Stingless bees collecting pollen in durian orchards, Khao Khitchakut District, Chanthaburi Province
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Abstract
Stingless bees are small social insects that collectsnectar and pollens from plants for food and play a crucial role in pollination. The results are identified into two species: Tetragonula pagdeni and Lisotrigona furva. T. pagdeni primarily collected the dominant pollen from nectar-rich flowering plants which were Asystasia gangetica (83%), Tridax procumbens (65%), and Wedelia trilobata (53%). Interestingly, T. pagdeni collected the occasional pollen from Durio zibethinus (L.) which was “Mon-Thong (1%) and Kradum Thong (1%). Unlike T. pagdeni, the smaller L. furva focused on various plants and weedy plants with smaller flowers, which, collecting pollen from A. gangetica (12-20%), T. procumbens (14-18%), Bougainvillea glabra (15%), Gomphrena globosa (8%), Eleutheranthera ruderalis (11%), and Eleusine indica (13%), and however, no pollen of D. zibethinus was observed. Overall, the study shows that both species adapt their foraging behavior in response to environmental changes, such as El Niño and La Niña, highlighting their resilience and adaptability to survive in varying climatic conditions.
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