Borges, Kairo Michel Lima ， Villa, Pedro Manuel ， Oliveira, Paulino Pereira
2025-10-02 PALYNOLOGY 2025 49(卷), 4(期), (null页)
The ecosystem services provided by bees through pollination are highly valuable. In addition, bees produce honey and propolis by foraging on the region's flora. The knowledge of the pollen grains present in these products allows the establishment of a botanical and geographical identity. The present study analyzed palynologically honey and propolis samples produced in a semiarid region collected in dry and dry/rainy periods. In honey, 41 pollen types were identified, and in propolis, 73 pollen types. Leguminosae and Rubiaceae were the most representative families of both products. The diversity of pollen types was higher in propolis than in honey, as indicated by both pollen spectra. Despite this, both products shared pollen types, reinforcing the relationship between the floral sources visited. The analyses revealed the essential role of Sarcomphalus joazeiro, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, and Anadenanthera colubrina as species that maintain bee colonies during periods of greater scarcity of floral resources, due to the lack of rain in the semiarid region.