Pollination services at risk: Bee habitats will decrease owing to climate change in Brazil

Native bees are important providers of pollination services, but there are cumulative evidences of their decline. Global changes such as habitat losses, invasions of exotic species and climate change have been suggested as the main causes of the decline of pollinators. In this study, the influence of climate change on the distribution of 10 species of Brazilian bees was estimated with species distribution modelling. We used Maxent algorithm (maximum entropy) and two different scenarios, an optimistic and a pessimistic, to the years 2050 and 2080. We also evaluated the percentage reduction of species habitat based on the future scenarios of climate change through Geographic Information System (GIS). Results showed that the total area of suitable habitats decreased for all species but one under the different future scenarios. The greatest reductions in habitat area were found for Melipona bicolor bicolor and Melipona scutellaris, which occur predominantly in areas related originally to Atlantic Moist Forest. The species analysed have been reported to be pollinators of some regional crops and the consequence of their decrease for these crops needs further clarification. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying the areas to preserve passion fruit pollination service in Brazilian Tropical Savannas under climate change

The aim of this study was to identify future distribution areas and propose actions to preserve passion fruit pollination service under a scenario of future climate change. We used four species of Xylocopa bees that are important for passion fruit pollination in Brazilian Tropical Savannas. We also used the known forage plant species (33 species) that are associated with this same area, since passion fruit flowers provide only nectar for bees and only during their blossoming period. We used species distribution modeling to predict the potential areas of occurrence for each bee and plant based on the current day distribution and a future climate scenario (moderate projections of climate change to 2050). We used a geographic information system to classify the models and to analyze the future areas for both groups of species. The current day distribution map showed that Xylocopa and plant species occurred primarily in the southern and central-eastern areas of the Brazilian Tropical Savannas. In the north, Xylocopa species only occurred in a small area between the states of Maranhão and Piauí while forage plant species were only observed in the northern part of the Tocantins State. However, both future scenarios (bees and plants) showed a shift in distribution, with occurrence predominantly detected in the northern areas of Brazilian Tropical Savannas. Possible conservation areas and the use of appropriate agricultural practices were suggested to ensure the maintenance of the bee/plant focal species.

Desempenho de cultivares de morango submetidas a diferentes tipos de polinização em cultivo protegido

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes tipos de polinização sobre a qualidade de frutos de cultivares de morangueiro e sua contribuição isolada para a massa dos frutos, bem como determinar o potencial de Plebeia nigriceps (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) como agente polinizador em ambiente protegido. As cultivares Aromas, Diamante e Cegnidarem foram submetidas a tratamentos com autopolinização, polinização por P. nigriceps e polinização livre. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em estufa tipo pampeana, coberta com polietileno transparente e desprovida de telas anti-insetos nas laterais, com 1.344 plantas. Para as avaliações, foram marcadas 56 flores primárias em botão, de cada cultivar, e considerou-se cada planta uma repetição. Avaliaram-se massa de matéria fresca, peso, diâmetro, comprimento e presença de deformação nos frutos. A polinização entomófila tem contribuição variada à massa dos frutos, de acordo com a cultivar. As cultivares apresentam sensibilidade variada à autopolinização, no que se refere à incidência de frutos deformados. A interferência da polinização entomófila na produtividade do morangueiro está mais relacionada à redução do percentual de frutos deformados do que ao aumento da massa dos frutos em si. O comportamento de P. nigriceps indica que a espécie apresenta potencial para polinização da cultura do morangueiro em ambiente protegido.

Free living astigmatid mites (Astigmatina): new taxa, rearing and use for mesostigmatid (Mesostigmata) predatory mite production

The cohort Astigmatina is divided in two major groups: Psoroptidia, composed mainly by feather and fur mites, and Non-psoroptidia, a dominant component of the acarofauna in ephemeral habitats. In these environments Astigmatina usually are saprophages or feed on fungi or bacteria. Astigmatina protonymphs undergo a complete reorganization of the body structure leading to the production of heteromorphic deutonymphs, generally specialized for dispersion through phoresy using arthropods and vertebrates as phoronts. Although most Astigmatina occur in natural environments, some species live in anthropic environments, such as food deposits, where some of them became pests; some Astigmatina infest subterraneous plant organs. Despite their economic and ecological importance, studies on the diversity and taxonomy of Astigmatina in Brazil have been rare over the last decades. The general objective of this thesis was to collaborate to the knowledge of the diversity and to evaluate the potential practical uses of these mites in Brazil. For this, new genera and species were described, method for rearing dust mites was studied and the efficiency of Astigmatina as prey for edaphic predators was evaluated. A new species of Thyreophagus (Astigmatina: Acaridae) was described based on specimens collected in Brazil, the association of three other species of this genus with stored food was reviewed and a key to all species of this genus was prepared. The genus Neotropacarus (Astigmatina: Acaridae), commonly found on plant leaves, was reviewed with the redescription of two species and description of new species collected in Brazil and from the Philippines. Two new genera and seven new species of Acaridae associated with the bee family Apidae was described and a key to Acaridae genera in subfamily Horstiinae was prepared. Several species of Astigmatina were evaluated as prey for predatory mites Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) and Protogamasellopsis zaheri Abo-Shnaf, Castilho and Moraes (Mesostigmata: Rhodacaridae), which oviposited on all evaluated astigmatids, with Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) and Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Tropeau) (Acaridae) being the most suitable prey. Seven foods and two development period, 30 and 60 days, after the introduction of 400 females of two important dust mite species, Blomia tropicalis van Bronswijk, de Cock e Oshima and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) were evaluate. With the most suitable foods, the population growth were higher than 20.2 and 15.3 for B. tropicalis and D. pteronyssinus, respectively.

Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus /

v. 1. Tenthredinidae incl. Uroceridae (Phyllophaga & Xylophaga)--v. 2. Cynipidae.--v. 3. Trigonalidae, Megalyridae, Stephanidae, Ichneumonidae, Agriotypidae, Evaniidae, Pelecinidae.--v. 4. Braconidae.--v. 5. Chalcididae et Proctotrupidae.--v. 6. Chrysididae (Tubulifera).--v. 7. Formicidae (heteogyna).--v. 8. Fossores.--v. 9. Vespidae (diploptera).--v. 10. Apidae (anthophia).

Reise in Ostafrika in den Jahren 1903-1905, mit Mitteln der Hermann und Elise geb. Heckmann Wentzel-Stiftung ausgeführt. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse.

Contributions in German, English, French or Italian.

Catalogue of the British bees in the collection of the British Museum.

Catalogue of British Hymenoptera in the British Museum. 2d ed., Pt. I. Andrenidae and Apidae.

Evaluating Promotional Approaches for Citizen Science Biological Recording: Bumblebees as a Group Versus Harmonia axyridis as a Flagship for Ladybirds

Over the past decade, the number of biological records submitted by members of the public have increased dramatically. However, this may result in reduced record quality, depending on how species are promoted in the media. Here we examined the two main promotional approaches for citizen science recording schemes: flagship-species, using one charismatic species as an umbrella for the entire group (here, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) for Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and general-group, where the group is promoted as a whole and no particular prominence is given to any one species (here, bumblebees, genus Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)). Of the two approaches, the general-group approach produced data that was not biased towards any one species, but far fewer records per year overall. In contrast, the flagship-species approach generated a much larger annual dataset, but heavily biased towards the flagship itself. Therefore, we recommend that the approach for species promotion is fitted to the result desired.

CONTRIBUIÇÃO DOS ATRIBUTOS QUÍMICOS DO SOLO NO DESENVOLVIMENTO VEGETATIVO DO PARICÁ EM DIFERENTES SISTEMAS DE CULTIVO

Objetivou-se avaliar alguns componentes químicos de um Latossolo e a relação com o desenvolvimento vegetativo do paricá [ Schizolobium amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke)] em diferentes sistemas de cultivo em áreas de reflorestamento no município de Tailândia, nordeste paraense. Foram avaliados os sistemas PP [paricá x puerária ( Pueraria phaseoloides )], PA [paricá x acácia ( Acacia mangium )] e P (paricá monocultivo) conduzidos em 5 anos pela empresa G.M. Sufredini Industrial Ltda. e coletadas amostras de solos na profundidade de 0-20 cm para análise de pH, C e N totais, H+Al, P disponível, Ca, Mg, K e Al trocáveis e calculados os valores de C/N, SB, T, V e m. O desenvolvimento vegetativo do paricá foi avaliado pela sobrevivência, mortalidade e no número de plantas defeituosas além do DAP. Os resultados mostraram que houve o aumento no teor de nitrogênio do solo no tratamento PP; a baixa fertilidade do solo no tratamento PA, mas onde o paricá obteve a maior média em diâmetro (DAP = 16,64 cm) e a maior taxa de sobrevivência no tratamento P (90,63%). Conclui-se que a relação solo-planta nos sistemas paricá e puerária e paricá em monocultivo contribuiu para o estabelecimento dos indivíduos de paricá.

ESTIMATIVAS DAS PROPRIEDADES FÍSICO-MECÂNICAS DE COMPOSTOS LVL CONFECCIONADOS COM PARICÁ POR MEIO DE ULTRASSOM

No presente estudo buscou-se avaliar as propriedades físicas e mecânicas de compostos LVL produzidos com a madeira de paricá ( Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex. Ducke) por meio do ultrassom. Para isso, foram utilizados LVL produzidos em laboratório e destes retiradas amostras para realização dos ensaios não destrutivos. Posteriormente, as mesmas amostras foram destinadas para realização dos ensaios físicos (absorção de água; inchamento em espessura e inchamento residual) ou mecânicos (resistência e rigidez à flexão estática flatwise; resistência e rigidez à flexão estática edgewise; resistência à compressão paralela e resistência ao cisalhamento paralelo e perpendicular). Os dados da velocidade de propagação de ondas e do módulo de elasticidade dinâmico obtidos nos ensaios não destrutivos foram utilizados no ajuste de equações para estimar as propriedades avaliadas. Os resultados obtidos apontaram o uso do ultrassom como uma ferramenta eficaz para a predição da maior parte das propriedades avaliadas. Dentre as variáveis independentes avaliadas, o módulo de elasticidade dinâmico obteve os melhores resultados quando comparado à velocidade de propagação das ondas.

Crecimiento del Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum cultivado en presencia de Ananas comosus var. erectifolius en Pará, Brasil.

El incremento en la perturbación ambiental y la presión mundial para preservar la selva amazónica han fomentado el cultivo de especies nativas. Con el objetivo de evaluar el crecimiento de Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke) barneby cultivado en presencia de componentes agrícolas como Ananas comosus var. erectifolius, se desarrolló un estudio en la Estación Experimental de la empresa Tramontina Belem S.A., ubicada en la Ciudad de Aurora do Pará (PA), Brasil. El diseño experimental fue factorial de bloques completos al azar con parcelas subdivididas en el tiempo, para que los arreglos formaron los tratamientos de la parcela y las subparcelas fueron el tiempo de observación, con seis tratamientos y cuatro repeticiones: 1) S. parahyba var. amazonicum, Cordia goeldiana y Switenia macrophylla:GLC; 2) S. parahyba var. amazonicum, C. goeldiana, S. macrophylla y A. comosus var. erectifolius: GLCc; 3) S. parahyba var. amazonicum y C. goeldiana: GL; 4) S. parahyba var. amazonicum, C. goeldiana y A.comosus var. erectifolius; GLCc; 5) S. parahyba var. amazonicum: G; y 6) S.parahyba var. amazonicum y A. comosus var. Erectifolius: Gc. La distancia entre las especies forestales fue 4 x 3 m y para las plantas de A. comosus 0.80 m x 0.50 m. El tamaño de la parcela fue 18 x 24 m con cuatro repeticiones por tratamiento, el total de parcelas fue 24 y de área experimental 10 368 m2. Las variables analizadas para inferir el crecimiento del componente forestal fueron altura (H) y diámetro a la altura del pecho (DAP), cada 6 meses durante 3 años. En los seis sistemas de cultivo la tasa semestral de crecimiento de la altura y DAP de S. parahyba var. amazonicum fue mayor en los dos primeros años, y siguió con una tendencia de crecimiento lento y continuo durante los 36 meses de estudio. El efecto positivo de la presencia de A. comosus var. erectifolius se observó en el crecimiento de las plantas de S. parahyba var.amazonicum.