Abstract
The study investigated native solitary bee species that nest in pre-existing cavities in the Baturité Massif, State of Ceará, Brazil, their preference for nest substrates and aspects of these bee communities. Samples were taken in four distinct areas of the Baturité Massif using three types of trap-nests: dried bamboo internodes, cardboard tubes and rational boxes. Out of the 185 nests offered, 34 were colonized and 24 of them produced 131 bees, belonging to two families (Apidae and Megachilidae) and five genera (Centris, Mesocheira, Euglossa, Megachile and Coelioxys) from six species, including parasitic ones. Nesting preference was observed to certain types of substrates (χ²=17.89, p<0.001), with bamboo internodes being preferred by bee to build their nests, while monthly variation in temperature and humidity did not affect bee emergency. Spite of few nests foundations and the few species sampled, this work contributed to an unprecedented knowledge about the species that use pre-existing cavities in the Baturité Massif that may contribute to assist in the maintenance and conservation of this mountainous area and can be useful for pollination services of native and agricultural plants.
Highlights
The Baturité mountain range or Baturité Massif, located in the State of Ceará, has one of the few remnants of Atlantic Forest reserves in the Brazilian Northeast, with diverse flora and fauna (Santos et al 2012, Pinheiro & Sousa-Silva 2017)
Ducke’s collections were punctual and reported the existence of about 90 species of bees belonging to the families Apidae, Megachilidae, Halictidae, Andrenidae and Colletidae (DUCKE 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911)
The goal of this study is to contribute to the knowledge about the native solitary, communal and primitively eusocial bees that occur in the Baturité mountain range, State of Ceará, providing information about the structure of solitary bee communities that nest in pre-existing cavities and their preferences for types of substrates used in the construction of their nests
Summary
The Baturité mountain range or Baturité Massif, located in the State of Ceará, has one of the few remnants of Atlantic Forest reserves in the Brazilian Northeast, with diverse flora and fauna (Santos et al 2012, Pinheiro & Sousa-Silva 2017). Considered important for the maintenance of biological diversity, the Baturité mountain range preserves a true gene bank of the biodiversity of plants and animals of the region (SEMACE 1992, Silva et al 2014). The first survey on bee species in the region of the Baturité Massif was carried out over a hundred years (between 1906 and 1909) by Adolpho Ducke. Westerkamp et al (2006) studied the passage of this researcher in the Baturité mountain range and updated the scientific names of bee species found by him, along with some casual observations. They noted that Ducke’s inventory needs more details, confirmation, and amplification of the data and suggested that
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