Collection of Pollen Grains by Centris (Hemisiella) tarsata Smith (Apidae: Centridini): Is C. tarsata an Oligolectic or Polylectic Species?

The article discusses a study that investigated plants used by the Centris tarsata bee species for its larval food supply in southern Brazil and determined if the bee is polylectic or oligolectic in the region. The study was conducted from March 2002 to December 2003 in the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, Guarapuava (PR) in southern Brazil. It was found that the Solanaceae plant family was visited most often, and that two members of the family were the primary pollen sources for the bees in the study area. The selective behavior of females of the bee species suggests that the bees are oligolectic in their larval provisioning.