Winter Pollen Sources to Giant Honeybees of Sindewahi Tehsil Forest area of Chandrapur District of Maharashtra State (India)

A total of 151 pollen loads were recovered directly from the honeycombs of Apis dorsata (Rock Bee) collected during December 16, 2011?November 30, 2012, from Nandgaon, Ratnapur, and Lonwahi forest area of Sindewahi Tehsil of Chandrapur District of Maharashtra State, were analyzed. Twelve (7.94%) pollen loads were found to be uniforal, 47 (31.12%) bifloral, and 92 (60.92%) multifloral. The unifloral pollen loads were contained four of Cajanus cajan, three of Capsicum annum, two of Hyptis suaveolens and Prosopis juliflora, and one of Tridax procumbens. The pollen of C. annum was recovered from 96 (63.57%) of the total pollen loads studied. The study highlights C. annum (Solanaceae) do the major pollen sources and C. cajan (Papillionaceae), Lathyrus sativus (Papillionaceae), T. procumbens (Asteraceae), H. suaveolens (Lamiaceae), P. juliflora (Mimosaceae), Blumea spp. (Asteraceae), Capparis grandis (Capparidaceae), and Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) as fairly important sources of pollen for the honeybees during the summer period. .