Pollen types collected in the same flower field by Nannotrigona testaceicornis and Tetragonisca angustula (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) were studied and compared for two months in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (22o43'S; 47o25'W; Alt.: 580 m). The pollen loads were obtained by capturing bees returning to the nest from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., in October and November 1996. Thirty-one pollen types, belonging to 22 families, were identified: 22.58% were collected exclusively by N. testaceicornis, 35.48% by T. angustula and 41.94% by both species. Flowers from the families Fabaceae, Liliaceae, Mimosaceae and Myrtaceae and from the species Bulbine frutescens, Eucalyptus spp., Leucaena leucocephala and Tipuana tipu were the most frequently observed. The similarity index among the explored pollen sources by bees was 0.78.
stingless bees; pollen; plants