Understanding nectar sources is crucial for sustainable apiculture with Apis cerana, yet information on these sources remains limited. We conducted pollen analysis of honey and bees' ingested nectar (mainly crop content) to determine the nectar sources of this honeybee species in West Bengal, India. Diverse pollen types were obtained from honey (33) and crop-nectar samples (47). A few pollen types came from non-nectariferous plants, and most came from actual nectariferous plants. Predominant pollen types in honey samples were Calendula officinalis, Eucalyptus tereticornis, and Peltophorum pterocarpum. The very frequent pollen types obtained from crop nectar were Eucalyptus tereticornis, Peltophorum pterocarpum, and Tridax procumbens. In conclusion, versatile pollen types (that were obtained from honey and bees' crop nectar) indicate that the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) is a generalist visitor, collecting nectar from a large number of plant species. Our results also show that pollen analysis of bees' crop nectar can provide vital information about their nectar sources (excluding a few pollen types of non-nectariferous plants) in addition to the traditional honey analysis.
How to translate text using browser tools
11 March 2025
Nectar Sources of Asian Honeybees (Apis cerana Fabricius) in West Bengal, India: Determined by Pollen Analysis of Honey and Bee Crop Nectar
Nandita Das,
Rajib Mondal,
Ujjwal Layek,
Prakash Karmakar
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
It is not available for individual sale.
This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
It is not available for individual sale.
Palynology
Vol. 49 • No. 2
May 2025
Vol. 49 • No. 2
May 2025
Apis cerana
Asian honeybee
bees' crop nectar
honey
melissopalynology
Pollen analysis
