A floristic and phenological study of ornamental, arboreal and shrubby species visited by bees was carried out on the campus of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo. Data on the species were recorded from May 1999 to April 2000. During this period 42 flowering species in flower were evaluated, of these 43% flowered in the wet season, 33% in the dry season and 24% in both seasons, without marked seasonality. Most of the species, about 72%, presented an annual phenological pattern. Leguminosae and Bombacaceae were the richest abundant families (13 and 5 species, respectively). Most of the species studied had white or dish-shaped flowers. A total of 17 bee species were recorded visiting flowers, from May 2000 to April 2001. Visits to flowers could be legitimate or illegitimate. Pollen and nectar were the only resources exploited by the bees. The generalist species Apis mellifera, Trigona spinipes and Tetragonisca angustula, and the more specialized species Xylocopa frontalis and Bombus morio, were the most common in the area, and visited the majority of the plant species. These data may be useful in future plans for management of urban environments, using appropriate ornamental plants, to encourage a diversity of bee species.
ornamental woody plants; bees; resources; urban environment
