Characterization of the trophic resources used by Apis mellifera L. in an area of the Yungas in the north of Salta (Argentina)

Abstract

Background and aims: The main trophic resources used by honeybees are nectar and pollen, being the source of carbohydrates and protein for the hive, respectively. In this context, to determine the relationship between bees and floral resources, melisopalynological studies are carried out to identify the different plants that contribute to the bees’ diet. M&M: The samples were obtained from beehives of producers in the locality of Los Toldos (Salta): immature honey samples were extracted with 10 ml sterilized syringes and corbicular pollen samples were extracted through pollen hunting traps placed in the taphole of the beehives for 24 hours. All samples were processed by standard techniques for melisopalynology and then acetolyzed. Frequency classes, frequency of occurrence, pollen richness, importance indexes and pollen diagrams were determined. Results and conclusions: A total of 53 pollen types were counted at different levels of identification. The best represented families in both immature honey and corbicular pollen from family and species importance index values are: Asteraceae (3.6; 39.2) and Myrtaceae (15.9; 26.6), while the resources of highest importance in honeys are: Allophylus edulis (13.4), Solanaceae (12.3), Eupatorium type (11.8). In the case of polliniferous resources are: Eupatorium type (30.2), native Myrtaceae type (17.8), Poaceae (8.3). The knowledge generated can be used to value the resource offered by the forest, allowing beekeepers in the area to know and value the dynamics of nectar and pollen flow to the hives.