Estudos sobre a influência da variação sazonal na disponibilidade de recursos florais na coleta de pólen e néctar pelas abelhas sem ferrão são escassos na literatura devido à ausência de métodos viáveis de se quantificar o alimento armazenado nas colônias por longos períodos. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o armazenamento de alimento em colônias de Scaptotrigona aff. depilis em relação a distribuição espaçotemporal dos recursos florais em uma área urbanizada na região tropical, bem como estratégias utilizadas pelas colônias no período de menor disponibilidade alimentar. De abril de 2011 a março de 2012, a estrutura da comunidade vegetal do campus da Universidade de São Paulo, cidade de Ribeirão Preto, foi avaliada sob os aspectos da composição florística e fenologia de floração para avaliar a ocorrência de sazonalidade na distribuição dos recursos florais disponibilizados para as abelhas. Concomitantemente, foi analisado qualitativamente e quantitativamente o armazenamento mensal de pólen e néctar em colônias experimentais (CEs) de S. aff. depilis, formadas a partir da remoção de colônias mães (CMs) de seus lugares originais e substituídas por caixas de madeira vazias, as CEs, em cujas as forrageiras armazenaram o alimento durante sete dias. No mesmo período de um ano, foi avaliada a produção mensal de cria nas CMs de S. aff. depilis por meio de fotografias tomadas na região da cria em intervalos de 24h durante quatro dias consecutivos. Espécies melitófilas floresceram durante o ano todo e, consequentemente, a disponibilidade de alimento para as abelhas foi contínua. A distribuição dos recursos foi sazonal, com abundância de disponibilidade na transição da estação seca com a chuvosa e na estação chuvosa. O armazenamento de alimento foi afetado pela associação entre a sazonalidade na disponibilidade de pólen e a temperatura ambiente. O pólen foi armazenado ao longo de todo o ano, ao passo que o néctar começou a ser armazenado no final da estação seca e permaneceu durante toda a estação chuvosa. Nas CEs, a maior quantidade de alimento foi armazenada na estação chuvosa, com pico no bimestre de fevereiro-março. Mesmo apresentando um hábito generalista, as forrageiras de S. aff. depilis intensificaram, espacial e temporalmente, a coleta de recursos em poucas fontes florais. As espécies Eucalyptus moluccana, E. grandis e Myracrodruon urundeuva foram preferencialmente utilizadas no armazenamento de pólen durante a estação seca, ao passo que durante a estação chuvosa apenas Schinus terebinthifolius foi a fonte preferencialmente utilizada. A sazonalidade na disponibilidade de pólen influenciou inclusive a produção de cria, a qual diminuiu na estação seca. A disponibilidade de pólen parece ser um fator central influenciando no crescimento e no desenvolvimento das colônias de S. aff. depilis. / Studies on the influence of seasonal variation in the availability of floral resources on the collection of pollen and nectar by stingless bees are scarce due to lack of methods to quantify the stored food in the colonies for long periods of time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the storage of food in colonies of Scaptotrigona aff. depilis in relation to the spatiotemporal distribution of floral resources in an urbanized area in the tropical region, as well as assess the strategies used by the colonies during periods of food scarcity. From April 2011 to March 2012, the plant community structure in the campus of Universidade de São Paulo, located in the city of Ribeirão Preto, was studied under the aspect of floristic composition and flowering phenology to evaluate the occurrence of seasonality in the distribution of floral resources available to bees. Concurrently, it was analyzed the monthly storage of pollen and nectar in experimental colonies (ECs) of S. aff. depilis formed from removal of colonies (MCs) from their original places and replaced by empty wooden boxes, the ECs, whose foragers stored food for seven days. In the same period of an year, it was evaluated the monthly brood production in MCs of S. aff. depilis through photographs taken in the brood region at intervals of 24h for four consecutive days. Melittophilous were in bloom year-round, and therefore the availability of food resources was continuous for bees. The resource distribution was seasonal, with plenty of available resources in the transition from the dry to the rainy season and in the rainy season. The storage of food was affected by the association between the seasonal availability of pollen and ambient temperature. Pollen was stored throughout the year, while the nectar started to be stored in the dry season and remained throughout the rainy season. In ECs, the largest amount of food was stored during the rainy season, peaking in February-March. Even though foragers display a generalist habit, food collection was intensified at few sources in spatiotemporal scale. The species Eucalyptus moluccana, E. grandis and Myracrodruon urundeuva were preferentially used in the storage of pollen during the dry season, while Schinus terebinthifolius was the most frequently used species during the rainy season. Seasonality in pollen availability also influenced brood production, which decreased in the dry season. The availability of pollen seems to be a central parameter influencing the growth and development of S. aff. depilis colonies.

Estudos sobre a influência da variação sazonal na disponibilidade de recursos florais na coleta de pólen e néctar pelas abelhas sem ferrão são escassos na literatura devido à ausência de métodos viáveis de se quantificar o alimento armazenado nas colônias por longos períodos. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o armazenamento de alimento em colônias de Scaptotrigona aff. depilis em relação a distribuição espaçotemporal dos recursos florais em uma área urbanizada na região tropical, bem como estratégias utilizadas pelas colônias no período de menor disponibilidade alimentar. De abril de 2011 a março de 2012, a estrutura da comunidade vegetal do campus da Universidade de São Paulo, cidade de Ribeirão Preto, foi avaliada sob os aspectos da composição florística e fenologia de floração para avaliar a ocorrência de sazonalidade na distribuição dos recursos florais disponibilizados para as abelhas. Concomitantemente, foi analisado qualitativamente e quantitativamente o armazenamento mensal de pólen e néctar em colônias experimentais (CEs) de S. aff. depilis, formadas a partir da remoção de colônias mães (CMs) de seus lugares originais e substituídas por caixas de madeira vazias, as CEs, em cujas as forrageiras armazenaram o alimento durante sete dias. No mesmo período de um ano, foi avaliada a produção mensal de cria nas CMs de S. aff. depilis por meio de fotografias tomadas na região da cria em intervalos de 24h durante quatro dias consecutivos. Espécies melitófilas floresceram durante o ano todo e, consequentemente, a disponibilidade de alimento para as abelhas foi contínua. A distribuição dos recursos foi sazonal, com abundância de disponibilidade na transição da estação seca com a chuvosa e na estação chuvosa. O armazenamento de alimento foi afetado pela associação entre a sazonalidade na disponibilidade de pólen e a temperatura ambiente. O pólen foi armazenado ao longo de todo o ano, ao passo que o néctar começou a ser armazenado no final da estação seca e permaneceu durante toda a estação chuvosa. Nas CEs, a maior quantidade de alimento foi armazenada na estação chuvosa, com pico no bimestre de fevereiro-março. Mesmo apresentando um hábito generalista, as forrageiras de S. aff. depilis intensificaram, espacial e temporalmente, a coleta de recursos em poucas fontes florais. As espécies Eucalyptus moluccana, E. grandis e Myracrodruon urundeuva foram preferencialmente utilizadas no armazenamento de pólen durante a estação seca, ao passo que durante a estação chuvosa apenas Schinus terebinthifolius foi a fonte preferencialmente utilizada. A sazonalidade na disponibilidade de pólen influenciou inclusive a produção de cria, a qual diminuiu na estação seca. A disponibilidade de pólen parece ser um fator central influenciando no crescimento e no desenvolvimento das colônias de S. aff. depilis. / Studies on the influence of seasonal variation in the availability of floral resources on the collection of pollen and nectar by stingless bees are scarce due to lack of methods to quantify the stored food in the colonies for long periods of time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the storage of food in colonies of Scaptotrigona aff. depilis in relation to the spatiotemporal distribution of floral resources in an urbanized area in the tropical region, as well as assess the strategies used by the colonies during periods of food scarcity. From April 2011 to March 2012, the plant community structure in the campus of Universidade de São Paulo, located in the city of Ribeirão Preto, was studied under the aspect of floristic composition and flowering phenology to evaluate the occurrence of seasonality in the distribution of floral resources available to bees. Concurrently, it was analyzed the monthly storage of pollen and nectar in experimental colonies (ECs) of S. aff. depilis formed from removal of colonies (MCs) from their original places and replaced by empty wooden boxes, the ECs, whose foragers stored food for seven days. In the same period of an year, it was evaluated the monthly brood production in MCs of S. aff. depilis through photographs taken in the brood region at intervals of 24h for four consecutive days. Melittophilous were in bloom year-round, and therefore the availability of food resources was continuous for bees. The resource distribution was seasonal, with plenty of available resources in the transition from the dry to the rainy season and in the rainy season. The storage of food was affected by the association between the seasonal availability of pollen and ambient temperature. Pollen was stored throughout the year, while the nectar started to be stored in the dry season and remained throughout the rainy season. In ECs, the largest amount of food was stored during the rainy season, peaking in February-March. Even though foragers display a generalist habit, food collection was intensified at few sources in spatiotemporal scale. The species Eucalyptus moluccana, E. grandis and Myracrodruon urundeuva were preferentially used in the storage of pollen during the dry season, while Schinus terebinthifolius was the most frequently used species during the rainy season. Seasonality in pollen availability also influenced brood production, which decreased in the dry season. The availability of pollen seems to be a central parameter influencing the growth and development of S. aff. depilis colonies.

La malnutrition est identifiée comme l’un des facteurs potentiellement responsables des mortalités élevées de colonies d’abeilles des dernières années au Québec. Pour contrer cela, les apiculteurs donnent des suppléments de pollen à leurs colonies, mais les impacts d’une telle pratique à diverses périodes sont méconnus. Les effets de la disponibilité du pollen sur le développement de colonies d’abeilles ont été mesurés pendant 3 différentes périodes : au printemps, durant la pollinisation de la canneberge et à la fin de l’été. À chacune des périodes correspondait une expérience distincte utilisant 40 colonies. Pour chaque expérience, des conditions d’abondance de supplément de pollen et de restriction de pollen naturel étaient créées chez les colonies pendant un mois selon un plan d’expérience factorielle 2x2. L’élevage du couvain et la récolte de miel ont été mesurés jusqu’à la fin de l’été (début de l’été suivant pour l’expérience de fin d’été). Au printemps, les colonies restreintes en pollen naturel ont élevé 18% moins de couvain (p<0.05) pendant la période de restriction et 11% de moins à la fin de l’été alors que l’utilisation du supplément n’a eu aucun effet (p>0.05). Les colonies supplémentées durant la pollinisation des canneberges ont élevé moins de couvain (p<0.05) à la fin de l’été. Pour l’expérience de fin d’été, les colonies supplémentées ont eut une meilleure reprise printanière (p<0.05) de l’élevage du couvain (60% de plus) alors qu’une restriction en pollen naturel avait un effet négatif (p>0.05). Les récoltes de miel ont été augmentées (p<0.05) de 1,3 kg pendant la pollinisation de la canneberge alors qu’elles ont été diminuées (p<0.05)par une restriction en pollen naturel de 4,2 kg à la fin de l’été et de 15 kg au printemps. / The use of pollen supplement is a countermeasure to honey bee malnutrition which is identified as one of the factors causing high colonies losses over the past few years in Quebec. There is little documentation on the results of using pollen supplement during different periods. The effects of pollen availability and supplementation on the development of honey bee colonies were examined during 3 different periods: in spring, during cranberry pollination and in late summer. Each period was a distinct study using 40 different colonies. In each study, pollen supplemented and pollen restricted conditions were created for one month in 10 colonies per treatment group in a 2x2 factorial design experiment. Brood rearing and honey yield were monitored until the end of summer for the spring and the cranberry pollination studies and until the end of the following spring for the late summer study. In the spring study, pollen restricted colonies reared 18% less brood (p<0.05) during the restriction period and 11% less brood (p<0.05) by the end of summer while pollen supplement had no effect (p>0.05). Colonies supplemented during cranberry pollination study reared less brood (p<0.05) by the end of summer. In the late summer study, supplemented colonies had a greater (p<0.05) spring build-up (60% more brood) and pollen restriction negatively influence (p<0.05) brood rearing. Honey yield was decreased (p<0.05) by 15 kg in colonies exposed to a pollen restriction in spring. It was increased by 1.3 kg (p<0.05) in pollen supplemented colonies during the cranberry pollination study and was reduced by 4.2 kg (p<0.05) in pollen restricted colonies in the late summer study. In conclusion, pollen supplement improved colonies population when fed in late summer and not during spring or in cranberry pollination and was without impact on honey yield.

La malnutrition est identifiée comme l’un des facteurs potentiellement responsables des mortalités élevées de colonies d’abeilles des dernières années au Québec. Pour contrer cela, les apiculteurs donnent des suppléments de pollen à leurs colonies, mais les impacts d’une telle pratique à diverses périodes sont méconnus. Les effets de la disponibilité du pollen sur le développement de colonies d’abeilles ont été mesurés pendant 3 différentes périodes : au printemps, durant la pollinisation de la canneberge et à la fin de l’été. À chacune des périodes correspondait une expérience distincte utilisant 40 colonies. Pour chaque expérience, des conditions d’abondance de supplément de pollen et de restriction de pollen naturel étaient créées chez les colonies pendant un mois selon un plan d’expérience factorielle 2x2. L’élevage du couvain et la récolte de miel ont été mesurés jusqu’à la fin de l’été (début de l’été suivant pour l’expérience de fin d’été). Au printemps, les colonies restreintes en pollen naturel ont élevé 18% moins de couvain (p<0.05) pendant la période de restriction et 11% de moins à la fin de l’été alors que l’utilisation du supplément n’a eu aucun effet (p>0.05). Les colonies supplémentées durant la pollinisation des canneberges ont élevé moins de couvain (p<0.05) à la fin de l’été. Pour l’expérience de fin d’été, les colonies supplémentées ont eut une meilleure reprise printanière (p<0.05) de l’élevage du couvain (60% de plus) alors qu’une restriction en pollen naturel avait un effet négatif (p>0.05). Les récoltes de miel ont été augmentées (p<0.05) de 1,3 kg pendant la pollinisation de la canneberge alors qu’elles ont été diminuées (p<0.05)par une restriction en pollen naturel de 4,2 kg à la fin de l’été et de 15 kg au printemps. / The use of pollen supplement is a countermeasure to honey bee malnutrition which is identified as one of the factors causing high colonies losses over the past few years in Quebec. There is little documentation on the results of using pollen supplement during different periods. The effects of pollen availability and supplementation on the development of honey bee colonies were examined during 3 different periods: in spring, during cranberry pollination and in late summer. Each period was a distinct study using 40 different colonies. In each study, pollen supplemented and pollen restricted conditions were created for one month in 10 colonies per treatment group in a 2x2 factorial design experiment. Brood rearing and honey yield were monitored until the end of summer for the spring and the cranberry pollination studies and until the end of the following spring for the late summer study. In the spring study, pollen restricted colonies reared 18% less brood (p<0.05) during the restriction period and 11% less brood (p<0.05) by the end of summer while pollen supplement had no effect (p>0.05). Colonies supplemented during cranberry pollination study reared less brood (p<0.05) by the end of summer. In the late summer study, supplemented colonies had a greater (p<0.05) spring build-up (60% more brood) and pollen restriction negatively influence (p<0.05) brood rearing. Honey yield was decreased (p<0.05) by 15 kg in colonies exposed to a pollen restriction in spring. It was increased by 1.3 kg (p<0.05) in pollen supplemented colonies during the cranberry pollination study and was reduced by 4.2 kg (p<0.05) in pollen restricted colonies in the late summer study. In conclusion, pollen supplement improved colonies population when fed in late summer and not during spring or in cranberry pollination and was without impact on honey yield.