Analysis of local usage and quality of honey from stingless native bees in Northwestern Cordoba, Argentina

GEISA, MELISA G.; HILGERT, NORMA I.; MARTÍNEZ, GUSTAVO J.

Würzburg

Simposio; Plant and Pollen Metabarcoding Summerschool and Symposium; 2016

Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Würzburg

As part of the study of factors that contribute to the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, with emphasis on local culinary and medicinal knowledge, from a ethnobiological perspective, we analyze the local uses of honey native stingless bee (SB) in Northwest Province Córdoba and the relationship with its characteristics pollen, physico-chemical and organoleptic. We are working in rural communities of the Chaqueña natural region of Western Córdoba, located in context of native forest. In area 4 different environments are distinguished. The majority of the inhabitants of this region are small producers of goats that make a historical, multiple and diverse exploitation of ecosystem native forest. Beekeeping, more than 512 registered producers representing more than 12% of the provincial total beehives are recorded. In each family we work with responsible of the collection and administration of honey, native-born or resident for 20 years or more. Then new informants are identified using the snow ball technique. In a first stage we investigate known species and / or used, assigned names, consumption and uses -food and medicinal- of honey, wax, propolis, pollen, larvae, modes of use, handling nests and organoleptic assessments of honey. We searched the plant host species, diameter, height, location and cardinal position of the nest entrance. SB collected are identified and deposited in the collection of the Museum of Natural Sciences of La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Honeys are preserved for later analysis and nest are passed rational breeding boxes. In the work area of native plants flowers present are collected and a sample is taken for the herbarium. Species with specific bibliography are recognized and pollen grains are processed at the Laboratory of Palynology UNC through the technique Wodehouse (1955) and Acetolysis of Erdtman (1960) to obtain reference samples of each pollen type. At presente 17 people were interviewed between 22 and 80 years, of both sexes, living in environments "Plain Forest" and "Forest Serrano" Córdoba Northwest. Following the network of informers, another 14 people were identified for interview in future instances. We identified 24 nests, of which only some might be opened to obtain samples of honey. We are excluding nests whose extraction would involve the destruction of the host (or survival risk). We have 5 samples of honey, and collected flowers of 163 native plant species being processed at the Laboratory of Palynology UNC for reference preparations. The quality of these honeys will be discussed in a second stage. Local people recognize an ethno-specie assigned different nicknames: "petite bee", "quella", "black bee", "Pink honey bee". So far the bees identified, corresponding to the species Plebeia molesta (not recorded to date in the region). Honey is used as a food without any processing. Also it used as medicinal alone or with lemon; frequently cited to treat respiratory problems, sore throats and colds. In relation to the location of the nests in trees, often they found in dry parts that offer space for the hive, with a minimum of 0.70 cm in diameter according to the records. They were observed in different host species: Prosopis sp., Cereus forbesii, Celtis ehrenbergiana, Zizyphus mistol, Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, Schinopsis haenkeana, Stetsonia coryne.