Flora visitada por abelhas do Jardim Botânico da UFJF

Abstract

The term melittophily is applied to the type of pollination system in which certain plant species attract bees and wasps. Melittophilous flowers are generally characterized by diurnal anthesis, colors ranging from ultraviolet to intense yellow, nectar guides, pleasant odor to the human sense of smell, nectar in small quantities with a high sugar concentration, and the supply of other floral resources such as pollen, oil and, in some cases, resins and floral volatiles. Pollination is an ecological interaction responsible not only for the perpetuation of species that produce flowers, but also for the support and functioning of various ecosystems, being a key process for the conservation of biodiversity. In this context, urban forests are important maintainers of pollinator diversity in fragmented environments. Located in the Zona da Mata region of the Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil, the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (JB-UFJF) is part of one of the largest remnants of Atlantic Forest in an urban area in Brazil, the Mata do Krambeck. This work aimed to investigate the potential of the melittophilous flora and associated bees of the JB-UFJF through field records, complemented with literature data. Between September 2020 and July 2021, the flowering phenology of species with melittophilous characteristics was recorded monthly. With the aid of a digital camera with 26x optical zoom, the details of the body and foraging behavior of the visiting bee species were recorded in photographs and videos, totaling 40 hours of observations carried out between 8 and 12 pm. In addition to field observations, the study was complemented by a bibliographic research based on a floristic inventory previously carried out at the JB-UFJF and the association of the surveyed species with the occurrence of melitophily. A total of 43 species of angiosperms distributed in 27 families presented records of interactions with bees. Nine bees were identified to the species level, three to the genus, three to the tribe and one species to the family. A flowering calendar of the melittophilous species is also presented, according to the records obtained in the field. The results correspond to an important richness of biodiversity, in the case of urban forest fragments, and will contribute to subsidize the implementation of a Meliponary at the JB-UFJF aimed at environmental education, extension and scientific communication actions.