33 research outputs found

    NOTES ON THE NEST HABITS AND HOST RANGE OF CLEPTOBIOTIC LESTRIMELITTA NIITKIB (AYALA 1999) (HYMENOPTERA: MELIPONINI) FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO

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    Lestrimelitta niitkib is the only cleptobiotic stingless bee species reported for the Yucatán Peninsula. Very little is known about its biology and host range although it is recognised that its role may be crucial in the ecology of stingless bee populations. In this note we present preliminary information on the nest characteristics of this species, its host range and behaviour during nest raids

    Stock composition of northern neotropical honey bees: mitotype and morphotype diversity in Mexico (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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    International audienceAbstractThe stock of honey bees in the northern neotropics is likely a composite of European and African lineages, but the genetic makeup of most populations in this region has remained unstudied. We analyzed the genetic composition of honey bees across temperate and tropical regions of Mexico using mitochondrial and morphometric analyses. The results showed that honey bees from Mexico are descendent almost in similar proportion from matrilines of African and European origins. However, morphometrics indicate that most colonies are the result of extensive introgressive hybridization with Africanized bees. While large-scale displacement of European honey bees seems to have occurred in the tropical regions, higher frequencies of colonies with a mixed range of African-European markers were identified in the temperate areas. Our results suggest that the outcome of the hybridization between Africanized and European honey bees in Mexico has been significantly associated with climate

    Cuantificación de la emergencia y distribución de individuos en Melipona colimana (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) en clima templado

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    Melipona colimana es una abeja sin aguijón endémica de México que habita las regiones de clima templado del sur del estado de Jalisco. Se hicieron observaciones durante el otoño para contabilizar la emergencia de los individuos e inferir la posible participación de las obreras en la producción de machos. Se analizó el comportamiento de las obreras y la reina en el proceso de aprovisionamiento y oviposición (POP), se obtuvo la proporción de individuos en los panales de cría y su distribución espacial para detectar aglomeraciones de machos. En los análisis de los POP no se observaron evidencias de la actividad de obreras reproductivas. En los panales, el 65.9 % de los individuos que emergieron fueron obreras, el 22.4 % machos (sin registrarse aglomeraciones) y el 11.5 % resultaron reinas vírgenes. Se observó que la producción de individuos sexuados (machos y reinas) fue más alta que las especies tropicales, lo que pudiera ser una estrategia de esta especie para garantizar su reproducción en climas templados. El no tener evidencias visuales de la actividad de obreras reproductivas, junto con el hecho de que no se registraron aglomeraciones de machos en los panales de cría, sugiere que en esta especie y en esta temporada del año todos los huevos que se desarrollaron como machos provienen de la reina. Con los resultados de este trabajo se amplía el conocimiento de la biología particular de esta especie de clima templado y se hace una comparación con las especies de distribución tropical

    Frequency of European and African-derived morphotypes and haplotypes in colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera) from NW Mexico

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    Africanized honey bees (AHBs Apis mellifera) have been reported in NW Mexico since the mid 90s, but no study on the process of admixture with local European honey bees has been conducted. Morphometrics and haplotype analyses were used to investigate the frequency of African markers in honey bees from Sonora (SON), the north and south of Baja California (BCN and BCS). Morphometrics identified 42% of the samples from SON, 44% from BCN and 15% of BCS as Africanized. Honey bees from BCS had larger body size and formed a separate cluster from BCN and SON which were similar to each other. The molecular analysis revealed a higher frequency of African-derived haplotypes in SON (48%) and BCN (50%) compared to BCS (21%). The morphometric and molecular evidence suggests that the colonization of BCS by AHBs may be recent. Nest and food availability in desert areas and beekeeping practices are evoked to explain the reduced introgression of African genes into honey bee populations from this region of Mexico

    Hybridization between European and African-derived honeybee populations (Apis mellifera) at different altitudes in Perú

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    The current status of admixture between Apis mellifera of African and European origin was studied in populations from different altitudinal regions of Perú. Worker bees from 7 altitudinal regions were analysed by morphometrics and mtDNA RFLPs. Our results showed that the rates of admixture between African-derived and resident European populations have depended on the altitude of the region. Our finding of hybrid colonies at elevations above 2 500 m supports the hypothesis that climate alone may not restrain the northern limit of the distribution of African-derived honeybees in the Americas. We conclude that introgressive hybridization between African and European derived honeybees best explains the current patterns of distribution of morphotypes and mitotypes across the different regions of Peru

    Dispersal ability of male orchid bees and direct evidence for long-range flights

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    International audienceAbstractMale Neotropical orchid bees collect volatile chemicals from various sources in the environment in order to compose their characteristic perfume bouquets. Amongst other plants, over 600 species of orchids are exclusively pollinated by the bees during their quest for volatiles. Since the plants usually have a scattered distribution, it is assumed that orchid bees can transport the pollinaria across several kilometres due to their flight capabilities and a high dispersal potential. Until now, very long-range flight distances (up to 45 km) of male orchid bees have only been indirectly inferred from habitat requirements of orchids whose pollinaria were carried by captured males, whereas the distances established by direct measures (mark and recapture, radio telemetry) only span distances of up to around 6 km. The discrepancy between inferred and proven distances led us to readdress the question of dispersal ability of male orchid bees. In this study, we used tag, scratch and chemical marking of large numbers of bees to clarify two aspects: (1) the effect of moderate natural obstacles on dispersal and (2) the possibility of very long-range movements across a terrain lacking such obstacles. Our results suggest that a moderate natural obstacle (a valley separating opposite ridges) does not restrain orchid bee movements. Individual bees achieved extraordinary flight distances of more than 50 km across even terrain, extending the directly proven flight distances of male bees by more than an order of magnitude
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