Floral Resources and Foraging Preferences of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in an Apiary Area of Northern Côte d’Ivoire
Adjoua Madeleine Kouassi
Institut de Gestion Agropastorale (IGA), Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Drissa Coulibaly *
UFR Sciences Biologiques, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire and Laboratoire Environnement, Climat, Santé, Ingénierie et Développement Durable (LECSI2D), Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Mouhamadou Koné
UFR Sciences Biologiques, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire and Laboratoire Environnement, Climat, Santé, Ingénierie et Développement Durable (LECSI2D), Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Nahoua Coulibaly
UFR Sciences Biologiques, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire and Laboratoire Environnement, Climat, Santé, Ingénierie et Développement Durable (LECSI2D), Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Tana Soro
UFR Sciences Biologiques, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) plays an essential role in pollination and contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and the productivity of agricultural systems. However, the availability and diversity of floral resources are key factors determining colony nutrition and development. This study aimed to identify the main melliferous plants exploited by A. mellifera and to analyse its foraging preferences in an apiary area of Loufa, in the Korhogo Department, northern Côte d’Ivoire. Observations were conducted over four months around an apiary containing 40 hives, within a 50-m radius, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A total of 26 plant species belonging to 14 botanical families were recorded. Fabaceae was the most represented family, with seven species, while herbaceous plants constituted the most diverse morphological group. A total of 5,710 visits by A. mellifera were recorded. Trees accounted for the highest foraging activity, representing 56.22% of all visits. Parkia biglobosa, Mangifera indica, and Vitellaria paradoxa were among the most frequently visited species. Foraging activity showed two main peaks, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m., with variations associated with temperature and relative humidity. Among the recorded plants, 16 species (61.53%) were exploited for both nectar and pollen, six exclusively for nectar, and four exclusively for pollen. These results highlight the importance of local floral resource diversity for the nutrition of A. mellifera and emphasise the need to conserve melliferous plants in apiary areas of northern Côte d’Ivoire.
Keywords: Apis mellifera, melliferous plants, foraging, nectar, pollen, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire