Floral calendar of honey plants native to the western Pantanal wetlands in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract:

The objective of this work was to evaluate the flowering pattern, throughout the year, of honey plants in the western region of the Pantanal, at the Urucum Massif, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, as well as the type of resources offered by the honeybee flora, in order to create a floral calendar for the region. The flowering of honey plants visited by native and Africanized bees was monitored at 15-day intervals, over 3 consecutive years, and records were taken of flowering date, growth habit, and the resources collected by the insects. A total of 160 flowering plant species visited by the bees were recorded, but only 73 species were considered as honey plants and included in the floral calendar, of which 34 were herbs, 17 trees, 15 shrubs, and 7 lianas. Flowering honey plants were observed throughout the year, with highest number in summer and lowest in winter. Herbs flower more intensely in summer and autumn (January-June), and trees and shrubs in spring (late September-December). Lianas flower mainly in late summer (March-April). Nectar and pollen are available for honeybees throughout the year, with a decline in supply in the winter months (July-September).

Index terms:
Apis mellifera; apiculture; flowering time; honeybee flora; botanic inventory; meliponiculture.