Abstract
Partamona mulata is a stingless bee species endemic to cerrado, a severely threatened phytogeographical domain. Clearing for pasture without proper soil treatment in the cerrado facilitates the proliferation of termite ground nests, which are the nesting sites for P. mulata. The genetic consequences of these changes in the cerrado environment for bee populations are still understudied. In this work, we analyzed the genetic diversity of 48 colonies of P. mulata collected throughout the species’ distribution range by sequencing two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome B. A very low polymorphism rate was observed when compared to another Partamona species from the Atlantic forest. Exclusive haplotypes were observed in two of the five areas sampled. The sharing of two haplotypes between collection sites separated by a distance greater than the flight range of queens indicates an ancient distribution for these haplotypes. The low haplotype and nucleotide diversity observed here suggests that P. mulata is either a young species or one that has been through population bottlenecks. Locally predominant and exclusive haplotypes (H2 and H4) may have been derived from local remnants through cerrado deforestation and the expansion of a few colonies with abundant nesting sites.
Highlights
The land area cleared for pasture in Brazil has increased markedly in the past 40 years and has been driven largely by the beef industry (IBGE, 1974, 2010)
Damage to this environment is a threat to bees because it reduces the availability of nesting sites and isolates populations into small fragments and this may lead to inbreeding depression (Kerr et al, 1996)
A low genetic variability of microsatellite markers has been observed in 59 nests of P. mulata from five collection sites in cerrado areas of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (Francisco et al, 2006)
Summary
The land area cleared for pasture in Brazil has increased markedly in the past 40 years and has been driven largely by the beef industry (IBGE, 1974, 2010). A low genetic variability of microsatellite markers has been observed in 59 nests of P. mulata from five collection sites in cerrado areas of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (Francisco et al, 2006).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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.
