Identification of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Kenya using Morphometrics and DNA barcoding

Stingless bees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops. The identity of stingless bee species in Africa has not been fully documented. The present study explored the utility of morphometrics and DNA barcoding for identification of African stingless bee populations, and to further employ these tools to identify potential cryptic variation within species. Stingless bee samples were collected from three ecological zones, namely Kakamega Forest, Mwingi and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, which are geographically distant and cover high, medium and low altitudes, respectively. Forewing and hind leg morphometric characters were measured to determine the extent of morphological variation between the populations. DNA barcodes were generated from the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase I (COI) gene. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the morphometric measurements separated the bee samples into three clusters: (1) Meliponula bocandei; (2) Meliponula lendliana + Plebeina hildebrandti; (3) Dactylurina schmidti + Meliponula ferruginea black + Meliponula ferruginea reddish brown, but Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) separated all the species except the two morphospecies (M. ferruginea reddish brown and black). The analysis of the COI sequences showed that DNA barcoding can be used to identify all the species studied and revealed remarkable genetic distance (7.3%) between the two M. ferruginea morphs. This is the first genetic evidence that M. ferruginea black and M. ferruginea reddish brown are separate species

Loss and gain of gut bacterial phylotype symbionts in afrotropical stingless bee species (Apidae: Meliponinae)

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of corbiculate bees and are important managed and wild pollinators distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. However, little is known about their associated beneficial microbes that play major roles in host nutrition, detoxification, growth, activation of immune responses, and protection against pathogens in their sister groups, honeybees and bumble bees. Here, we provide an initial characterization of the gut bacterial microbiota of eight stingless bee species from sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our findings revealed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant and conserved phyla across the eight stingless bee species. Additionally, we found significant geographical and host intra-species-specific bacterial diversity. Notably, African strains showed significant phylogenetic clustering when compared with strains from other continents, and each stingless bee species has its own microbial composition with its own dominant bacterial genus. Our results suggest host selective mechanisms maintain distinct gut communities among sympatric species and thus constitute an important resource for future studies on bee health management and host-microbe co-evolution and adaptation.Figure S1: Alpha rarefaction curve. Figure S2: Gut bacterial genera associated with each of the eight stingless bee species in Kenya. Figure S3: Bacterial alpha diversity did not correlate with the stingless bee size. Table S1: 16S rRNA sequencing data analysis (Excel file).Supplementary material: Figure S1: Alpha rarefaction curve. Figure S2: Gut bacterial genera associated with each of the eight stingless bee species in Kenya. Figure S3: Bacterial alpha diversity did not correlate with the stingless bee size. Table S1: 16S rRNA sequencing data analysis (Excel file).The Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc Mobility, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Section for Research, Innovation, and Higher Education and by icipe core donors.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganismsam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Compounds extracted from heads of African stingless bees (Hypotrigona species) as a prospective taxonomic tool

Stingless bees are important pollinators of plants, and also producers of honey. Species within the African stingless bee genus Hypotrigona are difficult to differentiate due to morphological similarities. Chemical profiles of whole head extracts from workers of three Hypotrigona species: H. gribodoi, H. araujoi and H. ruspolii were studied by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 50 components belonging to six chemical classes: hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, terpenoids, steroids and fatty acids were identified. Twenty-nine compounds were found in H. araujoi, 26 in H. gribodoi and 33 in H. ruspolii head extracts. Hydrocarbons, alcohols and fatty acids were the major classes, whilst steroids and terpenoids were minor. Aldehydes were found only in H. ruspolii while terpenoids were only present in extracts of H. gribodoi and H. araujoi. Eight chemical compounds were specific to H. araujoi, six to H. gribodoi and nine to H. ruspolii, showing both qualitative and quantitative differences. Workers were successfully grouped into their respective species using their chemical profiles. This study shows that head extracts can be used as a reliable taxonomic tool for identifying and differentiating Hypotrigona species.The European Union (EU) (Grant Contract No. DCI-FOOD/2013/313-659: African Reference Laboratory (with satellite stations) for the Management of Pollination Bee Diseases and Pests for Food Security); the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) Research Career Advancement Fellowship (Grant no: 91419) to AAY; NRF Incentive Funding for Rated Researchers to CWWP and AAY; UK Aid from the UK Government; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Kenyan Government. The first author was supported by a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) In-Region Postgraduate Scholarship.https://link.springer.com/journal/492019-04-01hj2018Zoology and Entomolog

Etat des lieux de l'entomophagie en République démocratique du Congo : diversité des espèces et des plantes hôtes, saisonnalité, modes de consommation et enjeux de la filière des insectes comestibles

peer reviewedThis paper reviews edible insect species and the host plant diversity associated with them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including their seasonal availability throughout the year. Entomophagy practices are mapped on country scale and nationwide patterns of consumption are explored. Moreover, motives for consumer acceptance (or rejection) of insects as food are reported based on survey data and focus groups. The paper also points out research gaps (concerning notably food-safety risk associated to local species and the effects of processing techniques on nutrient contents or the digestibility of edible insects) and discusses major challenges (as the need for standardisation of local units of sale, the implementation of insects-related regulations and field studies supported by expert taxonomic input) for the sustainable development of the edible insect consumption market in the country. The inventory showed that 148 species of insects are consumed in DRC dominated by the orders of Lepidoptera (60.1%), Orthoptera (10.1%), Coleoptera (8.1%) and Hymenoptera (8.1%). Commonalities were observed throughout the country concerning a minority of the insects consumed (these are notably Rhynchophorus phoenicis, Imbrasia epimethea, Imbrasia oyemensis, Cirina forda), whereas the consumption of several edible species (e.g. Afzeliada afzelii, Hadraphe ethiopica, Rhypopteryx poecilanthes, Acanthacris ruficornis) seems to be restricted to the production areas where they occur, due probably to the absence of a trade system and people’s alimentary habits. Furthermore, host plant species for 38 major edible lepidopterans have been inventoried nationwide. Results indicated 122 plant species dominated by 4 families ranked as follows: Fabaceae (34.4%), Phyllanthaceae (10.6%), Meliaceae (4.9%) and Apocynaceae (4.1%). However, given concerns about some host plant species being endangered (Millettia laurentii, Gossweilerodendron balsamiferum) or critically endangered (Autranella congolensis), conservation strategies and methods of mass-rearing are needed. This article contributes to the growing body of knowledge detailing anthropoentomophagy in DRC.2. Zero hunge

Resolving taxonomic ambiguity and cryptic speciation of <i>Hypotrigona</i> species through morphometrics and DNA barcoding

<p>Stingless bees are important pollinators of cultivated and wild plants, contributing significantly to biodiversity and food security. Conserving pollinator plant interactions is essential to secure these ecosystems services. The use of morphological features in the identification of stingless bees in the genus <i>Hypotrigona</i> is extremely difficult, due to many similarities among species resulting in taxonomic ambiguity. Here, we apply both traditional morphometrics and DNA barcoding as complementary tools for the identification of three <i>Hypotrigona</i> species from Kenya: <i>Hypotrigona gribodoi, H. ruspolii</i> and <i>H. araujoi.</i> Our results show that morphometrics separates <i>H. gribodoi</i> and <i>H. ruspolii</i> from <i>H. araujoi</i>; however there is an overlap between <i>H. gribodoi</i> and <i>H. ruspolii</i>. On the other hand, DNA barcoding separates the three species. There was lower genetic distance between <i>H. araujoi</i> and <i>H. gribodoi</i> from Kakamega (1.4%) than between <i>H. gribodoi</i> collected from Kakamega and <i>H. gribodoi</i> from Mwingi (4.3%). The high genetic distance or intraspecific distance within <i>H. gribodoi</i> strongly suggests cryptic speciation within this species, and that the <i>H. gribodoi</i> collected from Mwingi is a putative new species<i>.</i> Thus the use of morphometrics and molecular taxonomic approaches (DNA barcoding) provide a convenient, robust and reliable way to identify <i>Hypotrigona</i> species. It also indicates the need for a thorough revision of <i>H. gribodoi</i> species.</p