I

ANNO 3 Numero 3
Renzo Barbattini [1], Federica Gazziola [1], Djaouida Rekab [2], Franco Frilli [1], Silvia Ursic [1]

Fungal spores on the honeydew honey

[1] Dip. Biologia applicata alla difesa delle piante Sez. Entomologia, Università di Udine, Italy
[2] Dip. Biologia applicata alla difesa delle piante Sez. Patologia vegetale, Università di Udine, Italy

Corresponding author: renzo.barbattini@uniud.it

Using melissopalynological analysis (the only method that indicates the plants foraged by bees) it has been established that honeydew honeys must have a ratio between elements indicative of honeydew (fungal spores or algae) and pollen grains of nectaripherous plants (IM/P) > 3.

In this research the fungal spores present in 21 samples of honeydew honey were studied using melissopalinological analyses and isolation on plates. Numerous fungal spores were found; the most representative were Aspergillus, Alternaria, Penicillium, Torula, Cladosporium, Botrytis, Epicoccum, Ustilaginaceae, Mucor, Oidium, Fusarium and Puccinia. The following fungi were isolated on plates Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Trichoderma; one sample contained Rhizoctonia and Phoma. Probably only a part of all the fungal spores present in honeydew honey was isolated. It is hereby confirmed that the presence of fungal spores is typical of honeydew honey. Further research is needed to verify if honeydew honeys, produced in different areas, have different associations of fungal spores.