ABSTRACT
A recent bee faunal and floral survey conducted in Tamil Nadu has clearly revealed the scope for keeping A. florea colonies in places where banana is cultivated extensively and also in tank beds where Acacia nilotica and A. planifrons trees are grown. The nest densities of A. florea are also found to be high in energy plantations established with Prosopis juliflora, a major source of nectar and pollen for the bees. In Tamil Nadu, the populations of A. florea colonies are high in Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Tirunelveli districts where the mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) was established as an energy plantation a few decades ago. This tree is highly preferred by the bees for nesting as well as for its rich source of nectar and pollen.
