POLLEN HARVEST BY STINGLESS BEE FORAGERS (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE, MELIPONINAE)

Data on pollen load capacity and flower constancy are discussed for ni ne stingless bee species. The foragers present high levels of flower c onstancy and often visit only one flower type (on average 97% of bee f oragers), rarely a few flower types (on average 3% of bee foragers), d uring the same foraging trip. The latter foragers exhibit no tendencie s for choosing similar sources, related either to flower type or to po llen type. Pollen load capacity (the ratio between pollen load weight/ worker weight) decreases as forager body weight increases, so it is la rger in smaller stingless bees species and smaller in larger ones. Nev ertheless, it seems that specific load capacity also depends on pollen types.