Foraging pattern and harvesting of resources of subterranean stingless bee Geotrigona subterranea (Friese, 1901) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Flight activity of bees is influenced both by environmental factors and by internal condition of the colonies. Information about external activity of bees is very important, because it provides data of the species biology, supplying subsidies for the use of these insects in the pollination of crops. The present work aim to evaluate the flight activity of Geotrigona subterranea (Friese, 1901) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in natural environment. This study was performed on the Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas Gerais, in the municipality Januária, Minas Gerais State. Two natural nests were observed. The activities of bees of the colonies were recorded three days each month, during the period of December 2011 to November 2012, totaling 924 observations. It was recorded the number of bees leaving and entering the nest, and the type of material transported by them for ten minutes each hour from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. The bees entered the colony carrying pollen, resin, detritus and also without apparent material. The bees began external activities by 6 a.m. at 20°C and finished at 6 p.m. at 28.8°C. The peak of activity of G. subterranea occurs on schedule from 1 to 2 p.m. Even though G. subterranea makes their nests in underground, their foraging activities are very similar to others stingless bee species that usually nest on tree cavities or aerial places. This indicate that despite their particular nesting way the external factors as climatic ones will significantly modulate their foraging pattern in a daily and seasonal way

Valor econômico da polinização por abelhas mamangavas no cultivo do maracujá-amarelo

Este trabalho objetivou estimar o valor econômico do serviço ecossistêmico de polinização fornecido pelas abelhas do gênero Xylocopa em três propriedades que cultivam o maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis), as quais estão situadas nos municípios de Viçosa e Paula Cândido, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Obteve-se tal valor por meio da técnica de valoração econômica-ambiental dos custos evitados, o qual foi de R.The objective in this study was to estimate the economic value of the pollination ecosystem service of bees belonging to Xylocopa genus in three areas cultivated with yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), located in Viçosa and Paula Cândido, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The economic value, which was R

Valor econômico da polinização por abelhas mamangavas no cultivo do maracujá-amarelo

Este trabalho objetivou estimar o valor econômico do serviço ecossistêmico de polinização fornecido pelas abelhas do gênero Xylocopa em três propriedades que cultivam o maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis), as quais estão situadas nos municípios de Viçosa e Paula Cândido, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Obteve-se tal valor por meio da técnica de valoração econômica-ambiental dos custos evitados, o qual foi de R$ 33.777,85, referente aos três anos de cultivo do maracujáamarelo. Essa quantia representa os gastos que os produtores rurais deixam de incorrer com salários e encargos sociais quando se beneficiam gratuitamente da polinização natural. Este resultado ressalta a importância, em termos monetários, do referido serviço ecossistêmico, uma vez que revela, de forma explícita, tanto para os agricultores quanto para a sociedade como um todo, o relevante papel que é desempenhado pelas abelhas mamangavas na agricultura.valoração econômica, método dos custos evitados, abelhas solitárias, maracujá-amarelo, serviço ecossistêmico de polinização.

Comparative study on the use of specific and heterologous microsatellite primers in the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Due to their high degree of polymorphism, microsatellites are considered useful tools for studying population genetics. Nevertheless, studies of genetic diversity in stingless bees by means of these primers have revealed a low level of polymorphism, possibly the consequence of the heterologous primers used, since in most cases these were not specifically designed for the species under consideration. Herein we compared the number of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, as well as observed heterozygosity in Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury populations, using specific and heterologous primers. The use of specific primers placed in evidence the greater frequency of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, besides an expressive increase in observed heterozygosity in M. rufiventris and M. mondury, thereby reinforcing the idea that populational studies should be undertaken by preferably using species-specific microsatellite primers