Pollination efficiency of native and invading Africanized bees in the tropical dry forest annual plant, Kallstroemia grandiflora Torr ex Gray

Abstract

We compared the pollinator effectiveness of native and exotic bees on Kallstroemia grandiflora in a tropical dry forest in Mexico. Although exotic Apis melliffera transfer 2.5 times less pollen grains on a per visit basis, they visited the flowers 2.65 times more frequently than the native bee Trigona nigra. Thus, when all measures of pollinator effectiveness are combined, exotic bees appear to be as efficient pollinators as native bees.