Eufriesea Violacea Research Articles

Reproductive success and production of nectar in Mandevilla funiformis (Apocynaceae): accessibility to visitors and effect of floral stage

The herbaceous vine Mandevilla funiformis (Vell.) K. Schum. occurs in open vegetation in the Southern Brazil. The present study was carried out in a sandbank, east of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State. Floral morphology, nectar features (production pattern, removal effects, and standing crop), floral visitors (including pollinator, robber and thief of nectar), fruit set and seed germination of M. funiformis were studied. Every plant produced an average of 31.5 inflorescences. The average total volume and the average sugar concentration of nectar were 81 μL and 24%, respectively. The bees Epicharis (Anepicharis) dejeanii, Eufriesea violacea, Bombus (Fervidobombus) morio, the hummingbird Amazilia fimbriata, and two species of Hesperiidae were considered potential pollinators. The other species were considered consumers, nectar robbers or nectar thieves. Fruit set was 35.6% and average percentage of seed germination was 68%, indicating that visitors are efficient pollinators. This study was the first to report production and consumption of nectar in different floral stages (pre-anthesis, flower open, and after corolla abscission). The high and continuous production of nectar by M. funiformis, from floral buds in the pre-anthesis until after the corolla abscission show a real food availability in different ways (pollinators, consumers, robbers or thieves of nectar).

Species Distribution of Euglossini Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at an Altitudinal Gradient in Northern Santa Catarina

Euglossini bees are found from southern USA to Central Argentina and southern Brazil. Variations in latitude and altitude can influence the distribution of these bees. This study focused in recognizing the Euglossini species in northern Santa Catarina state, evaluating the distribution over the gradient between sea level and 800 meters altitude. The bees were collected in six locations, between Spring and Summer from 2013 to 2015, using cotton balls containing the following odor baits: benzyl benzoate, 1,8 cineole, eugenol, menthol and vanillin. A total of 794 bees were sampled, belonging to 10 different species, including a possible new species. In terms of abundance Eufriesea Cockerell, 1908 (4 species) accounted for 552 individuals, followed by Euglossa Latreille, 1802 (5 species) with 218 and Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841 (2 species) 24 individuals. Five species were not found above altitude of 400 meters. Eufriesea violacea Blanchard, 1840, Euglossa annectans Dressler, 1982, and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 were the only species found in every location along the altitudinal gradient, but their abundance declines toward higher altitudes. The results surpassed the known orchid bee species for Santa Catarina state from 9 to 14 and confirmed the expected tendency of richness and abundance reduction toward the highlands.tendency of richness and abundance reduction toward the highlands.

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) are seasonal in Seasonal Semideciduous Forest fragments, southern Brazil

Seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of orchid bees have already been reported. The variations in population dynamics may be expected to occur in more predictable and pronounced manners in environments with a clear distinction between rainy and dry seasons, where climatic variables are regarded to be good predictors of populational patterns. The main goal of this paper is to investigate the seasonality of males of orchid bees in fragments of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in southern Brazil. Data comprise bait samples from five one-year periods on four forest fragments. The seasonality of species abundance was tested with circular statistics. Results suggest two phenological patterns, one for Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier and Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus), whose abundances are concentrated in late spring and early-middle summer and another for Euglossa fimbriata Moure with a tendency to be collected in middle-late summer and early autumn. These patterns are discussed, as well the possible driven factors, (i) the species life cycle and nesting behavior, (ii) synchrony with resource, and (iii) climate. We can postulate an important impact of climate change in local euglossine assemblage due to the small populations and marked seasonality.

News from the west: the orchid bees from Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina)

Abstract: Orchid bees were surveyed at Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, the largest remnant of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in Brazil. Seven species were collected, and Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) was the most common species, followed by Euglossa annectans Dressler. The observed species richness and species composition agree with what is known for the local euglossine faunas in fragments of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest of southern and southeastern Brazil. On the other hand, the abundance of individuals was remarkably low. The occurrence of a severe winter in 2013 and the collection of several males in other fragments suggest that this noteworthy low abundance can be fortuitous.

New Geographical Records of Two Species ofEufrieseaCockerell, 1908 (Apidae: Euglossini) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and the Use of a New Fragrance to Attract Orchid Bees

The genus Eufriesea is usually represented by few species, and in most cases, by low number of individuals in samples collected from the Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil. The present study extends the geographic distribution of Eufriesea dentilabris (Mocsary, 1897) and E. mussitans Fabricius, 1787, which are recorded for the first time in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Males of E. dentilabris were collected with pollinia of Catasetum flowers (Orchidaceae). We discuss the use of a new aromatic bait with a mint base which is inexpensive and was attractive to four Euglossini species: Eufriesea dentilabris, Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840), Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius, 1804) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841.

Two orchids, one scent? Floral volatiles of Catasetum cernuum and Gongora bufonia suggest convergent evolution to a unique pollination niche

Floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important signals in plant-pollinator communication and thus subjected to olfactory-mediated selection. Occasionally, phylogenetically unrelated plant species will converge towards similar patterns of floral scent signalling to harness pollinators, representing a common adaptive pollination niche. Catasetum cernuum and Gongora bufonia, epiphytic orchids that are native to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America, are exclusively pollinated by male Eufriesea violacea orchid-bees; we hypothesised that the two species have converged towards similar floral scent compositions to effectively attract these particular fragrance-seeking floral visitors. The similarity of the chemical composition of floral scent samples obtained through headspace collection was tested using multiple approaches of multivariate analyses (Multiple Response Permutation Procedure—MRPP). According to MRPP, floral scents of C. cernuum and G. bufonia are significantly different. Additionally, the floral scents of C. cernuum and G. bufonia present (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-epoxyocimene as their major compounds, respectively. (E)-β-ocimene is a common constituent of floral scents from euglossine-pollinated orchids, while (E)-epoxyocimene is quite rare in orchids’ floral scents and it is found in only a few other species which occur outside the distribution range of C. cernuum, G. bufonia and E. violacea. However, 12 out of the 34 identified VOCs, including (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-epoxyocimene, are shared between both species. Therefore, we assume that both (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-epoxyocimene, either alone or mixed with other floral VOCs, play a major role in the specific association between these two orchids and their exclusive euglossine pollinator.

First report of the cleptoparasitic wasp Huarpea wagneriella (du Buysson) (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae) attacking nests of the orchid bee Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Sapygid females parasitize nests of solitary wasps (Sphecidae and Vespidae) and bees (Apidae, Colletidae and Megachilidae). Here it is reported for the first time the cleptoparasitism on a nest of an orchid bee species, Eufriesea violacea, by the sapygid Huarpea wagneriella. Likewise its host, H. wagneriella specimens underwent diapause for approximately eight to nine months.

Structural and ultrastructural characterization of the floral lip in Gongora bufonia (Orchidaceae): understanding the slip-and-fall pollination mechanism

In this study, we investigated the pollination ecology and floral lip morphology of Gongora bufonia Lindl., an epiphytic orchid from tropical forest, to better understand the peculiarities of its unusual pollination mechanism. Field observations on pollination were performed and floral lip samples were prepared for anatomical, histochemical, and ultrastructural analyses. Male Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) bees use the second and third pairs of legs to hold on the epichile and collect the fragrance in the hypochile region. During this process, the bee slips and falls on the column and receives the pollinarium, which is attached to the rear edge of the bee’s scutellum. A subsequent visit (usually to another flower) and fall through the flower may result in insertion of a pollinium into the stigmatic slit at the apex of the column. The fragrance production occurs in the hypochile region, specifically in the papillose epidermal cells and in the subepidermal parenchyma layers. The wax production occurs in the epichile region, exclusively in the epidermal cells. The cells of both regions, hypochile and epichile, have ultrastructural features of lipophilic secretion. The slippery quality of the epichile epidermis is due to wax deposits; this is probably essential to the pollination mechanism of G. bufonia.

Orchid bees: a new assessment on the rarity of diploid males in populations of this group of Neotropical pollinators

The incidence of diploid males among 1457 individuals of different populations of six euglossine bee species (Eufriesea violacea, Eulaema cingulata, Euglossa annectans, Euglossa iopoecila, Euglossa pleosticta and Euglossa truncata) was investigated with microsatellite markers. Bees were surveyed in Atlantic Forest fragments showing different sizes and degrees of human interference. Our analyses revealed that, although the frequencies of diploid males remained below 10 % for five out of six species studied, the frequencies of these males in three populations of Eg. annectans were above 15.0 %. For this species, while the average estimate of diploid males was around 11.0 %, the highest percentage (27 %) of such males was found for the population from an island. Our findings indicate that the frequency of diploid males can vary substantially among species and this fact should be taking into consideration in studies and conservation actions involving different euglossine bees.

Bee and wasp responses to a fragmented landscape in southern Brazil

The available studies on Hymenoptera assemblages in fragmented landscapes have shown that these insects are sensitive to fragmentation, besides some different conclusions which are possibly linked to different landscape attributes and sampling designs. The present objective is to determine the correlation among the descriptors of bees and wasps assemblages with fragment predictors (size, connectivity and edge effect) within a fragmented landscape of Semidecidual Seasonal Forest (Parana State, Brazil). For this purpose five forest fragments, from three to 484 hectares, were sampled during a year, summing up 480 samples of baited traps and 3,480 of bowl traps. We have found that abundance of Apinae and oligolectic bees increase and the richness of Augochlorini bees decreases with increasing fragment size. Connectivity has positively influenced bee richness and edge effect has positively influenced the abundance of oligoletic bees. Orchid bees also respond to the site predictors, especially for the Eufriesea violacea, which abundance was positively correlated with fragment size and connectivity, however negatively with edge effect, and Eufriesea nigrita which abundance was negatively correlated with fragment size, but positively with edge effect. Composition of bees, Crabronidae and Pompilidae wasps were influenced by fragment size. Plebeia droryana and Tetrapedia diversipes could be considered as indicators, according to their sensitiveness to habitat predictors. Our results are congruent with previous studies which found that bees are sensitive to landscape fragmentation, we suggest that the group be used in ecological indicator and monitoring studies.

The orchid-bee faunas (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of 'Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal', 'Parque Nacional do Descobrimento' and three other Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Bahia, eastern Brazil

The orchid-bee faunas of 'Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal', 'Parque Nacional do Descobrimento' and three other Atlantic Forest remnants ranging from 1 to 300 ha in southern Bahia, eastern Brazil, were surveyed. Baits with seventeen different scents were used to attract orchid-bee males. Four thousand seven hundred and sixty-four males belonging to 36 species were actively collected with insect nets during 300 hours from November, 2008 to November, 2009. Richness and diversity of orchid bees found in this study are the highest ever recorded in the Atlantic Forest domain. Eufriesea dentilabris (Mocsáry, 1897) and Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840) were collected at the 'Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal', the first record of these species for the state of Bahia and the northernmost record for both species. Females Exaerete dentata (Linnaeus, 1758) were also collected at 'Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal' and old records of Eufriesea aeneiventris (Mocsáry, 1896) in this area makes this site the richest and most diverse concerning its orchid-bee fauna in the entire Atlantic Forest and similar to areas in the Amazon Basin.

Population structure and genetic diversity of the orchid bee Eufriesea violacea (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) from Atlantic Forest remnants in southern and southeastern Brazil

In this study, both the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of Eufriesea violacea from six Atlantic Forest fragments, located in four Brazilian states, were assessed using microsatellite markers. The results showed that genetic diversity was high in all populations and the genetic differentiation (ΦST), based on allelic frequency differences, for all population pairwise comparisons was found to be significantly different from zero, indicating from low to moderate genetic differentiation among populations. Considerably higher genetic differentiation values were revealed by the Dest estimator, indicating very high levels of differentiation for some pairs of populations. The present results on the population structure of E. violacea suggest a restriction in gene flow among populations from different Atlantic Forest remnants. Thus, considering the intense threats over the current Atlantic Forest remnants, more attention should be paid to populations of this euglossine species.

Description of the male Eufriesea theresiae (Mocsáry, 1908) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina), with illustration of the holotype and comments on its geographic distribution, including a new record for the state of Pará, northern Brazil

Members of Eufriesea Cockerell, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) are highly seasonal (Kimsey 1982) and, thus, usually poor represented in entomological collections. Even when active, Eufriesea spp. rarely occur in high densities; Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840) being one of the few exceptions (e.g., Uehara-Prado & Garófalo 2006). Moreover, males of some species seem to be poorly attracted to the chemicals usually used in orchid-bee inventories (see discussion in Nemésio & Silveira 2004). Thus, many species of Eufriesea are known from few specimens, some of them only from the type series or type specimens.

First Report of Scent Collection by Male Orchid Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) from Terrestrial Mushrooms

Orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini) are important pollinators of several angiosperms in the Neotropics, especially orchids (Dodson and Frymire, 1961; Dressler, 1968; Ramirez et al., 2002). Orchid bee males visit flowers that offer fragrances as resources to them as pollinators. This association is known as the ‘‘Perfume Flower Pollination Syndrome’’ (Vogel, 1963; Dressler, 1982). To collect fragrances, the males use their forelegs to adsorb scents that are subsequently stored in special structures located in their hindlegs (Dressler, 1982). Over the course of their lives, male orchid bees visit several plant species to collect floral sources, yielding a mixture of species-specific fragrances that has been shown to be correlated with a male’s age (Eltz et al., 2003; Zimmermann et al., 2006, 2009). These fragrances are used as part of the males’ displays at mating sites to attract females (Kimsey, 1980; Stern, 1991; Eltz et al., 2005a, b; Zimmermann et al., 2006) and it has been proposed that the fragrance mixture displayed by males could indicate mate quality to females (Kimsey, 1980; Eltz et al., 2003; Roubik and Hanson, 2004; Eltz et al., 2005a). However, this hypothesis has been difficult to test due to the short copulation time (,10 sec) and scarcity of observations describing the mating behavior in orchid bees (Stern, 1991; Eltz et al., 2003; Zimmermann et al., 2006, 2009). Although perfume flowers depend on orchid bees for reproduction, several studies have shown that this dependency is not reciprocal (Ackerman, 1983; Whitten et al., 1993; Pemberton and Wheeler, 2006; Cappellari et al., 2009). In addition to perfume flowers, orchid bees are known to collect scents from nonfloral sources like the surface of rotting wood, fruits and seeds, leaf litter, insecticides, and fragrant leaves (Roberts et al., 1982; Ackerman, 1983; Whitten et al., 1989, 1993; Ramirez et al., 2002). Here, we report the first field observations on volatile collection by males of Eufriesea violacea Blanchard on mushrooms growing in the ecotone between the Atlantic rainforest and the higher elevation Araucaria forest (600–1000 m ASL) of southern Brazil. The observations were conducted at the Forest Reserve Pro-Mata (FRPM), Sao Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (29u309050S, 50u109000W). This 5,000 ha area is characterized by patches of Araucaria trees, deciduous forest, shrub vegetation, and grasslands (Bertoletti and Teixeira, 1997). FRPM is located at the edge of the Araucaria plateau at a higher slope of the Atlantic rainforest remnants, and approximately 50 km from the eastern coast of Rio Grande do Sul. This area is considered the southern distribution limit of orchid bees in the Neotropical region (Wittmann et al., 1988). Bee vouchers were deposited at the LPB collection of the PUCRS Museu de Ciencias e Tecnologia in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Observations were made on the 27th of December, 2001, between 16:00 and 17:00. Six males of E. violacea were observed to collect volatiles from a fruiting body of a basidiomycete mushroom in a patch of forest (Fig. 1A). The males landed on the mushroom and scratched the lamellar gills with their forelegs. Short flights were undertaken after scratching the gills to transfer substances to their hind legs. Males displaced each other for a position close to the gills. The gills were entirely damaged at the time when we collected the mushroom which impaired its proper identification. Volatile collection at another mushroom was subsequently observed on January 5th, 2003, in an area close to the first observation site, when a single male was seen to scrape a fruiting body of a basidiomycete mushroom. The bee’s behavior followed the same pattern as previously observed: first the male scraped the fruiting body with its forelegs, and then hovered over the fruiting body to transfer collected substances to the hind legs. Based on the photographs

Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) (Hymenoptera: Apidae): an orchid Bee apparently sensitive to size reduction in forest patches

Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) is a very seasonal euglossine species, more frequently found in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil. A number of studies have revealed large variations in the abundance of males of this species present in Atlantic Forest remnants throughout both regions. In this paper, we report variations in the abundance of E. violacea males sampled in several forest patches of different sizes (ranging from 10 to 580 ha), and we propose that this species is possibly sensitive to the reduction in size of forest remnants. Surveys were carried out in nine forest remnants of Atlantic rainforest located in northern Paraná State, southern Brazil. Male euglossine bees were collected with an entomological net when visiting scent-baits, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, from October to December of 2001 and 2006. A total of 360 E. violacea males were captured in the nine forest fragments studied. The number of bees attracted to scent baits in each forest patch varied from zero to 261. A very high association (r = 0.993) was detected between the forest patch size and the visitation rate of E. violacea males at different sites, with the highest mean number of males visiting baits/sampling (43.5) being observed for bees from the largest forest remnant. Although alternative hypothesis should not be discharged for the decline in the abundance or absence of E. violacea in small forest patches, our results indicate that populations of this euglossine species need larger forest areas for existing.

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

A detailed synopsis of all the orchid-bee species known to occur in the Atlantic Forest Domain, eastern Brazil, is provided, including synonymy, complete type data, diagnoses, relevant data on biology and geographic distribution (with detailed localities of known occurrence of each species), colorful illustrations of onomatophores (“name-bearing type specimens”), and a list with the main references dealing with each species. Fifty-four species are recognized to occur in the Atlantic Forest Domain. Identification keys are presented for each genus and their species occurring in the Atlantic Forest. Euglossa carinilabris Dressler, 1982, Euglossa cyanaspis Moure, 1968, Eulaema (Eulaema) niveofasciata (Friese, 1899) and Exaerete lepeletieri Oliveira & Nemésio, 2003, considered junior synonyms of other species by different authors, are reinstated as valid species. A full discussion on the status of the four orchid-bee species described by Linnaeus is presented, as well as colorful illustrations of the four onomatophores. The two existing onomatophores of orchid bee species described by Fabricius are also illustrated and his Apis cingulata has been shown to be the species recently described as Eulaema (Apeulaema) pseudocingulata Oliveira, 2006, which, thus, becomes a junior synonym (syn. n.). Euglossa aratingae sp. n., Euglossa carolina sp. n., Euglossa nanomelanotricha sp. n., Euglossa roderici sp. n., Euglossa roubiki sp. n., Eulaema (Eulaema) atleticana sp. n., and Eulaema (Apeulaema) marcii sp. n. are described as new species. Neotypes are designated for Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840) and Exaerete frontalis (Guérin-Méneville, 1844). Some corrections concerning the repository institutions of some onomatophores of orchid bees were also made: Eufriesea auriceps (Friese, 1899) holotype has been listed as belonging to the US National Museum (Washington) or to the American Museum of Natural History (New York) but, in fact, it belongs to the Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt Universität (Berlin); the lectotype of Eufriesea aeneiventris (Mocsáry, 1896) has been listed as belonging to the Istituto e Museo di Zoologia, Universita di Torino (Turin), but it actually belongs to the Hungarian Museum of Natural History (Budapest). Publication dates of both Exaerete frontalis Guérin-Méneville and Exaerete smaragdina Guérin-Méneville have been listed as 1845 but, in fact, the actual date is 1844. Based on the known geographic distribution and abundance of each species in orchid-bee inventories, IUCN criteria were applied and three species are recommended to be included in future lists of threatened species in one of the IUCN categories of risk: Eufriesea brasilianorum (Friese, 1899) and Euglossa cognata Moure, 1970 are suggested to be listed as “vulnerable”, and Euglossa cyanocholora Moure, 1996 is suggested to be listed as “endangered”. A fully annotated check list of all known orchid bee species is also presented as an Appendix.

Small-scale elevational variation in the abundance of Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) males were sampled in a small-scale elevational gradient in Southeastern Brazil and showed sequential peaks of abundance from lowest (700 m) to highest (1,100 m) altitudes during the sampling period. The influence of the temperature on the length of the egg-to-adult period and flowering dates of plants producing food (nectar) suggests that it may be one of the factors determining the distribution of male abundance along the altitudinal gradient. The results emphasize the importance of obtaining altitudinal stratified samples when studying Euglossini populations, especially when the studies are done at sites with marked topographical variation.

At Daybreak ‐ Reproductive Biology and Isolating Mechanisms of Cirrhaea dependens (Orchidaceae)

Floral biology, reproduction, pollinator specificity, and fruit set of Cirrhaea dependens were recorded in forest areas of Southeastern Brazil. Cirrhaea dependens is a lithophytic or epiphytic herb occurring very sparsely below dense canopies. Nearly all the flowers of a single plant open simultaneously before dawn. They are short-lasting and offer floral fragrances as rewards, which are collected by male euglossine bees. Observations carried out in mesophytic forests at Serra do Japi revealed that Euglossa VIRIDIS is their principal pollinator, with Eufriesea violacea a sporadic co-pollinator. Visitation started soon after flower opening, and attractiveness remained high for about 2 h, decreasing abruptly at sunrise. Flower anthesis with subsequent fragrance release seems to be correlated with bee attraction. Observations using chemical baits were carried out at Serra do Japi, and in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Picinguaba. Three euglossine species were captured with pollinaria of C. dependens in Picinguaba, whereas only E. violacea was attracted in Serra do Japi. In Picinguaba, C. dependens occurs sympatrically with C. saccata and C. loddigesii. Each species attracted different pollinators. The specificity and resulting reproductive isolation are due to the production of different odours by each orchid species. Cirrhaea dependens is self-compatible but pollinator-dependent. The reproductive success was low and appears to result from a combination of factors discussed here, such as the production of short-lived flowers, presence of floral mechanisms avoiding self-pollination, non-synchronization of flower phases among plants, and populations with few and sparsely distributed individuals.

Genetic structure analysis of Eufriesea violacea (Hymenoptera, Apidae) populations from southern Brazilian Atlantic rainforest remnants

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to analyze the genetic structure of Eufriesea violacea populations in three fragments (85.47, 832.58 and 2800 ha) of Atlantic rainforest located in the north of the Brazilian state of Paraná. A total of twelve primers produced 206 loci, of which 129 were polymorphic (95% criterion). The proportions of polymorphic loci in each population ranged from 57.28% to 59.2%, revealing very similar levels of genetic variability in the groups of bees from each fragment. Unbiased genetic distances between groups ranged from 0.0171 to 0.0284, the smallest genetic distance occurring between bees from the two larger fragments. These results suggest that the E. violacea populations from the three fragments have maintained themselves genetically similar to native populations of this species originally present in northern Paraná.

Comunidades de machos de abelhas Euglossina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em fragmentos florestais no Sul do Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar as comunidades de abelhas Euglossina em tres fragmentos de floresta semidecidua de tamanhos diferentes (8,5 ha, 86 ha e 2280 ha), na regiao de Londrina, norte do Parana. De novembro de 2001 a abril de 2002, machos atraidos as iscas-odores de eucaliptol, eugenol e vanilina foram amostrados em coletas mensais, com 2h de duracao. Foram coletados 245 individuos pertencentes a quatro generos e sete especies. No fragmento maior foram coletados 152 machos pertencentes a seis especies, no medio, 45 machos de cinco especies e, no menor, 48 machos de sete especies. Os indices de diversidade (H') e equidade de especies (J') variaram de 1,21 a 1,42 e 0,62 a 0,86, respectivamente. A ordem de abundância das especies variou nos tres locais. Aparentemente, a reducao no tamanho dos fragmentos afetou negativamente a abundância de Eufriesea violacea Blanchard, a qual foi a especie mais comum (43,4%) no fragmento maior e a quarta (8,3%) em ordem de abundância no fragmento menor. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de se manter areas grandes de florestas para uma melhor conservacao de populacoes desta e provavelmente de outras especies de Euglossina.