Floral-visiting bees of Solanum lycocarpum St. Hil. (Solanaceae) in Morro do Pai Iinácio, Palmeiras, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Studies on pollination ecology have been made with Solanum lycocarpum St. Hil. (Solanaceae) on Morro do Pai Inácio, a plateau located in the Chapada Diamantina, central part of the state of Bahia, Northeast of Brazil. The plant is a common Neotropical invader shrub called “lobeira” or “fruta-do-lobo” that occurs in the “Cerrado biome”. It is part of the diet of the wolf called “guará” (Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger). Both the poricide anthers and the flower of S. lycocarpum are associated with the buzz pollination syndrome, which requires bees with a specific behavior for pollen removal. This behavior is also described on the present study. The main visitors of Solanum lycocarpum in the studied area were the halictid bees Augochloropsis sp. and Pseudaugochloropsis graminea (Halictidae). Pollen grains released by the vibration of the anthers were attached to the ventral part of the thorax and abdomen of the bees which subsequently had the behavior of cleaning their bodies and transferring the pollen to the scopa. Frequently, several flowers from the same plant were visited. Flowers presented more than 87% of the pollen grains viable.