Pollen analysis of geniotrigona thoracica honey

Melissopalynology is a microscopic analysis of the pollen contents and is used to investigate the botanical and geographical origins of honey. In addition, it also largely contributes in sustaining development of industrial meliponiculture which includes the practice of stinglessbees keeping as well as manufacturing of honey and beewax product. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the botanical origins of Geniotrigona thoracica honey by tracing the pollen sources of the plants foraged by G. thoracica. Briefly, the honey was dissolved in distilled water in 1 :5 ratio and filtered to obtain the pollens. Subsequently, the pollen was viewed under scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the morphology of the pollens. Each pollen found in the sample was counted and calculated as frequency classes of species used for the classification of "uni-floral" or "multi-floral" honey. Based on the analysis of pollen contents, G. thoracica honey was demonstrated to be a multi-floral honey indicated by the pollen species involved was less than 45%. A total of 12 types of pollens were observed in G. thoracica honey in which 8 of them were identified with the aid of pollen atlas and other published floras while another 4 of them were from unorigin species. This study has identified the plant species foraged by G. thoracica and thus potentiate in increasing the growth of meliponiculture in Malaysia.