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Exploitation of Dichrostachys cinerea, Vitellaria paradoxa, Persea americana and Securidaca longepedunculata flowers by Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at Dang (Ngaoundéré, Cameroon)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2008

Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo ,
Denis Djongwangwe ,
Auguste Pharaon Mbianda ,
Jean Messi  and
Dorothea Brückner
Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundéré, PO Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon
Denis Djongwangwe
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Zoology, University of Yaoundé, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Auguste Pharaon Mbianda
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Zoology, University of Yaoundé, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Jean Messi
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Zoology, University of Yaoundé, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Dorothea Brückner
Affiliation:
 Forschungsstelle für Bienenkunde, Universität Bremen, FB2, Postfach 33 04 40, 28334, Bremen, Germany
*
*E-mail: tchuenguem2001@yahoo.fr
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Abstract

In Cameroon, the demand for hive products is growing. Honey and pollen yields are low in the country, partly because of the poor knowledge of the apicultural value of the flora. To determine the apicultural value of Dichrostachys cinerea (L.), Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn. F., Persea americana Mill. and Securidaca longepedunculata Fres., Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille activity was observed on the flowers of these plants in Ngaoundéré, from December 2001 to May 2002 and from December 2002 to May 2003. The flowers of each plant species were prospected at least 4 days per month, between 0700 and 1800 h, for recording of the nectar and/or pollen foraging behaviour of A. m. adansonii workers. Results show that A. m. adansonii harvest nectar and pollen of V. paradoxa, P. americana and S. longepedunculata. The flowers of D. cinerea were visited for pollen only. The greatest number of workers foraging simultaneously on a plant varied from 34 (D. cinerea) to 1640 (P. americana). A. m. adansonii workers that visited flowers of a given plant species once remained with this nectar source throughout the observation period. Thus V. paradoxa, P. americana and S. longepedunculata could be cultivated and protected to increase honey production, whereas D. cinerea could enable bee-keepers to increase their pollen production as a hive product. During foraging, A. m. adansonii workers increased pollination possibilities of each of the plant species.

Keywords

Apis mellifera adansoniiDichrostachys cinereaVitellaria paradoxaPersea americanaSecuridaca longepedunculatanectarpollenbee plantpollinationCameroon
Type
Research Paper
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , December 2008 , pp. 225 - 233
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2009

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