Euglossine Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Buriticupu, Amazonia of Maranhão, Brazil1

Male euglossine bees attracted to cineole, vanillin, methyl salicylate, eugenol and benzyl benzoate, were collected from October 1995 to September 1996, twice a month, between 06.00 and 12.00 hours, at the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce Forest Reserve, Buriticupu-MA. It were sampled 1740 individuals, 37 species and 4 genera. Euglossa was the most abundant genus (23 species), followed by Eufriesea (8), Eulaema (4) and Exaerete (2). The most frequent species were Euglossa pleosticta (33% of the collected individuals), Euglossa truncata (12,7%), Euglossa avicula (6,3%), Eufriesea superba (5,2%), Euglossa fimbriata (4,8%) Euglossa violaceifrons (4,4%), Eulaema nigrita (4,1%), Euglossa cordata (4,0%), Eulaema meriana (3,4%). Cineole attracted 66% of males and 70% of species, vanillin (20%; 59%), methyl salicylate (7,4%; 54%), eugenol (5,6%; 44%) and benzyl benzoate (0,7%; 10,8%). The highest abundance of individuals (78,3%) and species (34) occurred in the rainy season (January-June). The species of the genus Eufriesea occurred only in this period. Regarding the hourly activity, the euglossine bees were more frequently found between 10.00 and 11.00 hours, accounting for 33,5% of the individuals and 86,4% of the species.

Euglossine bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Paraná State, Brazil

Species composition, relative abundance, seasonal changes in the species abundance and scent association of male Euglossini collected in a semi-deciduous forest fragment in the north of the State of Paraná, southern Brazil, were recorded. Euglossine males were collected twice a month, for twelve months, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The scents eucalyptol, eugenol, vanillin, methyl salicylate and benzyl acetate were used as baits. A total of 434 males distributed among 3 genera and 9 species were attracted to the chemical baits. Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840) (49.8%), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 (23.0%) and Euglossa pleosticta Dressler, 1982 (13.8%) were dominant in number of individuals. Among the non-dominant species, Euglossa fimbriata Rebêlo & Moure, 1995 was more common (9.0%), followed by E. cordata (L., 1758) (1.8%), E. truncata Rebêlo & Moure, 1995 (1.4%), E. melanotricha Moure, 1967 (0.7%), E. townsendi Cockerell, 1904 (0.23%) and Eufriesea auriceps Friese, 1899 (0.23%). In general, bees were more abundant in warm-wet season (September-March). Eufriesea violacea was the most seasonal species, showing activity through the warm-wet season, from October to February. Eucalyptol was the most attractive fragrance, which was responsible for 92.6% of all visits by euglossine bees.

Observations on fragrance collection behaviour of euglossine bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Male bees of the tribe Euglossini collect volatile chemicals secreted by orchids using dense patches of hair on the front tarsi. After collecting chemicals, the bee hovers while transferring these fragrances to invaginations on the hind tibiae. The fragrance collection and hovering behaviours are repeated multiple times. Here I report preliminary field observations on the length of fragrance collection and hovering phases in bees of the Eulaema meriana (Oliver, 1789) mimicry complex visiting the orchid Catasetum discolor in Kavanayén,Venezuela. I observed that in extended visits with many cycles of fragrance collection and hovering, the length of each collection phase gradually increased, while the length of hovering phase was static. This suggests either that chemicals secreted by orchids are in limited supply or that efficiency of fragrance collection drops.

Diversity of the euglossine bee community (Hymenoptera, Apidae) of an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil

Diversity of the euglossine bee community (Hymenoptera, Apidae) of an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. Euglossine bees, attracted to scent baits of cineole, eugenol and vanillin, were collected with entomological nets, from December 1998 to November 1999. Samplings were carried out once a month simultaneously by two collectors positioned in two different sites in an Atlantic Forest remnant in northeastern São Paulo state, Brazil. A total of 859 male euglossine bees, belonging to 13 species and four Euglossini genera were collected. Of the total sample, 506 (12 species) males were captured at site A and 353 (10 species) were collected at site B.In both sites, Euglossa pleosticta Dressler, 1982 was the most abundant species (45.79%), followed by Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 (20.79%). The results of this study supply new information about the diversity of orchid bee fauna in Atlantic Forest remnants as well as show that more than one site is needed to sample these bees in a fragmented landascape.

Euglossine bee communities in small forest fragments of the Atlantic Forest, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Euglossine bee communities in small forest fragments of the Atlantic Forest, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Euglossine bees are important pollinators in forests and agricultural areas. Although the structure of their communities is critically affected by anthropogenic disturbances, little is known about these bees in small forest fragments. The objectives of this study were to analyze the composition, abundance, and diversity of euglossine bee species in nine small fragments of different phytophysiognomies of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, and to identify the environmental variables that may be related to the species composition of these communities. Males were sampled quarterly from May 2007 to May 2009 with aromatic traps containing methyl cinnamate, vanillin, eucalyptol, benzyl acetate, and methyl salicylate. A total of 1558 males, belonging to 10 species and three genera of Euglossina were collected. The richness ranged from five to seven species per fragment. Euglossa cordata, E. securigera, Eulaema nigrita e E. cingulata were common to all fragments studied. The diversity differed significantly among areas, ranging from H' = 1.04 to H' = 1.65. The precipitation, phytophysiognomy, and altitude had the highest relative importance over the species composition variation. The results presented in this study demonstrate that small forest fragments are able to support populations of euglossine bee species, most of which are widely distributed and reportedly tolerant to open and/or disturbed areas and suggest that the conservation of such areas is important, particularly in areas that are regenerating and in regions with agricultural matrices where these bees can act as important pollinators

Is the capture success of orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) influenced by different baited trap designs? A case study from southern Brazil

Orchid bees are increasingly applied on Neotropical biomonitoring and bioindication studies due to the relative easiness of sampling and identification when compared to other bee groups. A considerable number of orchid bee community studies have been adopting baited traps as a sampling method, especially for replication purposes. However, the trap attributes are variable, and hitherto no evaluation of different designs was carried out. Here, five attributes of baited traps were tested: trap volume, number of entrance holes, presence of landing platform, kind of landing platform, and fixation content. We use Mann-Whitney tests to access differences in richness and abundance capture rates for each trap design. We found that volume, number of entrance holes, and fixation content do not influence orchid bees capture. However, the design without landing platforms had a significantly higher capture rate for richness when compared with sanded landing platforms. On the other hand, analyzing the kind of landing platform, we detected a significantly higher richness and abundance for the trap with landing platforms glued with sand. Despite the fact that the effects of different designs tested here were very punctual, we consider that results from samples taken with different baited trap designs are comparable. Some adjustments on trap design can be done according to the particularities of future studies.

Observations on flower visitors to Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K. and Couratari tenuicarpa A.C. Sm. (Lecythidaceae)

Bees visiting flowers of Bertholletia excelsa. (Brazil Nut tree) and Couratari tenuicarpa were collected, their behavior described and the pollen found clinging to their dorsal thorax and stored on their legs was identified. Female bees of Xylocopa frontalis(Olivier) and males of Eulaema mocsaryi (Friese) are apparently effective pollinators of Couratari in igapó near Manaus. Female bees of Euplusia seabrai Moure in litt., Epicharis umbraculata (Fabricius), Epicharis rustica (Olivier) and Eulaema nigrita(Lepeletier), as well as male bees of Eulaema cingulata(Fabricius) and Eulaema nigrita are apparently effective pollinators of adult Brazil Nut trees in the Aleixo plantation near Manaus. Only large bees capable of uncurling the floral androecium can effectively pollinate Couratari or Bertholletia.Pollen analysis indicated that all bees captured carried pollen of the host tree in question and had been foraging on flowers of plant species common in secondary growth. Secondary growth near the Aleixo plantation supports a bee guild which appeared to effectively pollinate almost every flower on the Brazil Nut tree studied. Proximity to primary forest (and to those Euglossine bee species which occur only in primary forest) therefore does not appear to be necessary for pollination of Brazil Nut trees.In the Aleixo plantation chronic low fruit set is probably due to some factor other than pollination. Since natural occurrences of Brazil Nut trees to the north and south of Manaus are associated with a higher soil fertility, low production at the Aleixo plantation may be due to deficiencies of the soil.

Bees visitors of three species of Clusia (Clusiaceae) flowers in Central Amazonia

Observations on bees visitors to three species of Clusia (Clusiaceae) flowers in the Reserva Adolpho Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil were made during three two-week periods. The three species of Clusia, namely C. grandiflora, C. panapanari and C. insignis, presented variations regarding the species of bee visitors. A total of 23 bee species visited the three species of Clusia. The Euglossini and Meliponinae bees were the most frequent visitors of the Clusia flowers. Bee collecting behavior of floral resources is described.

Five egg-laying queens in a single colony of brazilian stingless bees (Melipona scutellaris Latreille

Polygyny, characterized by the presence of several egg-laying queens, is considered as a temporary colony status. In stingless bees it is rarely observed. This paper reports the first case of natural polygyny in Melipona scutellaris colony, with five egg-laying queens.

Interactions between carpenter bees and orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in flowers of Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl. (Lecythidaceae)

Competition between two species of bees for the same type of floral resource may generate antagonistic behavior between them, especially in cultivated areas where food resources are limited, seasonally and locally. In this study, was tested the hypothesis of antagonism between two solitary bee species of the family Apidae, Eulaema mocsaryi (Euglossini) and Xylocopa frontalis (Xylocopini), visiting the Brazil nut flowers (Bertholletia excelsa: Lecythidaceae) in a central Amazonia agricultural area. The visitation time was analyzed to detect the possible temporal overlap in the foraging of these bees. Furthermore, was analyzed their interspecific interactions for manipulating flower species visited by an opponent species, as well as attempts to attack this opponent. The individuals of Xylocopa frontalis visited the Brazil nut flowers before Eulaema mocsaryi, although the peak visitation of both did not presented significant differences. Neither of the species manipulated flowers recently visited by opponent species, and there were practically no antagonistic interactions between them. Thus, X. frontalis and E. mocsaryi shared the same food source in the flowers of B. excelsa due to differences in their time of visits and non-aggressive way of interacting with the opponent. This result has important implications for pollinating the Brazil nut, and a possible management of X. frontalis and E. mocsaryi, since these two were the most abundant pollinators in the studied locality.

Physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of propolis of stingless bees (Meliponinae) and Apisfrom two regions of Tocantins, Brazil

ABSTRACTThe composition of propolis depends on time, vegetation and the location of the collection area. The objective of this study was to determine the physicochemical characteristics, the concentration of phenol compounds and the antioxidant capacity of propolis of native stingless bees (Meliponinae)and Apis from the State of Tocantins. Extraction with 80% ethanol (v/v) was performed in order to obtain the extracts. Parameters examined were: propolis mass loss by desiccation at 105 ºC, ashes, wax concentration and pH. Furthermore, the propolis antioxidant activity was measured, as well as the total concentration of phenol compounds. The extracts were also analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. The total concentration of phenol compounds varied between 121.78 and 631.29 (mg GAE g-1). The antioxidant activity expressed by the value of CE50 varied between 29.81 and 845.38 µg mL-1. High performance liquid chromatography analysis allowed us to infer the existence of phenol compounds. The results indicated that the studied propolis samples constitute good sources of natural antioxidants. The variety of phenol compounds identified in this study, and the diverse biological functions reported in literature for these compounds indicated that this stingless bee propolis (Meliponinae) and Apis has a high pharmacological potential.

Comparative study of wax glands in four Meliponini bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) producing different quantities of wax

The developmental degree of the wax glands was compared in four Meliponini bees, that produce different quantities of wax. The histological data and height average of the wax epithelium during the time in which the maximum production of wax is expected, are in accordance with the rates of wax produced by the species. In Lestrimelitta limao (Smith, 1863) a species which has cleptobiotic habits, and frequently rob wax from the attacked colonies, the height of wax epithelium was the lowest among the studied species. The cells seem to show an abnormal vacuolated cytoplasm, in the phase in which they would be producing wax.

Composition and diversity of bees (Hymenoptera) attracted by Moericke traps in an agricultural area in Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, Brasil

The composition and diversity of bees in an agricultural area in Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, Brazil, were studied from May 2003 to June 2004, using Moericke traps. The collection site, an area with 58.08 hectares, is characterized by grain production and direct planting, with 70% of the surrounding area planted with sugar cane. During the study, 456 bees were collected, distributed among 20 genera, pertaining to the families Andrenidae (4.8%), Apidae (40.8%) and Halictidae (54.4%). Specimens of genera Dialictus (38%) and Diadasia (30%) predominated in this area. The species diversity, assessed using the Shannon and Simpson indices, were H’=1.88 and 1/ D= 4.15, respectively, and the Evenness index was 0.61.

Variation morphogeometrics of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Brazil

The morphometrics of the honey bee Apis mellifera L., 1758 has been widely studied mainly because this species has great ecological importance, high adaptation capacity, wide distribution and capacity to effectively adapt to different regions. The current study aimed to investigate the morphometric variations of wings and pollen baskets of honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier, 1836 from the five regions in Brazil. We used geometric morphometrics to identify the existence of patterns of variations of shape and size in Africanized honey bees in Brazil 16 years after the classic study with this species, allowing a temporal and spatial comparative analysis using new technological resources to assess morphometrical data. Samples were collected in 14 locations in Brazil, covering the five geographical regions of the country. The shape analysis and multivariate analyses of the wing allowed to observe that there is a geographical pattern among the population of Apis mellifera in Brazil. The geographical variations may be attributed to the large territorial extension of the country in addition to the differences between the bioregions.