Outstanding botanical resources for Plebeia mansita (Apidae, Meliponini) in the Northern Argentine Yungas: botanical characterization of its honey and main nesting substrates

FERNANDO FLORES, FABIO; HILGERT, NORMA INÉS; LUPO, LILIANA CONCEPCIÓN

PALYNOLOGY

AMER ASSOC STRATIGRAPHIC PALYNOLOGISTS FOUNDATION

Año: 2023 vol. 48

0191-6122

Plebeia mansita is a native stingless bee endemic to the Yungas whose populations are distributedin sectors above 1000m a.s.l. Its honeys and other products are used by local residents for variouspurposes, from food to medicinal uses. With the purpose of understanding the botanical resourcesthat contribute nectar and nesting to this species of bee in the town of Baritu (22 28054.1ʺS,6445039.4ʺW; at 1546m a.s.l.), we analyzed 41 honey samples collected between September 2011and September 2015 and recorded the main host trees. The samples were examined by palynologicaltechniques using acetolysis, revealing the use of pollen types belonging to native plants,mainly of arboreal habit. Pollen richness per sample varied from 13 to 31 pollen types (mean ¼22.7), where the family Asteraceae had the highest number of pollen types (n¼9) and nectar relevance,followed by Myrtaceae. Relevant pollen types correspond to Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Ilexargentina, Myrcianthes pseudomato and Allophylus edulis, followed by Sambucus peruviana,Parapiptadenia excelsa, Handroanthus lapacho, Myrsine coriacea and Zanthoxylum. Other recordedpollen types, with importance index values below 3.5%, were Eupatorium, Dendrophorbium bomanii,Senecio, Pseudognaphalium and pollen of the families Asteraceae and Rhamnaceae. On the otherhand, when evaluating nesting substrates we recorded the frequency of use of trunks of Ilex argentinaas 55.9%, Parapiptadenia excelsa 10.3%, Myrcianthes pungens 7.4%, M. pseudomato 5.9%,Juglans australis 4.4%, Handroanthus lapacho 2.9%, and Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Myrsine coriacea,Ocotea porphyria, Viburnum seemenii, Myrcianthes mato, Roupala montana var. brasiliensis andErithrina falcata with a value of 1.5% each. The results obtained provide valuable information onthe plants that provide nectar and nesting sites for this stingless bee. This information should beconsidered for the preparation of conservation or production plans for their hives and pollinationactivities.