Native bees in blooming orange (Citrus sinensis) and lemon (C. limon) orchards in Yucatán, Mexico

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la riqueza y la abundancia de abejas (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) en huertas de naranja y limón en floración en Yucatán, México. Se colectaron ocho especies de abejas; el 98% de los especímenes correspondió a Apis mellifera, y el 2% restante a abejas nativas. Estos hallazgos se discuten con base en la ecología de las abejas nativas y en estudios previosen la misma área de estudio.The objective of this study was to determine the richness and abundance of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in orange and lemon orchards in bloom in Yucatan, Mexico. Eight were collected species of bees; 98% of the specimens corresponded to Apis mellifera, and the remaining 2% to bees native These findings are discussed based on the ecology of native bees and previous studiesin the same area of study

Technological Development in the Use of <em>Allium sativum</em> Aqueous Extracts in the Agricultural Field

The advance in agricultural technology could increase their commercialization, being the agronomic management for each crop an alternative. The management of natural products is a relevant and responsible need, in order to improve the quality and production of food, and to protect the agro-ecosystem biodiversity. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to present our five-year study advances in mango and rambutan agronomic management with aqueous extract of Allium sativum and the use of natural adherent such as Melipona solani honey that improves the function of the components in the biological processes of the crop. Our results showed that this aqueous extract promotes the emission of vegetative and floral shoots, increases flower development, works as an attractant for pollinators, promotes fruit set, stimulates fruit growth, acts as an insecticide to control thrips and mealybugs and stimulates the production of defense metabolites, such as polyphenol compounds. The use of stingless bee honey as an adherent and the aqueous extract of A. sativum could be a key to potentiate the function of its components in leaves, panicles, flowers and fruits

Honey of stingless bees for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

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Effect of Citrus floral extracts on the foraging behavior of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis (Dalla Torre)

Effect of Citrus floral extracts on the foraging behavior of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis (Dalla Torre). Stingless bees have an important role as pollinators of many wild and cultivated plant species in tropical regions. Little is known, however, about the interaction between floral fragrances and the foraging behavior of meliponine species. Thus we investigated the chemical composition of the extracts of citric (lemon and orange) flowers and their effects on the foraging behavior of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis. We found that each type of flower has its own specific blend of major compounds: limonene (62.9%) for lemon flowers, and farnesol (26.5%), (E)-nerolidol (20.8%), and linalool (12.7%) for orange flowers. In the foraging experiments the S. pectoralis workers were able to use the flower extracts to orient to the food source, overlooking plates baited with hexane only. However, orange flower extracts were seemingly more attractive to these worker bees, maybe because of the particular blend present in it. Our results reveal that these fragrances are very attractive to S. pectoralis, so we can infer that within citric orchards they could be important visitors in the study area; however habitat destruction, overuse of pesticides and the competitive override by managed honeybees might have put at risk their populations and thus the ecological services they provide to us

Differences in volatile composition and sexual morphs in rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) flowers and their effect in the Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) attraction

We studied the volatile composition and sexual morphs of Nephelium lappaceum flowers from two orchards, and investigated the choice behavior of the honey bee, Apis mellifera toward the floral extracts from both locations. Our results showed significant differences in chemical composition and sexual morphs; only the hermaphrodite flowers from the Herradero orchard produced limonene and α-pinene and had longer peduncle and sepal than flowers from the Metapa orchard; on the other hand, the hermaphrodite flowers from the Metapa orchard had longer gynoecium. In the behavioral experiment the extracts from the Herradero orchard seemed to give A. mellifera foragers better cues for orientation to food sources, perhaps due to the presence of limonene and α-pinene, which are absent in the samples from Metapa. Such differences in both orchards could affect pollinator attraction and ultimately seed set and productivity. Keywords: Floral volatiles, Hermaphrodite sex, Morphological traits, Orchards, Plant–insect interactions

Melipona beecheii (Hymenoptera, Apidae) foragers deposit a chemical mark on food to attract conspecifics

Stingless bees have a sophisticated system of chemical communication that helps conspecifics find food sources. In this study, we investigated whether Melipona beecheii foragers deposit a chemical mark on food to recruit conspecifics. Our results showed that foragers preferred to visit the feeders visited previously by conspecifics over clean feeders. We also found that foragers preferred visiting feeders baited with labial gland extracts over those baited with mandibular extracts or hexane. Labial gland extracts elicited higher forager antennal responses compared with those evoked by the mandibular gland extracts or hexane. Labial gland extracts and extracts from feeders visited by foragers contain a mixture of unsaturated hydrocarbons, followed by straight chain hydrocarbons and small quantities of esters. The main component is a mixture of alkene isomers C27:1

Differences in volatile composition and sexual morphs in rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) flowers and their effect in the Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) attraction

ABSTRACT We studied the volatile composition and sexual morphs of Nephelium lappaceum flowers from two orchards, and investigated the choice behavior of the honey bee, Apis mellifera toward the floral extracts from both locations. Our results showed significant differences in chemical composition and sexual morphs; only the hermaphrodite flowers from the Herradero orchard produced limonene and α-pinene and had longer peduncle and sepal than flowers from the Metapa orchard; on the other hand, the hermaphrodite flowers from the Metapa orchard had longer gynoecium. In the behavioral experiment the extracts from the Herradero orchard seemed to give A. mellifera foragers better cues for orientation to food sources, perhaps due to the presence of limonene and α-pinene, which are absent in the samples from Metapa. Such differences in both orchards could affect pollinator attraction and ultimately seed set and productivity

Native bees in blooming orange (Citrus sinensis) and lemon (C. limon) orchards in Yucat\ue1n, Mexico

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la riqueza y la abundancia de abejas (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) en huertas de naranja y limón en floración en Yucatán, México. Se colectaron ocho especies de abejas; el 98% de los especímenes correspondió a Apis mellifera, y el 2% restante a abejas nativas. Estos hallazgos se discuten con base en la ecología de las abejas nativas y en estudios previosen la misma área de estudio.The objective of this study was to determine the richness and abundance of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in orange and lemon orchards in bloom in Yucatan, Mexico. Eight were collected species of bees; 98% of the specimens corresponded to Apis mellifera, and the remaining 2% to bees native These findings are discussed based on the ecology of native bees and previous studiesin the same area of study

Cephalic and Dufour gland secretions of Scaptotrigona mexicana queens: Chemical composition and biological activity

Cephalic and Dufour gland secretions of virgin and physogastric queens of Scaptotrigona mexicana were analyzed by GC-MS. Worker responses to extracts and selected compounds identified in these secretions were evaluated in experimental hives. Cephalic secretions of virgin queens and 1-month-old physogastric queens are constituted of 2-ketones, 2-alcohols and esters, while the cephalic secretions of 1-year-old physogastric queens are constituted of 2-alcohols and esters. Dufour gland secretions from virgin queens are mainly constituted of 2-alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons and esters, while Dufour gland secretions from physogastric queens are mainly constituted of esters, where hexyl hexanoate is the major compound. Workers were significantly attracted to natural extracts and synthetic blends of selected compounds of the 1-year-old physogastric queen cephalic secretion as well as to a blend of enantiomeric 2-alcohols. Dufour gland secretion was not attractive to workers