate diversity in floral resources and Simpson diversity index values (0.82–0.89) indicated a moderate dominance of plant species in the studied regions. The results suggest M. beecheii is polylectic with some degree of specialization. The plant species identified as predominant in the studied honey samples are candidates for use in strategies intended to conserve the food resources used by M. beecheii on the Yucatan Peninsula.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d15121218