Biologia floral e reprodutiva de Mimosa arenosa (Willd.) Poir. em uma área de Caatinga no sertão do Ceará.

Abstract

Studies on interaction networks between plants and their pollinators, as they generate. numerous benefits to the environment, are important for research on interactions ecological. The objective of this work was to describe the floral and reproductive biology of Mimosa arenosa (Willd.) Poir. in the District of Cuncas - CE, and identify its floral visitors. Fifteen individuals of this species were analyzed, and in each one eight inflorescences were marked, four of which were bagged (without access to visitors) and four with free access to floral visitors. Therefore, the floral and reproductive biology and visitors were analyzed for ten days, from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm. It was observed that M. arenosa is self-incompatible, as it does not produce fruits through self-pollination. Regarding cross-pollination, this species produced an average of ten fruits per inflorescence. Trigona Spinipes, with 63.3% of visits and Apis mellifera with 22.2%, were considered pollinators, as they contact reproductive structures. Coleoptera, Ortoptera and a wasp species were considered looters, as they only forage for floral resources. Diptera was considered neutral, as it does not exhibit predatory or pollinating behavior. It was concluded that, in the study area, M. arenosa depends on pollinators for their reproduction, and that T. spinipes and A. mellifera are pollinators of this species.