Bee–Plant Interactions: Competition and Phenology of Flowers Visited by Bees

Abstract

We present results of the flowering phenology of most plant species visited by European and Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica and A. mellifera scutellata, respectively) in the Yucatán Peninsula. Colonies from both bee types visited the largest number of plant species at the end of the wet season (September and October) and the beginning of the dry season (November). A calendar is presented to indicate the community phenology of the floral resources of Apis mellifera. Comparisons were made in order to assess potential competition between both honey bee groups and between honey bees and native bees in relation to their food resources. Trees were also a constant pollen resource for Apis mellifera and Melipona beecheii, a native stingless bee. Solitary bees and M. beecheii bee seemed to change their floral resource use, both show ‘resource partitioning’ to avoid competition. For example, two important plant families, Anacardiaceae and Euphorbiaceae, were lost to competing honey bees, but compensated for by greater use of Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, and Sapotaceae among solitary bees. Invasive generalist pollinators may, however, cause specialized competitors to fail, especially in less biodiverse environments. Deforestation, hurricanes, and fires are three factors that affect the habitat and food resources for bee colonies. Within agricultural areas, having large areas of natural vegetation, corridors, or strips of vegetation between the crop fields is important to favor adequate diversity of natural pollinators for pollination of crop plants.

Appendix

1.1 Calendar of Plants Visited for Honey and Pollen Collection by Honey Bees (Sampling Period of 2 Years)

Angiospermae	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Acanthaceae
Bravaisia tubiflora											+
Justicia campechiana	+		+			+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Amaranthaceae
Amaranthus sp. 1	+
Iresine celosia					+
Anacardiaceae
Metopium brownei	+	+	+	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+
Spondias sp. 1						+	+
Annonaceae
Annona sp. 1										+
Apocynaceae
Mandevilla sp. 1					+
Araliaceae
Dendropanax arboreus									+	+	+
Arecaceae
Chamaedorea sp. 1								+	+		+
Cocos nucifera	+	+							+	+	+	+
Thrinax radiata				+
Arecaceae 1		+	+					+	+
Arecaceae 2		+						+
Asteraceae
Baccharis heterophylla	+
Bidens squarrosa	+	+					+
Bidens sp. 1	+							+	+	+	+	+
Eupatorium albicaule	+	+	+						+	+	+	+
Eupatorium campechense	+
Eupatorium sp. 1								+	+	+	+
Eupatorium sp. 2	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+	+	+
Melanthera aspera		+		+	+	+		+	+	+	+	+
Melanthera nivea								+	+		+
Mikania sp. 1			+
Parthenium hysterophorus	+	+	+	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+
Pluchea sp. 1	+		+	+			+	+	+	+	+	+
Vernonia cinerea	+	+
Viguiera dentata	+	+	+	+							+
Asteraceae 1	+
Asteraceae 3				+
Asteraceae 4			+
Asteraceae 5										+
Bignoniaceae
Amphilophium paniculatum		+					+		+	+	+
Arrabidaea floribunda									+		+
Cydista sp. 1								+			+
Cydista sp. 2								+	+
Bignoniaceae 1										+	+
Bombacaceae
Ceiba aesculifolia									+	+	+
Ceiba pentandra					+
Pseudobombax ellipticum	+		+	+	+		+			+	+	+
Boraginaceae
Cordia alliodora						+
Cordia curassavica								+	+
Cordia dodecandra	+											+
Cordia gerascanthus											+
Cordia sp. 1							+				+
Cordia sp. 3					+			+	+
Cordia sp. 4	+	+	+	+		+		+	+	+	+
Cordia sp. 5											+
Heliotropium sp. 1		+		+
Heliotropium sp. 2											+
Burseraceae
Bursera simaruba	+	+	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+	+
Bursera sp. 1	+		+	+	+	+	+		+		+
Buxaceae
Buxus bartlettii	+	+		+		+	+	+		+	+	+
Cecropiaceae
Cecropia peltata	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Combretaceae
Bucida spinosa					+
Conocarpus erecta							+
Convolvulaceae
Evolvulus alsinoides										+	+	+
Ipomoea sp. 1											+
Ipomoea sp. 2	+										+	+
Ipomoea sp. 3	+										+
Ipomoea sp. 4	+
Jacquemontia nodiflora											+
Jacquemontia aff. pentantha	+
Merremia cisoides									+			+
Merremia tuberosa	+	+
Operculina pinnatifida											+	+
Cucurbitaceae
Cayaponia sp. 1								+	+	+	+
Cucurbita maxima									+
Cyperaceae
Rhynchospora microcarpa		+					+	+	+	+	+	+
Cyperaceae 1									+	+	+
Cyperaceae 3										+
Euphorbiaceae
Croton campechianus										+
Croton chichenensis							+				+	+
Croton sp. 1	+	+					+				+	+
Croton sp. 2				+					+
Euphorbia sp. 1						+	+
Euphorbia sp. 2							+	+	+		+	+
Euphorbia sp. 3								+
Euphorbiaceae 1							+
Fabaceae
Bauhinia divaricata											+
Bauhinia herrerae											+	+
Caesalpinia gaumeri		+	+		+
Caesalpinia sp. 1		+									+
Caesalpinia sp. 3								+
Gliricidia sepium						+
Leucaena leucocephala	+	+	+	+					+	+	+	+
Lonchocarpus rugosus	+							+	+	+	+
Lonchocarpus sp. 1			+	+
Lonchocarpus sp. 2		+	+	+	+	+					+
Lysiloma latisiliquum					+	+
Mimosa bahamensis	+	+	+	+	+				+	+	+	+
Mimosa pudica	+	+		+					+	+	+	+
Nissolia fruticosa			+	+						+	+
Piscidia piscipula					+	+
Pithecellobium albicans							+
Pithecellobium dulce								+
Stylosanthes humilis												+
Fabaceae 1						+
Fabaceae 2											+
Flacourtiaceae
Casearia nitida						+
Laetia thamnia							+
Samyda yucatanensis	+		+	+	+				+		+	+
Labiatae
Hyptis pectinata									+
Hyptis sp. 1												+
Leonotis nepetaefolia												+
Ocimum micranthum					+
Labiatae 1									+
Lauraceae
Nectandra coriacea										+
Loranthaceae
Psittacanthus mayanus										+
Malpighiaceae
Malpighia emarginata										+	+
Malpighia glabra										+
Malvaceae
Abutilon permolle	+	+							+	+	+	+
Hampea trilobata									+
Hibiscus sp. 1								+	+	+	+
Hibiscus sp. 2								+	+	+	+	+
Malvaceae 2									+			+
Moraceae
Chlorophora tinctoria	+	+	+							+	+	+
Moraceae 1								+	+
Myrtaceae
Calyptranthes millspaughii	+
Eugenia mayana										+	+
Eugenia sp. 1	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Eugenia sp. 2										+	+
Eugenia sp. 3							+	+			+
Myrcianthes fragans		+						+	+		+	+
Psidium sartorianum			+	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+
Poaceae
Chloris sp. 1								+	+	+	+
Eragrostis sp. 1		+	+	+
Panicum sp. 1	+	+							+	+	+	+
Panicum sp. 2										+	+
Panicum sp. 3												+
Paspalum sp. 1								+	+	+	+
Zea mays									+	+
Polygonaceae
Coccoloba sp. 1							+	+	+	+	+
Coccoloba sp. 2							+	+			+	+
Gymnopodium floribundum							+	+	+	+	+	+
Ranunculaceae
Clematis dioica			+	+	+	+
Rhamnaceae
Colubrina arborescens											+
Rubiaceae
Asemnanthe pubescens							+	+
Chiococca alba							+					+
Exostema caribaeum								+
Guettarda combsii				+
Rutaceae
Esenbeckia berlandieri								+				+
Sapindaceae
Exothea diphylla												+
Paullinia sp. 1	+		+		+		+	+	+		+	+
Serjania racemosa	+
Serjania yucatanensis		+	+	+						+	+	+
Serjania sp. 2							+
Serjania sp. 4											+
Thouinia canesceras	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Sapindaceae 1								+
Sapotaceae
Bumelia sp. 1											+
Pouteria mammosa												+
Pouteria sp. 1	+	+	+	+	+	+			+	+	+	+
Pouteria sp. 2			+	+	+				+	+	+
Sapotaceae 1	+						+				+
Sapotaceae 2												+
Sapotaceae 3										+
Scrophulariaceae
Capraria biflora									+
Smilacaceae
Smilax spinosa		+	+
Tiliaceae
Corchorus sp. 1												+
Heliocarpus donnell-smithii												+
Heliocarpus sp. 1	+										+
Heliocarpus sp. 2												+
Luehea speciosa												+
Triumfetta dumetorum	+	+
Ulmaceae
Trema micrantha	+	+	+	+		+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Vervenaceae
Verbenaceae 1								+