Resources foraged by Euglossa atroveneta (Apidae: Euglossinae) at Union Juarez, Chiapas, Mexico. A palynological study of larval feeding

Abstract

Weekly larval feeding samples belonging to 51 nests of Euglossa atroveneta were analyzed palynologically at Union Juarez, Chiapas, Mexico. It was determined that E. atroveneta foraged 74 plant species throughout 1 year, from 31 May 1990 to 29 May 1991. The most important resources of larval feeding were classified as: a) polliniferous: Antirhea sp., Cassia sp., Combretum sp., Commelina sp., Cordyline terminalis, Dendropanax sp., Leguminosae type 4, Lycianthes sp, Saurauia sp., Solanum aft. torvum. Solanum aff. tuerckheimii, Tibouchinia longifolia; and b) nectaropolliniferous: Drymonia aff. strigosa, Kohleria elegans, Lonchocarpus sp. and Nautilocalyx aff. panamensis. Through the year E. atroveneta displayed a heterogeneous foraging behavior with a diversity index average of 0.83, and little overlap for resources between the solitary and parasocial nests studied.