Resources foraged by Euglossa atroveneta (Apidae: Euglossinae) at Union Juárez, Chiapas, Mexico. A palynological study of larval feeding

Abstract - Weekly larval feeding samples belonging to 51 nests of Euglossa atroveneta were analyzed palynologically at Union Juárez, Chiapas, Mexico. It was determined that E. atroveneta foraged 74 plant species throughout 1 year, from 31 May 1990 to 29 May 1991. The most important resources of larval feeding were classified as: a) polliniferous: Antirhea sp., Cassia sp., Combretum sp., Commelina sp., Cordyline terminalis, Dendropanax sp., Leguminosae type 4, Lycianthes sp., Saurauia sp., Solanum aff. torvum, Solanum aff. tuerckheimii, Tibouchinia longifolia; and b) nectaropolliniferous: Drymonia aff. strigosa, Kohleria elegans, Lonchocarpus sp. and Nautilocalyx aff. panamensis. Through the year E. atroveneta displayed a heterogeneous foraging behavior with a diversity index average of 0.83, and little overlap for resources between the solitary and parasocial nests studied. © Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris