The aim of this study was to expand occurrence records of Lestrimelitta rufa (Friese, 1903) to the Brazilian Northeast and to document the cleptobiotic behavior of this robber species in colonies of Melipona quinquefasciata Lepeletier, 1836. Two attacks were carried out in a meliponary in the county of Barbalha (Ceará, Brazil), where pot and larval food were sacked. Even with direct confrontation between invading and inquiline bees, there was a total loss of one of the attacked nests because robber workers remained insistently in search of resources of these nests during the attacks.
Bees are prolific pollinators and are responsible for the pollination of most wild and cultivated plants. This study aimed to learn about the flight activity of the stingless bee Plebeia aff. flavocincta in tropical conditions as a parameter to evaluate the general state of the colonies, and to investigate the role of food resources and environmental factors in their flight activities. We recorded the worker flight activity (exit, when they leave the hive; trash, when they discard litter; entry with pollen; and entry without pollen) of four colonies throughout the year and monitored biotic and abiotic conditions that could affect the bee´s external activities, such as blooming and meteorological conditions. Results showed that the colonies remained active throughout the year and presented two major periods of external activity; one corresponding to the greater food supply in the field, and the other to time of the year when there were few food resources available. Also, the four flight activities were all strongly correlated with each other. We concluded that in tropical conditions, external activities of P. aff. flavocincta are regulated mainly due to the food resources available rather than the prevailing weather conditions and they are an important indicator of the general health of the colony.
About 85% of pollinating bees are solitary, but few are used for agricultural pollination. The Anthidiini tribe looks very promising in Brazil, in the light of ecosystem utility, but it is still a species with poorly scientific research[EdM1] . To fill this gap studies on the bionomics of this species may collaborate on future studies on use of Epanthidium tigrinum as pollinator. Presented research results aims to describe the bionomy and the biological cycle of the bee E. tigrinum (SCHROTTKY, 1905) in pre-existing cavities. Conventional trap-nests inserted in wooden blocks were placed in covered spaces and daily observations of spontaneous nesting as well as individually tagged bees and nests incubated in B.O.D. were carried out during 11 months in Fortaleza-CE. The results showed that the competition with other species of bees for the pre-existing cavities and the lack of food resources or nest building materials are limiting factors for the establishment of E. tigrinum populations. However, once these problems were remedied, the bees showed multivoltine behavior, nesting throughout the experimental period. Data from 16 nests studied showed that bee foraging began on average at 7:50 a.m., foragers collected pollen in the morning and resin in the afternoon, took on average 15 days to complete a nest and there was a negative correlation with the temperature for the number of nests and for the number of cells constructed. The offspring took 43 days for the emergency, presented sexual ratio of 1.2: 1 (n = 66 emerged bees) and a mortality rate of 18.5%. The number of nests constructed per female ranged from 1 to 4 with an average size of 7.97 mm. It is concluded that E. tigrinum shows potential to rational rearing in trap nests aiming crop pollination. [EdM1]
The recent decline in population of generalist bees such as those of the genera Apis and Bombus has shown the need to breed and manage a larger number of bee species. Among the species with potential use for agricultural pollination in the Neotropics, a peculiar small group has specialised in collecting floral oil. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the chemical profile and to identify the main constituents of the floral oil of the nance (Byrsonima sericea), an abundant species in the Northeast of Brazil and widely used by oil-collecting bees. A sample of 400 flowers of the nance were collected between October 2017 and January 2018. The samples were derivatised (MSTFA) and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in a Model 7890B GC Gas Chromatograph System coupled to a Model 5977A MSD mass spectrometer. The compounds were separated using an HP-5ms capillary column and identified by comparing the mass spectra with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database, and by comparison of the retention indices (RI). From the chromatographic analysis, it was possible to identify 23 constituents, especially fatty acids and carboxylic acids. The results indicate the presence of tricosanoic acid, palmitic acid and heneicosanoic acid as the main constituents of the oil under study. There is still a need for studies that would better explain the relationship of these constituents with the bees that use the oil.
The study investigated the occupation and emergence of bees that nest in trap-nests and assessed aspects of the structure of such nests, sex ratio, parasitism and mortality of bees in four areas of Baturité Massif, State of Ceará. Samples were taken using three types of trap-nests: dried bamboo internodes, cardboard tubes and rational boxes. In the four studied sites, a total of 185 artificial nests were offered monthly and 34 of them were occupied by bees. Six species of bees, distributed in five genera (Centris, Mesocheira, Euglossa, Megachile and Coelioxys) occupied the 34 trap-nests, but of this total nests, 24 presented emergence of individuals. In the rest of the nests there was mortality of the occupants. Considering the total of nests with emergence, it was obtained 139 individuals: 131 bees (28 kleptoparasite bees) and 8 coleopterans. In 34 bee nests obtained, there were constructed 162 brood cells, the number of cells per trap-nest varied from 1 to 13 brood cells and the length of these nests varied from 2.4 to 14cm. Thirteen nests were parasitized by hymenopterans (Apidae and Megachilidae) and coleopterans (Meloidae), resulting in a parasitism rate of 38.2% of the total of nests founded. In addition, mortality occurred from unknown causes in 29.4% (n=10) of individuals before reaching adult stage. This work identified the bee species that use pre-existing cavities in the Baturite Massif, determined their nesting requirements and constrains for their reproduction. This information may contribute to conservation efforts of these bee species as well as their potential use for pollination services.
The study aimed to describe bionomic aspects of Tetrapedia diversipes Klug, 1810 in order to allow the conservation or breeding of these bees. The nesting biology was studied using trap nests made with cardboard-paper tubes and plastic straws during the period between December 2014 and September 2015, in the Bee Unit of the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil. A total of 135 nests were obtained with 593 brood cells, from which emerged 448 adults and individuals of two parasitic species. The proportion of females (n = 297) was higher than that of males (n = 151) resulting in a sex ratio of 1.97:1. The total mortality in the nests was 24.45% and the majority of deaths recorded occurred at the pupal stage (33.1%). During their reproductive life, females of this bee species were able to construct up to 16 brood cells. The trap-nests removal and transfer to the laboratory shortly after finished by the bees reduced the attack of natural enemies.
The flora of mountain formations in the Caatinga biome is composed predominantly by semi-deciduous species with representatives of both Atlantic and Amazon forest. Information on the potential for bee pollen production of these species is limited. In this study we evaluated the potential of production, the temporal variation, the botanical origin and the nutritional value of bee pollen produced in a seasonal semideciduous forest in northeastern Brazil. We identified a total of 252 flowering plant species throughout the year. The diet of Apis mellifera consisted of 74 pollen types distributed in 58 genera and 27 families. We identified two production peaks of bee pollen, the highest occurring in the rainy season. Nutritional value considering crude protein, carbohydrates, lipids and mineral matter changed over the study period, with influence of rainfall on the dry matter level. Some taxonomic groups of plants showed a strong relationship with nutrients, suggesting that although the diet of A. mellifera is broadly diversified, this species devoted most of its pollen foraging effort on the genus Mimosa and the palm tree species of Attalea speciosa. The results show that the seasonal semideciduous forest of the mountain range in the Northeast Brazil presents plant species: Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Baccharis trinervis, Mimosa tenuiflora Myracrodruom urundeuva, Cecropia pachystachya, Attalea speciosa, with high nutritional level and potential for the pollen production.
