HONEY BEES AS POLLINATORS – A TOPIC OF POSTAGE STAMP COLLECTIONS Prof Wit Chmielewski Apiculture Division, Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, P O Box 4, Kazimierska 2, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland Tel: +48 81 8864208, Fax: +48 81 8864209, e-mail:
[email protected] Honey bees (Apis L.) and beekeeping are very interesting and even fascinating thema of hundrieds of postage stamps of the world. A lot of them are related to pollination of agricultural and horticultural cultivars or plants living in wild nature (forests, meadows etc.). Majority of stamps issued in several countries show honey bees as visitors and pollinators of such economically important cultivated plants as rape (Brasica rapa), red clover (Trifolium pratense), sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), apple- and other fruit-trees in orchards, strawberry (Fragaria grandifolia), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia); forest- and park-trees (e.g. willows, Salix caprea; Robinia pseudoacacia, Tilia parvifolia) and undergrowth plants (heather – Calluna vulgaris; Epilobium angustifolium, Vaccinium), weeds, herbs (e.g. Lavandula vera, Salvia), various ornamental plants and other melliferous flora (Antigonon leptopus, Astragalus sinicus, Bidens pilosa, Cassia alata, Columnea, Iris, Poinsettia pulcherrima, Ranunculus). Observations of mode of life of bees show that they are friendly not only for natural biotopes but also for artificial plant communities. Their presence on plant cultivars during their florescence period is an obligatory condition of high fruit and seed crops. Stamps showing honey bees as pollinators collecting nectar and pollen were issued mainly in the following countries: Belgium (1997), Botsvana (1985), Bulgaria (1987), Camerun (1986), China (1993), Cuba (1971), Cyprus (1989), Dominicana, France (1979), Germany /incl.