Native and ornamental exotic resources in pollen loads and garbage pellets of four stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) in an urban environment with riparian native forest

Abstract: An entomopalynological study to assess pollen use by wild bees was performed in an urban environment with riparian native forest in the Chaco region of Argentina. A combined method for sampling pollen loads and garbage pellets at nest entrances in four stingless bees with different entrance size and forager traffic was here successfully used. Sampling was carried out in a short period of time (late winter) and located within a distance of 50 m. Pollen analysis using acetolysis showed that most identified pollen types (31) were from native species, 12 from ornamental exotic species, ...