Nutritive value and apparent digestibility of bee-collected and bee- stored pollen in the stingless bee, Scaptotrigona postica Latr. (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

Abstract

In Meliponini bees, pollen is stored inside the hive. We compared the nutritional value and apparent digestibility of bee-collected and bee-stored pollen of Scaptotrigona postica. The results showed no differences in nutritional value and apparent digestibility between bee-collected and bee- stored pollen, suggesting that the storage process of pollen grains do not play a role in these parameters. These results are discussed in relation to other aspects of pollen storage, such as food conservation and/or organoleptic properties of stored pollen.