NECTAR AND POLLEN RESOURCES OF THE HONEY BEE (APIS CERANA) IN MERVEILLE: AN ECORESTORATION SITE NEAR PUDUCHERRY, SOUTHERN INDIA.

Weekly surveys of bee visiting plants in a mosaic landscape at Merveille, near Puducherry, Southern India were conducted from March 2018 to Feb. 2020 in order to determine a sustainable habitat for the cavity-nesting honey bee Apis cerana Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apidae). A total of 145 species from 59 families were identified as bee-visiting plants, with 46 (31.7%) providing mainly nectar, 26 (17.9%) primarily pollen and 73 (50.4%) providing both. The Fabaceae are the most bee-visiting family, followed by Rubiaceae, Compositae and Euphorbiaceae. Although trees were the most predominant growth form, herbs and some exotics of different growth forms were also frequently visited. In regard to the colours of the pollen loads of bees, white was the dominant, followed by yellow with occasional orange and purple. The study finds the need for long-term field observations on bee-foraging plants in rapidly transforming mosaic landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]