Melipona beecheii (Apidae) Propolis Floral Origin from La Gloria Cosautlán de Carvajal, Veracruz, Mexico

This study aimed to identify and characterize the Melipona beecheii propolis botanical origin from La Gloria, Cosautlán de Carvajal, Veracruz, Mexico. We compiled a floristic inventory of 75 foraging species, and their pollen and propolis from nests. The pollen was processed by acetolysis, and each species was analyzed by using optical microscopy resulting in diagnostic micrographs. We counted 1500 pollen grains from the processed propolis, where we identified 25 pollen types; Mimosa albida, Miconia xalapensis, Sambucus nigra, Coffea arabica, Struthantus aff. quercicola, Trichilia havanensis, and Pimenta dioica, among others. Based on our results we observed that M. beecheii preferred M. albida for propolis elaboration, even though also used other trees and shrubs with numerous inflorescences, small flowers, and pollen between 9 and 35 µm, which contain phytochemicals with significant biological activity. Finally, it is important to mention that M. beecheii is an excellent pollinator that contributes to the regeneration and conservation of biodiversity; its knowledge and management could be incorporated into meliponicultural practices as an ecosystem service that will help to human population conservation in its origin place.