Pollen sources of Apis dorsata Fabr. in the mainland Palawan, Philippines.
Manila-Fajardo A. C., Gonzales A. K. B. M.
Author Affiliation: Environmental Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, UP Los Baņos, College 4031, Laguna, Philippines.
Philippine Entomologist 24 : 137-149
Abstract : Pollen sources of Apis dorsata Fabr. in the main island of Palawan were determined through analysis of bee bread from 14 colonies. They were processed and identified using photomicroscopy, taxonomic keys and reference slides. Twenty-five pollen types belonging to 15 families were observed. Cocos nucifera L. and Mimosa pudica L. were predominant and most preferred at 53.6% and 50.1% relative preferences, respectively. Carica papaya L. and Vitex negundo L. were also constantly visited, while Mangifera indica L. pollen appeared in 86% of the samples. Dendrogram analysis showed six clusters with two major groups: one for the most dominant pollen types, and the other for the less visited pollen sources. Most pollen types fall under minor sources. This observation showed that A. dorsata has diverse floral preferences.