Fauna of euglossina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from southwestern Amazonia, Acre, Brazil

Male orchid bees were collected between December 2005 and September 2006 in 11 forest areas of different sizes in the region of Rio Branco, Acre, Southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. The bees were attracted by 6 aromatic compounds and collected by insect nets and scent baited traps. A total of 3,675 males of Euglossina in 4 genera and 36 species were collected. Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) was the most common (24.6%), followed by Eulaema meriana (Olivier) (14.6%), Euglossa amazonica Dressler (10.5%), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier (10.5%) and Eulaema pseudocingulata (Oliveira) (7.2%). Cineole was the scent that attracted the greatest number of individuals (23.8%) and methyl salicylate the greatest number of species (28) for both methods of sampling. Thirty one bees of 9 species with pollinar orchid attached to their bodies were collected. The accumulative number of species stabilized after the 48th collection. Few species were abundant; the great majority were represented by less than 50 bees. The lack of standardized sample protocols limited very much the conclusions derived from comparisons among the majority of studies on Euglossina assemblages. However, the results presented here suggest that the State of Acre is very rich in those bees compared to other regions.Machos de abelhas Euglossina foram coletados entre dezembro de 2005 e setembro de 2006 em 11 áreas florestais de diferentes tamanhos na região de Rio Branco, Acre, Amazônia Sul-Ocidental. As abelhas foram atraídas por 6 substâncias odoríferas e coletadas com rede entomológica e armadilhas. Um total de 3.675 machos de Euglossina pertencentes a 4 gêneros e 36 espécies foi coletado. Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) foi a espécie mais comum (24,6%), seguida por Eulaema meriana (Olivier) (14,6%), Euglossa amazonica Dressler (10,5%), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier (10,5%) e Eulaema pseudocingulata (Oliveira) (7,2%). Cineol foi a substância que atraiu maior número de indivíduos (23,8%) e metil salicilato o maior número de espécies (28) para ambos os métodos de coleta. Foram coletados 31 indivíduos pertencentes a 9 espécies portando polinários. O número acumulado de espécies coletadas na região estabilizou a partir da 48ª coleta. Poucas espécies foram abundantes, a maioria representada por menos que 50 indivíduos. A falta de um protocolo amostral padronizado tem limitado comparações entre trabalhos realizados em diferentes regiões. Contudo, os resultados aqui apresentados indicam que o Acre apresenta elevada riqueza dessas abelhas

Diversidade de Euglossinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em dois fragmentos de Mata Atlântica localizados na região urbana de João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil Diversity of Euglossinac (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in two Atlantic Forest fragments located in the urban area of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">The use of fragrances to attract males of Euglossinae bees has been an important tool to increase the knowledge of the group. In the Northeastern of Brazil, studies on euglossine bees are still uncommon, mainly in urban areas. The goals of this study are to identify the Euglossinae species composition, to know the diversity and the community structure of Euglossinae species, verify their preferences for different fragrances and evaluate the phenology of these species, in two Atlantic Forest fragments of the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba state, Brazil. Bees were sampled at 15 days intervals, over the course of one year, from 8:00 to 17:00 hours, through the use of traps baited with seven types of fragrances. In both areas, 1082 individuals belonging to nine species were sampled. None significant difference of diversity and relative abundance of bees between fragments were observed. Eucalyptol was the most attractive fragrance. Bees were more abundant between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Visits to the fragrances were more frequent from the middle of dry season to the beginning of the rainy season and positively correlated with the monthly mean temperature. Most species of bees visited all the baits over the year, but the number of attracted males was highest in April