Meeting Abstract

P3.6  Jan. 6  Observations of the pollination habits of carpenter bees (Xylocopa sp.) with remarks on their interaction with Macroptilium atropurpureum VILLAR-FORNES, Fernando A.*; ACKERMAN, James; CUEVAS-PADRO, Ana A.; THOMAS, Richard; University of Puerto Rico fido1493@yahoo.es

Most flowering plants need attractant and rewarding features to maintain their pollinators visits. These flower attractant could be classified as a) color b) fragrances c) size and form. Macroptilium atropurpureum is a legume that can be found throughout the island of Puerto Rico. One of its most attractive features is its dark purple colored flower. Macroptilium atropurpureum grows best in sunlight; flowering is initiated in response to the onset of dry periods and to the shortening days. Xylocopa sp., is a solitary carpenter bee that flies in warm months (March to October) and reduce their activity during the months of November to February. This specie burrows the wood and form a series of chambers where each bee deposit pollen grains (mixed with regurgitated nectar). The pollen mass is placed at the end of a gallery and an egg is laid, after that the female places a cap over the cell that�s composed of chewed-up wood pulp. In the tropical areas Xylocopa sp. has been reported with at least two generations per year with broods during the months of February and March and during the summer. Specimens of Xylocopa sp. collected at the sampled sites showed high density of pollen grains in their appendages (internal parts of the legs), head and thorax. Also the pollen collected in the carpenter bees corresponded to the pollen grain produced by Macroptilium atropurpureum. Preliminar analysis reveled that the attractant used by this plant were color, fragrance, and nectar. These findings corroborate the relationship among the Macroptilium atropurpureum and the Xylocopa sp.