Foraging interaction of stingless bee Tetragonula travancorica with flowers in ornamental plants

Abstract

The foraging activity of the stingless bee (Tetragonula travancorica) was studied by observing flowers of 20 identified ornamental plants at their full bloom stage. The foraging preference of T. travancorica is primarily influenced by colour, size, shape, scent and the nutrient quality and availability of nectar and pollen. The Asteraceae family was the predominant group among the ornamental plants foraged by T. travancorica, followed by Rubiaceae, Malvaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Among the different types of hibiscus, Malvaviscus arboreus exhibited the highest foraging rate, potentially due to its high nectar availability (8.47 µl). The highest T. travancorica population was observed on red-colored ixora among different ixora varieties, likely due to its high nectar volume (1.73µl) and sugar concentration. This study also indicated that T. travancorica prefers flowers with pollen containing high levels of protein and lipid. Among the foraged plants (Antigonon leptopus, Malvaviscus arboreus, Rosa spp, Rosa bourboniana, and Syagrus romanzoffiana), R. bourboniana showed high protein and lipid content (7.613 and 324 mg mL^-1, respectively).