Pollen Food Source Diversity of Stingless Bee Tetragonula pegdeni and Lepidotrigona terminata in Cultivated Area

Abstract

Stingless bees play an important role in pollination of local economic crops. During rainy season, numbers of stingless bee population decline because of lack of food plants. It can lead to colony collapse situation. The main purpose of the first study was to survey the pollen food source of stingless bees in the beginning of rainy season (June) to dry season (December) in the rambutan orchard plantation area in Chantaburi province. The result revealed that 11 species of blooming flowers in observation area were visited by stingless bees in June, five species in October, and four species in December. The second study aimed to identify species of pollen food source from pollen load collected from stingless bees (Tetragonula pegdeni and Lepidotrigona terminate) colonies in vegetable planting area. It was found that the most favorite plants that stingless bees collected as their pollen food source were amaranth (Amaranthus lividus) and corn (Zea mays. Linn).