Pollen Preference Patterns by Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini) in a Boliviano-Tucumano Forest

Native bees are important pollinators in neotropical forests. Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille) (Apidae: Meliponini) is a stingless bee widely distributed from the south of Mexico to Argentina. We characterized the patterns of preference of T. angustula for pollen in relation to the richness and abundance of plant species in the Tucumano-Boliviano Forest. During two field campaigns in different seasons (winter and spring), six colonies of T. angustula were studied. Pollen from flowers of plant species in the study area (pollen offer) and pot-pollen in each hive (pollen demand) were collected and their plant family of origin identified. Pollen from Asteraceae was more abundant in the winter than in the spring. Pollen of Solanaceae in the winter and Bignoniaceae in the spring were the most selected by the worker bees. Pollen from plants outside the sampling area was also found in the pots; it was mainly from Asteraceae. Tetragonisca angustula workers showed a polylectic foraging behavior, being able to use in a dynamic way the resources that are present in their environment at different times of the year; occasionally, it selected less abundant specific resources likely based on their nutritional value. More studies are needed to evaluate aspects of pollen quality consumed by this bee.