Prospection on Yeasts from Stingless Bees Honey in BrazilianTropical Dry Forest (Caatinga)

Abstract

The richness of the yeasts associated with honey obtained from the stingless bees Melipona mandacaia, M. asilvai, Patarmona sp. and Scaptotrigona sp. living in Brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga) was studied. Based on morphological and physiological characters 12 species were identified belonging to the phylum Ascomycota, with eight Candida species. This study has shown that the honey of stingless bees is an important source of yeasts, particularly in tropical dry environments, where the diversity of fungi is still largely unknown.