Foraging activity of bees Apis mellifera scutellata on pink-pepper flowers

Abstract

A survey on the abundance and frequency of honeybees Apis mellifera scutellata, Lepeletier (1836),
and observations of their behavior were carried out on pink-pepper flowers during two reproductive periods of the species. In the first reproductive period were collected 12 bees (spring) and 154 bees in the second reproductive period (summer/autumn). Both sexes of pink-pepper flowers offer nectar, but only the male flowers offer pollen, reason of a larger presence of bees (78%) on this flower type. A. mellifera scutellata presents a typical behavior of a pollinator during the foraging activity on female flowers.