Mapping the forage spectrum of the giant honey bee Apis laboriosa : integrating melissopalynology and field observations

The giant honey bee Apis laboriosa is a key pollinator in high-altitude Himalayan ecosystems. Yet, its forage plants are poorly documented. This study documents its forage plants in Arunachal Pradesh using melissopalynology and in-situ visual monitoring. Seven honey samples were collected, of which one was found to be unifloral and six were multifloral. A total of 74 pollen morphotypes from 53 families have been identified through melissopalynology. Out of these, 58 morphotypes were from nectariferous taxa from 39 families and 16 morphotypes belonging to 13 families were from nectarless taxa or taxa with only minimal nectar reward. Thirty-six plant species from 17 families were documented through field observations. Both approaches together resulted in a record of 87 plant species from 58 families. The floral calendar revealed that the honey flow period is February-September. Foraging activity ranged from 0.04 to 2.96 visits per flower per minute and time spent on flowers varied from 1.1 to 32.2 s. These findings provide critical insights into the floral spectrum of A. laboriosa in this region.