Euglossa Cordata Research Articles

Community Ecology of Euglossine Bees in the Coastal Atlantic Forest of São Paulo State, Brazil

The Atlantic Forest stretches along Brazil's Atlantic coast, from Rio Grande do Norte State in the north to Rio Grande do Sul State in the south, and inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina. This biome is one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in the world and is characterized by high species diversity. Euglossini bees are known as important pollinators in this biome, where their diversity is high. Due to the high impact of human activities in the Atlantic Forest, in the present study the community structure of Euglossini was assessed in a coastal lowland area, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar - Núcleo Picinguaba (PESM), and in an island, Parque Estadual da Ilha Anchieta (PEIA), Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Sampling was carried out monthly, from August 2007 to July 2009, using artificial baits with 14 aromatic compounds to attract males. Twenty-three species were recorded. On PEIA, Euglossa cordata (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) represented almost two thirds of the total species collected (63.2%). Euglossa iopoecila (23.0%) was the most abundant species in PESM but was not recorded on the island, and Euglossa sapphirina (21.0%) was the second most frequent species in PESM but was represented by only nine individuals on PEIA. The results suggest that these two species may act as bioindicators of preserved environments, as suggested for other Euglossini species. Some authors showed that Eg. cordata is favored by disturbed environments, which could explain its high abundance on Anchieta Island. Similarly, as emphasized by other authors, the dominance of Eg. cordata on the island would be another factor indicative of environmental disturbance.

Genetic differentiation of the Euglossini (Hymenoptera, Apidae) populations on a mainland coastal plain and an island in southeastern Brazil

Euglossini bees are among the main pollinators of plant species in tropical and subtropical forests in Central and South America. These bees are known as long-distance pollinators due to their exceptional flight performance. Here we assessed through microsatellite loci the gene variation and genetic differentiation between populations of four abundant Euglossini species populations sampled in two areas, Picinguaba (mainland) and Anchieta Island, Ubatuba, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. There was no significant genetic differentiation between the island and mainland samples of Euglossa cordata (Fst=0.008, P=0.60), Eulaema cingulata (Fst=0.029, P=0.29) and Eulaema nigrita (Fst=0.062, P=0.38), but a significant gene differentiation between mainland and island samples of Euglossa stellfeldi (Fst=0.028, P=0.016) was detected. As expected, our results showed that the water body that separates the island from the mainland does not constitute a geographic barrier for these Euglossini bees. The absence of populational structuring of three out the four species studied corroborates previous reports on those bees, characterized by large populations, with high gene diversity and gene flow and very low levels of diploid males. But the Eg. stellfeldi results clearly point that dispersal ability is not similar to all euglossine bees, what requires the development of different conservationist strategies to the Euglossini species.

Orchid bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) community from a gallery forest in the Brazilian Cerrado

The orchid bees are a very important group of pollinators distributed in the Neotropics. Although a lot of studies concerning male euglossine bees have been done in this region, few works have so far been carried out in the Cerrado biome. This manuscript has the main objective to present the orchid bee community from a Gallery Forest in the Northeastern Brazilian Cerrado landscape, taking account the species composition, abundance, seasonality and hourly distribution. Male euglossine bees were collected monthly from October 2007 to May 2009, in the Reserva Florestal da Itamacaoca belonging to the Companhia de Agua e Esgoto do Maranhão, in Chapadinha municipality, Maranhão State. The scents eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin were utilized, between 07:00 and 17:00hr, to attract the euglossine males. Cotton balls were dampened with the scents and suspended by a string on tree branches 1.5m above soil level, set 8m from one another. The specimens were captured with entomological nets, killed with ethyl acetate and transported to the laboratory to be identified. A total of 158 individuals and 14 species of bees were recorded. The genus Eulaema was the most representative group of euglossine bees in relation to the total number of the sampled individuals, accounting for 50.6% of bees followed by Euglossa (26.6%), Eufriesea (15.2%) and Exaerete (7.6%). The most frequent species were Eulaema nigrita (27.8%), Eulaema cingulara (19%) and Euglossa cordata (18.3%). Many species typical of forested environments were found in samples, like Euglossa avicula, Euglossa violaceifrons and Eulaema meriana, emphasizing the role played by the Gallery Forests as bridge sites to connect the two great biomes of Amazonia and Atlantic Forest. The occurrence of Exaerete guaykuru represents the second record of this species for the Neotropical region, and both records coming from the Gallery Forest zones. The male euglossine bees were sampled mainly in the dry season, where 62.5% of the individuals were collected in that period. Eufriesea species appeared at the baits only in the wet season. The hourly frequency of bees at scent baits showed a clear preference for the morning period, where 87.9% visited the baits from 07:00 to 12:00hr. The euglossine bee fauna found in the Northeastern Maranhão Cerrado is represented chiefly by species of large geographic distribution and by some forest bee species, where their occurrence is maybe related to to the environmental conditions supported by the Gallery Forest ecosystem.

Euglossine bees (Apidae) in Atlantic forest areas of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

We investigated the diversity of euglossine bees in ten areas of Atlantic Forest Domain in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Bees were collected with odor baits for 2 years, from March 2007 to March 2009. From a standardized effort during the first year of sampling, we compare the four areas using indexes of diversity, evenness, and similarity of euglossine communities. In the second year, we added six new places for presenting a general overview on the Atlantic forest in Sao Paulo. A total of 2,395 individuals of 23 species were recorded in the study areas. Ilhabela had the highest number of species (19) and individuals (1,260). The most attractive odor bait was eucalyptol, which attracted 16 species and 58 % of all individuals. Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus 1958) was the most abundant species, representing 50 % of the individuals sampled; apparently, populations of this species are more abundant at low altitudes, as for example on islands and on the coast. The results also suggest a difference in richness among altitudes, since coastal areas (where the climatic variation are milder) had more species. The present study advances knowledge on the occurrence of euglossine bees in the Atlantic Forest and fills the lack of a systematic study of these bees of coastal areas in Sao Paulo State.

Euglossine bee communities in small forest fragments of the Atlantic Forest, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Euglossine bee communities in small forest fragments of the Atlantic Forest, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Euglossine bees are important pollinators in forests and agricultural areas. Although the structure of their communities is critically affected by anthropogenic disturbances, little is known about these bees in small forest fragments. The objectives of this study were to analyze the composition, abundance, and diversity of euglossine bee species in nine small fragments of different phytophysiognomies of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, and to identify the environmental variables that may be related to the species composition of these communities. Males were sampled quarterly from May 2007 to May 2009 with aromatic traps containing methyl cinnamate, vanillin, eucalyptol, benzyl acetate, and methyl salicylate. A total of 1558 males, belonging to 10 species and three genera of Euglossina were collected. The richness ranged from five to seven species per fragment. Euglossa cordata, E. securigera, Eulaema nigrita e E. cingulata were common to all fragments studied. The diversity differed significantly among areas, ranging from H' = 1.04 to H' = 1.65. The precipitation, phytophysiognomy, and altitude had the highest relative importance over the species composition variation. The results presented in this study demonstrate that small forest fragments are able to support populations of euglossine bee species, most of which are widely distributed and reportedly tolerant to open and/or disturbed areas and suggest that the conservation of such areas is important, particularly in areas that are regenerating and in regions with agricultural matrices where these bees can act as important pollinators

Genetic differentiation of urban populations of Euglossa cordata from the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Males and females of Euglossa cordata collected inside flowers of Thevetia peruviana in urban areas of eleven cities of the state of Sao Paulo were analysed using allozymes and nine microsatellite loci. The analyses revealed that these populations have a high genetic diversity and are under genetic equilibrium, showing low population structuring and rare diploid males; consequently, high gene flow and effective population size (Ne) are inferred. These findings corroborate previous biological observations and phylogeographic evidence that report dispersion over long distances of Euglossini species in South America.

Visitantes florais de Aechmea constantinii (Mez) L. B. Sm.(Bromeliaceae) em um remanescente da Mata Atlântica do Nordeste Oriental

This study aims to determine the fl oral visitors and potential pollinators of Aechmea constantinii (Mez) L. B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae), a bromeliad endemic to the Brazilian Northeast Atlantic Rainforest. Reproductively-active individuals were observed systematically and their visitors were recorded and determined. The main recorded fl oral visitors were Glaucis hirsutus, Phaethornis ruber and Phaethornis pretrei (hummingbirds) which executed frontal functional fl oral visits in which they touched the reproductive parts of the fl owers. Visits of Plebeia fl avocincta, Plebeia sp., Trigona spinipes and Euglossa cordata (bees) and Talides sergestu and Strymon ziba (butterfl ies) were also recorded. In addition, two ants (Hymenoptera, Insecta, Formicidae) were identifi ed in activity on the fl oral scapes and fl owers of the studied bromeliad. The suggestion is made in the study that the A. constantinii is pollinated by hummingbirds since these birds executed direct frontal visits to the fl owers, touching reproductive structures. The identifi cation of pollen on the bodies of bees and butterfl ies, as well as the contact executed by visitors, with the stigma of the visited fl owers, offered an indication that these species may exert an infl uence as secondary pollinators of Aechmea constantinii.

Abelhas Euglossina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em área de restinga do nordeste do Maranhão

The bees of subtribe Euglossina are an important component of neotropical fauna and have greater species diversity in tropical forests than in spits. They play an important role in the pollination of several plant species and are considered good indicators of environmental conditions. From February 2005 to January 2006, a total of 429 specimens belonging to three genera [Euglossa (Latreille), Eulaema (Lepeletier) and Eufriesea (Cockerell)] and 14 species were collected. Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) (24.5%), Euglossa cordata (L.) (20.5%) and Eufriesea nigrescens (Friese) (19.8%) were the most abundant species, representing 64.8% of all bees collected. Rainfall was the environmental variable with the greatest relative influence on species composition, particularly for some species of Eufriesea. Euglossa cordata and Eg. gaianii Dressler nested in trap nests, suggesting they are resident species. The larger number of individuals and greater richness of species compared with data available in the literature may result from the great variety of plant species found in the areas adjacent to the collection site.

Abelhas Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) coletadas em uma monocultura de eucalipto circundada por Cerrado em Urbano Santos, Maranhão, Brasil

Machos de Euglossina foram coletados por meio de iscas-odores de benzoato de benzila, eucaliptol, eugenol, salicilato de metila e vanilina em uma monocultura de eucalipto circundada por cerrado, no município de Urbanos Santos, Maranhão. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente, de abril de 2001 a abril de 2002, entre 8h e 16h, totalizando 96 horas de amostragem. Foram coletados 58 indivíduos de 3 gêneros e 10 espécies. Euglossa Latreille, 1802 foi o gênero mais abundante, seguido por Eufriesea Cockerell, 1909 e Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841. As espécies mais freqüentes foram Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758), Euglossa gaianii Dressler, 1982 e Euglossa modestior (Dressler, 1982). Eucaliptol foi a essência mais atrativa. As maiores freqüências de visitas ocorreram no período da manhã e as maiores abundâncias em setembro, no período de estiagem, e em dezembro, no período chuvoso.

Nectar-foraging behavior of Euglossine bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in urban areas

Euglossine bees have been described as long-distance pollinators because of their great flight capacities although flight capacity is not necessarily correlated to home range. Here we report the nectar-foraging behavior of two euglossine species (Euglossa cordata and Eulaema nigrita) in urban areas and the predictive power of wing wear as an age estimator of these bees, using mark-recapture techniques at Thevetia peruviana trees. A total of 870 bees were marked. Recapture rates were 33% (± 19.2) for E. cordata and 25% (± 2.5) for E. nigrita. Only 7 bees were sighted at a different site from where they were first captured. More than 75% of the individuals showed site-constancy at trees for at least 30 days. Wing wear accumulation rate was variable among individuals and it was a poor predictor of age for E. cordata. Our data show that euglossine bees may have small foraging ranges in urban areas, indicating that home ranges greatly differ from their flight capacity and homing ability.

Composição e sazonalidade de espécies de Euglossina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em mata e duna na Área de Proteção Ambiental da Barra do Rio Mamanguape, Rio Tinto, PB

By using artificial fragrances as baits, we studied richness, composition, abundance and seasonality of Euglossina species in two areas (forest and dune) in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, State of Paraiba, Brazil, between August 2002 and July 2004. Bees were attracted with wads of absorbent paper containing each of the fragrances: benzyl acetate, ionone beta, skatole, eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin, and captured with insect net. We collected a total of 3,132 males of nine species of Euglossina. On both areas, Euglossa cordata (L.) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier were present throughout the year and were the most abundant species in the forest and the first one was the most abundant specie at the dune. Concerning to the composition, the Atlantic Rainforest areas in Paraíba State were more similar among themselves, the same occurring to the dune areas in Paraíba and Bahia States. In the forest, Euglossina species showed higher seasonality, being more abundant during the drier period, specially E. cordata. At the dune, species were homogeneously distributed in the dry and rainy periods.

Horário de atividade de machos de Euglossina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) e preferência por fragrâncias artificiais em mata e dunas na Área de Proteção Ambiental da Barra do Rio Mamanguape, Rio Tinto, PB

Euglossina bees form a group with about 200 species known, widespread in Neotropical Region. Males collect aromatic compounds on flowers and by using synthesized analogs it is possible to accomplish faunistic inventories and study several ecological aspects of these bees. In this work we studied the activity hours and the preference of aromatic compounds by Euglossina males in forest and dunes at Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, Rio Tinto, Paraíba State, between August 2002 and July 2004. Six artificial compounds were used as attractive: benzyl acetate, ionone beta, skatole, eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin. Nine species were sampled, being two of them exclusive of the forest. Euglossa cordata (L.) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier were the most abundant species as in the forest as on dunes. Males were more active between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. in both areas, with no variation throughout the year. Eucalyptol and eugenol attracted most number of species. E. cordata demonstrated preference by ionone beta and eucalyptol and E. nigrita by skatole and eucalyptol.

Bee community of a beach dune ecosystem on Maranhão Island, Brazil

The bee-plant community in a beach dune ecosystem in north-eastern of Brazil was studied concerning phenology and floral preference. The bees visited thirty-three species of 20 families of plants. The most visited species were Vernonia arenaria (Asteraceae), Chamaecrista hispidula (Caesalpiniaceae), Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) and Turnera melochioides (Turneraceae). Fifty-five percent of plants presented an annual or long flowering period (from 5 to 7 months). The largest number of species blooming was observed from March to August (dry season), corresponding to the period of greatest abundance and diversity of bees. Based on the range of floral sources used by the dominant bees, three guilds of bees were noted: bees with a restricted range of floral sources: Melitoma segmentaria, Centris tarsata, Centris flavifrons, Ceratinula sp.; moderate generalists: Megachile (Leptorachis) sp., Euglossa cordata, Augochlorella sp., Eulaema nigrita and Xylocopa frontalis; and generalists: Xylocopa cearensis, Apis mellifera, Exomalopsis analis and Pseudaugochloropsis pandora.

Microsatellite loci for euglossine bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The Neotropical Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are important pollinators of many flowering plants, particularly orchids. Lack of highly polymorphic genetic markers for euglossine species has limited the study of their social organization and inbreeding. We therefore developed microsatellite markers for two species, Eulaema nigrita (11 loci) and Euglossa cordata (nine loci), most of which were highly polymorphic in the source species and in a range of related euglossine bees.

Molecular identification of species of the Genus Euglossa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Euglossini)

Euglossine bees interact with more than 60 plant families of the Neotropical region. The richness and abundance of these bees have been intensively studied in different ecosystems using the methodology of capturing males with chemical baits. Females are poorly known for most of the species and morphological characters for their taxonomic classification have not yet been described. The purpose of this study was to use allozymes and restriction patterns of the mitochondrial regions 16S and Cyt b to identify species of Euglossa Latreille. Bees were collected while visiting Thevetia peruviana (Apocynaceae) flowers in five cities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Three Euglossa species were identified among the 305 individuals collected. Euglossa cordata (L.) was the only species found in all cities, while E. securigera Dressler and E. townsendi Cockerell were restricted to two and one cities respectively. EST-3 was a diagnostic marker, whereas ICD, MDH, ME and PGM were informative for species identification when used in combination. Restriction by VspI of the amplified 16S fragment differentiated the three species and showed intraspecific polymorphism for E. cordata and E. securigera. The Cyt b region showed distinctive patterns for E. townsendi but it was not possible to differentiate the other two species. Our results describe potentially useful genetic markers for the identification of Euglossa spp. at the species and group level.

Biologia floral e polinização de Anemopaegma chamberlaynii Bur. & K. Schum. (Bignoniaceae).

The present work deals with the floral biology, reproductive system and phenological events of Anemopaegma chamberlaynii Bur. & K. Schum. (Bignoniaceae), in the coastal strand vegetation (restinga) of Maricá RJ., between 1997 and 2000. The flowers display daytime anthesis, are yellow, very attractive, tubulous, hermaphrodite, odoriferous and produce nectar as the floral reward. The nectar is secreted by a nectariferous disk and accumulated in a chamber. The stigmas are bifid, wet and papillous. The stigmatic lobes are receptive to pollen only on the inner surfaces and are sensitive to disturbance. If the stigma is touched but no pollen is deposited, the lobes close and soon reopen. The same occurs when self-pollen is deposited on the receptive surface. However, after manual pollination with cross-pollen the lobes close permanently, enabling to estimate levels of pollination by monitoring stigma closure. Euglossa cordata L., Epicharis dejeanii Lepeletier and E. semiflava Moure are potential pollinators. Xylocopa ordinaria Smith is the primary nectar robber. The species is self-incompatible and has a low fruit set (Fruit/Flower=4.86%). The flowering pattern is the “multiple bang”, showing five episodes per year, with the same intensity, all of them occurring in the most hot and rainy months.

Dinâmica de populações de Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em mata ciliar, Urbano Santos, Maranhão, Brasil

Machos de Euglossina foram coletados por meio de iscas-odores de benzoato de benzila, eucaliptol, eugenol, salicilato de metila, vanilina, durante um ano em área de mata ciliar, no município de Urbano Santos, Maranhão. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente, entre 8 h e 16 h, totalizando 96 horas de amostragem. Foram amostrados 283 indivíduos, 4 gêneros e 16 espécies. Euglossa Latreille, 1802 foi o gênero mais abundante, seguido por Eufriesea Cockerell, 1909, Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841 e Exaerete Hoffmannsegg, 1817. As espécies mais freqüentes foram Euglossa modestior (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758), Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius, 1804), Exaerete smaragdina (Guérin-Menéville, 1845), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 e Euglossa gaianii Dressler, 1982. Eucaliptol foi a essência mais atrativa. As maiores freqüências de visitas ocorreram no período da manhã e a maior diversidade de espécies ocorreu no período chuvoso.

Trap-nesting bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in areas of dry semideciduous forest and caatinga, Bahia, Brazil

In this study were examined the species richness and seasonal abundance of cavity-nesting bees in areas of dry semi-deciduous forest and caatinga in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Sampling was done employing two types of trap-nests: bamboo canes and tubes made of black cardboard with dimensions of either 58 x 6 mm or 105 x 8 mm. The traps were inspected once a month. One hundred and forty-six nests of 11 bee species were collected in the forest, and 121 nests of seven species were collected in the caatinga. Five species of cleptoparasitic bees were also reared from these nests. The highest nesting frequencies occurred in the wet season in both areas. Nests parasitism was important only for Centris tarsata Smith, 1874, and was higher at the caatinga site than in the forest. The mortality of pre-emergent adults was high, especially in C. tarsata,Tetrapedia diversipes Klug, 1810 and Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758). Information on the number of cells per nest, the size, shape, and arrangement of brood cells in the nests, as well as the number of adults produced and the number of generations per year are also presented. Species richness, temporal patterns of nesting, and percentage of parasitism were compared with other habitats.

Biologia floral e polinização de Arrabidaea conjugata (Vell.) Mart. (Bignoniaceae)

O trabalho aborda a biologia floral, a atividade forrageira dos visitantes florais (polinizadores e pilhadores), os eventos fenológicos e o sistema de reprodução de Arrabidaea conjugata (Vell.) Mart. (Bignoniaceae), em área de vegetação de restinga, município de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, no período 1997 a 2000. A espécie estudada tem flores com antese diurna, lilases, tubulosas, hermafroditas, odoríferas e oferecem néctar como recurso floral. O néctar é secretado por um disco localizado na base do gineceu e é acumulado em câmara nectarífera. Os grãos de pólen são liberados gradativamente, prolongando-se a fase de doação de pólen. As abelhas Euglossa cordata Linnaeus, Centris analis Fabricius e C. tarsata Smith são os polinizadores da espécie. Destaca-se pilhagem primária de néctar, por abelhas, e secundária, por borboletas e beija-flor. A espécie é auto-incompatível, apresentando baixos índices de formação de frutos em condições naturais (Frutos/Flores = 12,2%). Foi registrado padrão de floração "cornucópia", entre os meses de dezembro a março (estação quente/chuvosa), com pico em janeiro. As sementes são anemocóricas e liberadas gradativamente na estação fria e seca.

Nesting biology and social structure of Euglossa (Euglossa) townsendi Cockerell (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini)

The nesting behavior of the euglossine bee Euglossa townsendi was studied on the campus of the University of Sao Paulo-Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil, from January 1994 to December 1999, using artificial nesting substrate and observation boxes. Twenty-one nests were founded during the study period, with the highest frequencies of nesting occurring during the hot, wet season. Each nest was founded by a single female and, after the completion of the last cell, she spent most of her time in the nest. The males left the nest immediately after emergence and did not return. Some females left the nest within a few days of eclosing, while others stayed in their natal nests and began to reactivate them. Reactivations were performed by a single female, by one or more females in the presence of the mother, by more than one female in the absence of the mother, and by more than one female in the presence of females that participated in the prior reactivation. According to behavior, the females were classified as forager/egg-laying and egg-laying females. The oviposition by egg-laying females was always preceded by oophagy. All of the forager/egg-laying and egg-laying females that were dissected had been inseminated. The behavior displayed by egg-laying females is characteristic of brood parasitism and fits the parental parasitism hypothesis developed as an alternative pathway by which insect sociality could have arisen. The behaviors displayed by E. townsendi, together with those reported for Euglossa cordata, show that both species have bionomic traits that resemble the conditions suggested as precursors of the origin of eusociality.