Contrasting patterns of foraging behavior in neotropical stingless bees using pollen and honey metabarcoding

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Zoology
• Botany

Background:

• Stingless bees are crucial tropical pollinators, yet their foraging ecology remains unclear.
• Tropical plant diversity and canopy access pose challenges to studying bee-plant interactions.
• Pollen DNA metabarcoding offers an efficient method to analyze bee diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the floral resource spectrum and foraging behavior of three stingless bee species.
• To compare pollen and honey analyses for understanding stingless bee diets.
• To correlate bee-collected pollen with local plant community composition.

Main Methods:

• DNA metabarcoding of pollen and honey from three stingless bee species (Melipona rufiventris, Scaptotrigona postica, Tetragonisca angustula).
• Seventeen rapid botanical surveys to assess local flora.
• Analysis of floral sources and comparison with local plant diversity.

Main Results:

• Identified a wide range of floral resources, with 46.3 plant species/bee species in honey and 53.67 in pollen.
• Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Melastomataceae, and Malpighiaceae were dominant plant families.
• Stingless bees showed a preference for abundant floral resources, including forest trees, even at distances.

Conclusions:

• Pollen metabarcoding is effective for high-resolution studies of bee-plant interactions in diverse tropical ecosystems.
• Stingless bees utilize a broad spectrum of floral resources, reflecting local plant abundance and accessibility.
• Understanding stingless bee foraging is vital for tropical ecosystem conservation and pollination services.