UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

The abundance and activity of honeybees largely depend on the availability of pollen and nectar resources in flowering plants. The present study was conducted to identify bee flora based on their foraging characteristics under field crops, horticultural crops, forestry, and wild plants. A total of 63 plant species belonging to 30 botanical families were recorded during the study period. Among the studied families, Fabaceae showed the highest diversity with 12 species, followed by Asteraceae with 8 species. Brassicaceae, Myrtaceae, Lamiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Poaceae, Malvaceae, and Arecaceae were represented by three species each, while moderate representation was in Verbenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Solanaceae, Cyperaceae, Portulacaceae, Meliaceae, Pedaliaceae, and Rutaceae. Seasonal analysis revealed that the highest abundance of bee flora was observed in August (25 species), followed by April (24 species), May (23 species), September (21 species), June (18 species), July and October (17 species each), and March (16 species) at the experimental site. The lowest availability of bee flora occurred during December and January, with only 8 and 10 species, respectively. The study concluded about the seasonal variations in floral resource availability and emphasized the importance of diverse plant species for sustaining honeybee populations throughout the year.