RESUMO Os levantamentos florísticos possibilitam ao apicultor determinar a época de permanência de colmeias em determinado local por meio da determinação das floradas. Objetivou-se realizar o levantamento florístico de remanescentes de mata nativa da região e de áreas de recuperação florestal para fins de conservação e produção, com o intuito de auxiliar os apicultores locais a definirem estratégias de exploração racional e de conservação dos remanescentes florestais e áreas de reflorestamento do Oeste paranaense. O levantamento das plantas foi realizado nas Estações Experimentais (EE) de Entre Rios do Oeste (ERO) e de Marechal Cândido Rondon (MCR), ambas vinculadas à Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste) e no Refúgio Biológico de Santa Helena (RB-SH), que é uma Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico (ARIE). Nas EE da Unioeste, MCR e ERO, foi delimitada, para cada ponto, uma área de 20 metros x 5 metros, pelo método de parcelas de áreas fixas retangulares e realizada a coleta de cada espécie em fase reprodutiva. Para mapeamento das áreas de coleta de plantas, foram georreferenciados quatro pontos em cada estação. As coletas foram quinzenais e mensais de dezembro de 2017 a novembro de 2019. No RB-SH, o método utilizado foi o de caminhamento nas trilhas ecológicas pré-existentes no local e o levantamento foi realizado por meio de coletas quinzenais de amostras botânicas em fase reprodutiva entre os meses de agosto de 2017 a junho de 2018. Foram coletadas 173 plantas, das quais 121 foram identificadas, sendo 103 em nível de espécie, nove em nível de gênero e nove em nível de família, pertencentes a 41 famílias botânicas. O índice de Shannon-Wiener (H’) geral foi de 3,15 nats indivíduo-1, sendo os valores encontrados de 2,30 nats indivíduo-1 em MCR; 2,94 nats indivíduo-1 em ERO e 4,22 nats indivíduo-1 no RB-SH. Com relação aos índices de similaridade, o menor valor foi observado entre as áreas amostradas de RB-SH e MCR e o maior entre ERO e RB-SH. Conclui-se que as famílias botânicas Poaceae e Myrtaceae foram representativas nos méis analisados, sendo identificados nas amostras de mel de Apis mellifera os tipos polínicos Myrceugenia euosma, Urochloa arrecta, Triticum aestivum, Albizia niopoides, Avena sativa e Eugenia uniflora.

ABSTRACT Floristic surveys make it possible for the beekeeper to determine the time of permanence of hives in a given location by determining the flowering. The objective was to carry out the floristic survey of remnants of a native forest in the region and areas of forest recovery for the purposes of conservation and production, in order to assist local beekeepers to define strategies for rational exploration and conservation of forest remnants and reforestation areas from western Paraná state. The plant surveys were carried out at the Experimental Stations (EE) of Entre Rios do Oeste (ERO) and Marechal Cândido Rondon (MCR), both linked to the State University of Western Paraná (Unioeste) and at the Biological Refuge of Santa Helena (RB-SH), which is an Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE). At the EE of Unioeste, MCR and ERO, an area of 20 meters x 5 meters was delimited for each point, by the method of plots of fixed rectangular areas, and the collection of each species in the reproductive phase was carried out. To map plant collection areas, four points were georeferenced in each season. The collections were biweekly and monthly from December 2017 to November 2019. At RB-SH the method used was to walk the pre-existing ecological trails at the site and the survey was carried out by means of biweekly collections of botanical samples in the reproductive phase, between August 2017 and June 2018. One hundred and seventy-three (173) plants were collected, 121 of which were identified, 103 at the species level, nine at the genus level and nine at the family level, belonging to 41 botanical families. The general Shannon-Wiener index (H’) was 3.15 nats individual-1, with the values found being 2.30 nats individual-1 in MCR; 2.94 nats individual-1 in ERO and 4.22 nats individual-1 in RB-SH. Regarding similarity indices, the lowest value was observed between the sampled areas of RB-SH and MCR and the highest between ERO and RB-SH. It is concluded that the botanical families Poaceae and Myrtaceae, were representative in the analyzed honeys, being identified in the honey samples of Apis mellifera the pollen types Myrceugenia euosma, Urochloa arrecta, Triticum aestivum, Albizia niopoides, Avena sativa and Eugenia uniflora.

Abstract The Southern region of Brazil is known for its floral diversity, presenting great potential for bee products such as honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly. In this study, 67 honey samples provided by beekeepers from 14 municipalities of western Paraná were evaluated. Physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The physicochemical parameters of the samples were in compliance with the specifications by national and international standards, presenting average values of 3.26, 34.54 meq.kg-1, 18.75%, 10.79 mg.kg-1, 0.14% and 340.10 µS.cm-1, for pH, acidity, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, ash content and electrical conductivity, respectively. The nutritive values of honey, on average, achieved 0.28% of protein from 69.09% of total sugars, 64.57% of reducing sugars and 4.28% of sucrose. Bioactive compounds showed average values of 34.83 mg GAE/100 g-1 of total phenols and 16.26 mg EQ/100 g-1 of flavonoids, enabling antioxidant activity of 2.68 µmol FE (II)/g-1 of FRAP, 1.01 µmol ET/g-1 from ABTS and 0.12 µmol ET/g-1 of DPPH. This first study evaluated the parameters through cluster analysis and observed nine groups formed, as well as the characteristics between the samples with similar reaction. We concluded that the honey samples have high similarity and confirmed the quality of the honey produced.

Phenotypic characters of honeybees, relevant to beekeepers, can be evaluated by studying correlations between them, and the correlated characteristics can be evaluated in the short term to assist in monitoring of annual genetic progress. This work therefore aims to evaluate the production of honey and propolis, the hygiene and defensive behaviours of two generations of Africanized Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae), to estimate the correlations between them and their heritability. We used 30 Langstroth beehives in apiaries in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná State, Brazil. We used a method of drilling pupae to evaluate hygiene behaviour and the velveteen ball method to test defensive behaviour. We selected ten colonies which had the best honey and propolis production, and which produced F1 queens that were then transferred to beehives at an experimental farm, in order to observe honey and propolis production, hygiene and defence behaviours of their female offspring. The estimated differences for each characteristic between the generations, the correlations between them within each generation and their heritability suggest that selection of colonies based on propolis production was more efficient at maintaining this high production than was selection based on honey production according to the performance of the colonies for this characteristic. The selected behavioural characteristics can be used to enhance performance, but not for improving yield characteristics evaluated.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an allogamic plant, which needs insects on flowering, especially the honeybees for seed production. Collecting nectar and pollen by honeybees in agricultural crops is essential to apiculture, as well as a better understanding of plant biology. The foraging behavior of Africanized Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) and its efficiency of pollination on seed yield of sunflower genotypes (open pollination and restricted pollination) were evaluated. There were peaks of visits by A. mellifera for nectar collection on the 2nd and 3rd flowering days between 7h00 and 8h30. The average density of A. mellifera during increased visitation ranged from 2.27 to 2.94 bees per capitulum. Nectar collecting bees were more frequent (2.28 bees per capitulum) than pollen collecting (0.40 bees per capitulum). On the 3rd flowering day, Helio 360 and Aguará hybrids had higher (p ≤ 0.05) number of bee visits per flower head than the other genotypes. Seed yield was 43 % higher (p ≤ 0.05) from sunflower plants that were visited by pollinator-insects compared with plants restricted to pollinators.

O objetivo do presente ensaio foi testar quatro tipos comerciais de cúpulas distintas quanto à coloração, altura, volume e diâmetro, na aceitação das larvas transferidas e na produção de geléia real e rainhas. A cúpula que apresentou maior aceitação foi a alaranjada (55,6%), seguida da amarela (37,3%), azul (36,5%) e branca (26,9%). As cúpulas que apresentaram maior peso de geléia real foram branca (347,7 mg), alaranjada (312,3 mg), amarela (284,0 mg) e azul (202,8 mg). O peso das larvas retiradas no momento da coleta de geléia real não apresentou diferença nas cúpulas de diferentes colorações sendo, em média, 42,0 ± 49,6 mg. O peso das rainhas recém-emergidas foi maior na cúpula branca (190,2 mg), seguida da alaranjada (181,0 mg), amarela (175,4 mg) e azul (147,5 mg). O volume das realeiras não apresentou diferença nas cúpulas de diferentes colorações sendo, em média, 822,5 mm³. Com relação às cúpulas de cera, tanto a porcentagem de aceitação quanto a quantidade de geléia real produzida não apresentaram diferença entre os tratamentos. A porcentagem de aceitação nas cúpulas de cera maiores foi 18,2% e nas cúpulas menores, 12,1%. A quantidade de geléia real produzida nas cúpulas de cera menores foi 151,4 mg e nas maiores foi 137,5 mg. As cúpulas branca, alaranjada e amarela apresentaram maior quantidade de geléia real por cúpula (347,7 mg, 312,3 mg e 284,0 mg, respectivamente), entretanto, a maior quantidade total de geléia real produzida por colméia, foi obtida com as cúpulas alaranjadas (1389,40 mg). Para a produção de rainhas também sugere-se o uso das cúpulas alaranjadas

The objective of this experiment was to test four commercial types of cupules, which are different in color, height, volume and diameter, in respect to acceptance of transferred larvae, royal jelly and queen rearing. It was observed that cupules which presented best acceptance were orange (55.6%). Cupules that presented the most royal jelly were white (347.7 mg). Weight of the extracted larvae (42.0 ± 49.6 mg) at the moment of royal jelly collection was not different for the cupules of different color. Weight of the recently emerged queens was larger for white cupules (190.2 mg). Volume of queen cupules was not different for the cupules of different color, being on the average 822.5 mm³. In relation to wax cupules, the acceptance percentage was greater for the larger cupules (18.2%) in relation to the smallest ones (12.1%).. The amount of royal jelly produced was larger for the smaller wax cupules (151.4 mg) than in the largest ones (137.5 mg). In spite of the white cupules having larger amount of royal jelly, the largest total amount of royal jelly produced was obtained with the orange cupules. For rearing of queens, the use of orange cupules is recommented.