Daily Flight Activity of Trigona laeviceps AND T. minangkabau in Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Plantations in Low and High Lands of West Sumatra

Red pepper is vegetable commodity which is primary plant in West Sumatra. It can be found every where from low to high lands. Stingless bees are species of insect that visit red pepper plantations. Objective of research was to study daily flight activity of two species of stingless bees, T. laeviceps and T. minangkabau in red pepper plantations in low and high lands. Stingless bees were captured from red pepper plantations using scan sampling method from 07.00 a.m until 04.00 p.m. Each observation was done for 15 minutes per hour per day per location. Trigona laeviceps and T. minangkabau were dominant species found, each with 492 individuals (58.16%) and 354 individuals (41.84%). T. laeviceps was found in ten locations of red pepper plantations, eight were in high lands. T. minangkabau was found in seven locations, four were in high lands. Daily visit of T. laeviceps and T. minangkabau in red pepper plantations was from 08.00 a.m until 03.00 a.m. The peak of visits of both occurred at 11.00 p.m. T. laeviceps was captured in altitudes 50 – 910 m asl. at temperature 22-35.5 oC and relative humidity (RH) 32-78 %. Locations of T. minangkabau captured was at altitudes 30–900 m asl. at temperature 20-35 oC, and RH 37-78 %. Population of T. laeviceps in high lands was higher than in low lands. In other hand, population of T. minangkabau in high lands was the same as in low lands. The presence of T. laeviceps and T. minangkabau in red pepper plantations was from 08.00 a.m until 3.00 p.m. The peak daily activity of both for food foraging occurred at 11.00 a.m.