Botanical origin of stingless bee honey from the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Honey is widely used for edible, medicinal and religious purposes worldwide. Meliponiculture involves the management and breeding of stingless bees that produce honey with greater medicinal properties compared to the honey of other bee species. In Peru, the botanical composition of honey produced by stingless bees has not been studied despite its high nutritional quality. Therefore, this study aims to identify the botanical composition of stingless bee honey from the Peruvian Amazon through a melissopalynological analysis. Fourteen honey samples were collected and analyzed from the Loreto and Pasco regions. The results revealed that pollen grains from the Melastomataceae family were very frequent, while those from Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae and Psidium guajava were frequent. Conversely, Juglans neotropica, Acacia and Meliaceae were found to be infrequent, while Alchornea, Asteraceae types, and Paullinia were classified as rare. Overall, multifloral honeys were identified, indicating a similar preference for floral resources among different bee species, regardless of their geographical location. Furthermore, the interactions between honey producers and stingless bees varied between the two studied Amazonian regions. In Loreto, beekeepers produce stingless bee honey not only for their own consumption, but also for economic purposes. In contrast, in Pasco, honey production is primarily for personal use. Comprehensive melissopalynological studies of stingless bee honey are essential in Peru to enhance the integration of scientific and traditional knowledge for the effective utilization and commercialization of bee products. © 2025 AASP–The Palynological Society.