Diversidade de abelhas polinizadoras de Passiflora edulis Sims e Passiflora maliformis L. (Passifloraceae) em Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil e Huila, Colômbia

Abstract

The world fruit market has one of the main representatives the fruits of the genus Passiflora, which belongs to the Passifloraceae family, which originates in tropical America and has over 150 species used for various purposes. The floral characteristics of many Passifloraceae make it impossible to self-pollinate, so the participation of pollinating agents is essential to allow fertilization to occur. The objective of the research was: 1) To evaluate the influence of Solanum lycocarpum on the population increase of bees and natural nesting in the planting of Passiflora edulis Sims; 2) Record the occurrence of nesting in the rational nests; 3) Record the time of greatest visitation of Xylocopa frontalis in the plantation of P. edulis; 4) Identify the main pollinators of Passiflora maliformis L.; 5) To evaluate the efficiency of bees in pollination and production of P. maliformis; 6) Quantitatively correlate contact pollen grains in pollinating bees of P. maliformis with preferential foraging activity. The evaluations were carried out from October 2015 to December 2016 in a plantation of P. edulis, in the settlement of Itamarati, Brazil, and from August to November 2017 were carried out in three plantations of P. maliformis in the municipality of Rivera, Huila, Colombia. The samplings were biweekly, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 45 minute intervals. The most abundant bees in the Passiflora evaluated were X. frontalis and Apis mellifera. The presence of S. lycocarpum in the planting of P. edulis contributed to the population increase of X. frontalis and to the natural nesting sites. The nests traps were not efficient. The plant preferentially foraged by X. frontalis bees was P. maliformis. In P. maliformis, 100% dependence of pollinators and cross pollination occurred.