A Melissopalynologic dynamics appraisal revealed the strategic foraging adaptation of the honeybees ( Linnaeus 1758) to the anthropogenic impacts in the Republic of Benin.

The honeybees ( L.) rely on nectars and pollens they collect the yearlong in the tropical areas and pollination is one of the most important ecological services the honeybees perform. Shifting cultivation, deforestation, husbandry, bushfires, and pesticides are challenging factors to the melliferous flora to which the honeybees adapt for their survival. In order to assess the anthropogenic impacts on the honeybee foraging behaviour, honeys of 23 established apiaries from feral bee swarms were collected in 2012 and 2022 and submitted to palynologic analyses. The decennial analyses were performed on honeys of May 2012 and May 2022 while the seasonal analyses were performed on May, July, and November 2022 honeys. The average number of pollens per 10 g of honey dropped from 1211.26 ± 1400.54 in 2012 to 697,5 ± 668.62 in 2022. Anthropogenic plants (36.11 % of the plant diversity) represented 40.79 % of relative frequency (F%) and 11.36 % of the pollen relative density (P %) in 2012. Ten years later, the dominant pollen species shifted to anthropogenic trees, dominated by (P % = 37.5; F % = 5.1) (P % = 7.6; F % = 2.5); (P % = 6.7; F % = 5.9) and (P % = 5.0; F % = 5.9). Though the pollen species varied a lot upon the season in 2022, the number of pollen grain per 10 g of honey didn't significantly change between the seasons. The frequency of the pollen species was positively correlated to the number of collected pollen at the beginning of the dry season which may be considered as the honey flow season in the northern part of Benin. Reforestation of multipurpose autochthone plants and a better agricultural pesticides use will help secure the diversified and abundant melliferous flora required for a sustainable hive products and pollination services in the Republic of Benin.