Abstract
The euglossine bee Eulaema nigrita plays an important role for the pollination of native and economically important plants, such as the sweet passion-fruit Passiflora alata. E. nigrita uniquely collects the nectar from the flowers of P. alata, nevertheless, it needs to visit other plants to collect pollen, nectar and other resources for its survival. There are two methods to identify the species of plants used by bees in their diet: by direct observation of the bees in the flowers, and through identification of pollen grains present in brood cells, feces, or in the bees' body. In order to identify the other plants that E. nigrita visits, we analyzed samples of pollen grains removed from the bee's body in the course of the flowering period of P. alata. Among our results, the flora visited by E. nigrita comprised 40 species from 32 genera and 19 families, some of them used as a pollen source or just nectar. In spite of being a polyletic species, E. nigrita exhibited preference for some plant species with poricidal anthers. P. alata which has high sugar concentration nectar was the main source of nectar for this bee in the studied area. Nonetheless, the pollinic analysis indicated that others nectariferous plant species are necessary to keep the populations of E. nigrita. Studies such as this one are important since they indicate supplementary pollen-nectar sources which must be used for the conservation of the populations of E. nigrita in crops neighbouring areas. In the absence of pollinators, growers are forced to pay for hand pollination, which increases production costs; keeping pollinators in cultivated areas is still more feasible to ensure sweet passion fruit production.
Highlights
Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 is an important euglossine species of the Brazilian bee fauna
Female bees were most frequently observed on P. alata flowers in October, December, and March whereas males were most abundant in April and May (Fig. 2)
This pattern was exhibited by other species of euglossine bees such as Euglossa atroveneta Dressler, 1978 (Arriaga & Hernández 1998) and Euglossa annectans Dressler, 1982 (Cortopassi-Laurino et al 2009)
Summary
Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 is an important euglossine species of the Brazilian bee fauna. In recent studies carried out in Uberlândia, state of Minas Gerais, and São Francisco do Itabopoana, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Gaglianone et al (2010) reported that Epicharis flava Friese, 1900 (Centridini) was the most frequent pollinator of P. alata in both areas and Eulaema species were considered as potential pollinators According to those authors, E. nigrita visited the flowers of P. alata exclusively for nectar collection. This study aimed to identify the species of native plants that are visited and used by E. nigrita in their diet during the flowering of sweet passion fruit This information will be very important since they will indicate supplementary pollennectar sources which must be used for the conservation of the populations of E. nigrita in neighbouring areas to the crops
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
