Morphological Characterization of Pollen Collected by Apis dorsata from a Tropical Rainforest

Apis dorsata is one of the important honeybee species in tropical and subtropical regions that forage on various plants including herbs, grasses, forest trees and plantation trees. However, information on the favored bee plants in terms of identity and quantity is lacking. The objectives of this study was: (1) to identify the pollen sources of Apis dorsata and (2) to develop a pollen atlas for selected plants foraged by Apis dorsata. Pantoporate, syncolpate and pericolpate pollen grains with reticulum to microreticulate exine patterns occurred in Acacia auriculiformis, Melaleuca cajuputi and Ixora congesta. Elaeis guineensis showed trichotomosulcate pollen grains with a microreticulate sexine. Pantocolpate areola pollen was found in Mimosa pudica while granulum pollen was observed in Cocos nucifera. Anacardium occidentale showed a disulcate grain with a striate sexine pattern. This work shows that Elaeis guineensis and Mimosa pudica were the most commonly found pollen sources. A pollen atlas of selected plants foraged by Apis dorsata in the tropical rainforest of Marang, Terengganu was developed.