Pollen analysis of rock bee summer honeys from the Prakasam district of the Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

SUMMARYThe paper deals with the pollen analysis of six squeezed honey samples collected from rock bee (Apis dorsata) combs during the period 1982–1984. All the samples represented summer honeys from tropical dry deciduous forest tracts of the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The samples, which were all multifloral, contained a total of 57 pollen types. The results indicate that Cassia fistula, Terminalia alata, Bauhinia racemosa, Feronia elephantum, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Strychnos potatorum, Zizyphus xylopyrus, Phyllanthus sp., Soymida febrifuga, Syzygium cumini, Dalbergia latifolia and Caesalpinia bonduc constitute fairly reliable nectar sources for honey bees in this area during the summer.