Efficiency in pollen foraging by honey bees: Time, motion and pollen depletion on flowers of Sisyrinchium palmifolium Linnaeus (Asparagales: Iridaceae)

Authors

  • Daniel Paiva Silva Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Góias, Rodovia Goiânia-Nerópolis, Km 5, Campus II, Setor Itatiaia, CEP: 74001-970, Goiânia – GO, Brazil
  • Joseph Moisan-De Serres Programme de Biologie Végétale, Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
  • Darcet R. Souza Universidade Federal do Piauí, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia. Campus Agrícola da Socopo
  • Suzane B. Hilgert-Moreira Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • Mariana Z. Fernandes Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • Peter G. Kevan The Canadian Pollination Initiative, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
  • Breno M. Freitas Universidade Federal da Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia, CEP: 60.021-970, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2013)8

Abstract

Honey bees depend on flower resources (nectar and pollen) to supply individual and colony needs. Although behavioural studies already assessed optimum foraging patterns of bumblebees, honey bees foraging behavioural patterns have been poorly assessed. We used Sysirinchium palmifolium L. (Iridaceae), a low-growing, abundant and anthophilous grassland flower to test the hypotheses that Apis mellifera workers would i) spend more time, ii) visit a greater number of flowers, and iii) travel greater distances within patches of S. palmifolium which were newly opened or not been visited by other pollinators when compared to foraging on patches that were available to pollinators during its whole blooming period (only one day). In two different sunny days, we measured bee activities in an area opened for visitation during the whole anthesis (OP plot treatment) and another opened for visitation only half of anthesis (CL plot treatment). We observed bees spending more time, visiting more flowers and travelling more in S. palmifolium CL treatment than the OP plot treatment. Previous studies already showed bees alter their foraging behaviour in the lack of resources. Honey bees are able to remember the period of the day when resources are usually the higher, they probably detect the most promising period to gather resources on S. palmifolium flowers. Since A. mellifera is a pollinator with a wide-distribution and is considered an important cause of changes on native pollinator communities, we support additional studies evaluating its foraging behaviours to better understand how it explores flower resources.

Author Biographies

Daniel Paiva Silva, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Góias, Rodovia Goiânia-Nerópolis, Km 5, Campus II, Setor Itatiaia, CEP: 74001-970, Goiânia – GO, Brazil

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Góias, Rodovia Goiânia-Nerópolis, Km 5, Campus II, Setor Itatiaia, CEP: 74001-970, Goiânia – GO, Brazil

Joseph Moisan-De Serres, Programme de Biologie Végétale, Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.

Programme de Biologie Végétale, Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.

Darcet R. Souza, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia. Campus Agrícola da Socopo

Universidade Federal do Piauí, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia. Campus Agrícola da Socopo

Suzane B. Hilgert-Moreira, Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Mariana Z. Fernandes, Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Laboratório Ecologia de Abelhas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Peter G. Kevan, The Canadian Pollination Initiative, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada

The Canadian Pollination Initiative, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada

Breno M. Freitas, Universidade Federal da Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia, CEP: 60.021-970, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Universidade Federal da Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia, CEP: 60.021-970, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

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Published

2013-10-01

How to Cite

Silva, D. P., Moisan-De Serres, J., Souza, D. R., Hilgert-Moreira, S. B., Fernandes, M. Z., Kevan, P. G., & Freitas, B. M. (2013). Efficiency in pollen foraging by honey bees: Time, motion and pollen depletion on flowers of Sisyrinchium palmifolium Linnaeus (Asparagales: Iridaceae). Journal of Pollination Ecology, 11, 27–32. https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2013)8

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Section

Novel Ideas and Pilot Projects

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