Bee visitors (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Peltophorum dubium (Leguminosae- Caesalpinoideae)

摘要

Peltophorum species are widely distributed in South America and dependent on bees for pollination and fruit production. Observations and capture of insect flower visitors of P. dubium were conducted in an area of grassland in the municipality of Dourados/MS, Central-Western Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify and catalogue the floral visitor community in P. dubium. Floral buds were tagged to monitor their development. Peltophorum dubium has yellow flowers, with terminal racemes and a diurnal anthesis pattern (begins at 6:40 to 8:30 h). The sugar concentration in nectar was 3.4%. The most frequent flower visitors were: Apis mellifera, representing 37.5% of specimens captured, Trigonaspinipes (13.,2%), Xylocopasp. (10.2%), Geotrigonamombuca(4.8%) andExomalopsissp3 (4.1%). These bees were most abundant between 7:00 and 14:00 h. Except for ^4. mellifera, the time of day influenced the frequency and distribution of these bees. As for the foraging behavior on flowers of P. dubium, Xylocopa sp., Bombus sp. and Oxaeaflavescens were considered effective pollinators. The other bees, A. mellifera, T. spinipes, Scaptotrigona depilis, G. mombuca, Paratrigona sp. and Exomalopsis sp.3 were occasional pollinators or pillagers, while other insects wereonly pillagers.