CEPHALOTRIGONA CAPITATA SMITH, 1854 (APIDAE: MELIPONINI) in the STATE of BAHIA, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL Rogério M
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DOI: 10.2478/JAS-2019-0006 J. APIC. SCI. VOL. 63 NO. 1 2019J. APIC. SCI. Vol. 63 No. 1 2019 Original Article GEOGRAPHIC RANGE AND NEST ARCHITECTURE OF CEPHALOTRIGONA CAPITATA SMITH, 1854 (APIDAE: MELIPONINI) IN THE STATE OF BAHIA, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL Rogério M. D. O. Alves1,2 Ana M. Waldschmidt3 Joana F. Paixão1* Daiane R. Santos4 Carlos A. L. Carvalho2 1Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano, Catu-Ba, Brazil 2Grupo de Pesquisa Insecta, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas-BA, Brazil 3Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Ba- hia, Jequie-BA, Brazil 4Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana-BA, Brazil *corresponding author: [email protected] Received: 7 December 2017; accepted: 28 November 2018 Abstract The bees of the genus Cephalotrigona (locally known as “mombucas”) play a key role in natural environments but their bioecological features, required to design proper man- agement and conservation strategies, are scarce in most species. Thus, the goal of the present study was to map the occurrence sites of C. capitata in the state of Bahia, north- eastern Brazil, and to provide useful information about nest architecture to their techni- cal management. This species was recorded in fifteen municipalities in Bahia, totaling forty-one nests. The range of C. capitata varied from locations at sea level to seasonal ombrophilous forests at an altitude of 600 m high. The nests were built in trees with a mean diameter of 19.8 ±3.0 cm. The nest architecture was similar to that reported in other stingless bee species, with a variation in analyzed parameters. The thermoregula- tion was more efficient in highly populated boxes. The present results can be used for the conservation and management of this species, which represents a potential source of income for local farmers. Keywords: Apidae, bionomics, meliponiculture, meliponini, stingless bees INTRODUCTION Mato Grosso (Central Brazil), Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (southeastern region), The Cephalotrigona stingless bees (Apidae: Paraná, and Santa Catarina (Southern region) Meliponina), popularly known as “mombucas” (Silveira, Melo, & Almeida, 2002; Camargo & in Brazil, are recorded widespread throughout Pedro, 2017). The occurrence of these species Central and South America, in Mexico, in Bahia has not been recorded so far. Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. The first report about C. capitata (cited as They are typically found in such areas of dense Trigona capitata) in Brazil was carried out by vegetation as Atlantic Rainforest, Seasonal Ihering (1903) who described their nesting sites Forests and Amazon Rainforest (Roubik, 1983; and nest traits. Bionomic data about Cephalot- Quezada-Euán, 2005). In Brazil, two species rigona reported by Zwaal (1992) was based on a C. capitata Smith, 1874 and C. femorata Smith, species found in Mexico. Authors Sakagami, Beig, 1854 have been reported (Schwarz, 1948; & Kyan (1964) analyzed the oviposition process Silveira, Melo, & Almeida, 2002). The range of in C. Capitata femorata. Even though reports both species include the state of Amapá, Pará about the occurrence of Cephalotrigona spp. in (northern region), Ceará (northeastern region), Brazil are available, little is known about the ar- 49 ALves et al. Geographic range of Cephalotrigona capitata chitecture of their nests. Therefore, the goal of were rescued and evaluated in the municipalities the present study was to report the occurrence of Amargosa, Canavieiras, Gandu, Mundo Novo, and determine the range of C. capitata in the Taperoá, and Wenceslau Guimarães (Tab. 1; Fig. 1). state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil and provide The altitude in which the species was sampled information about the nest architecture to be ranged from the sea level (Canavieiras) to 600 m used in the sustainable management and con- high (Mundo Novo) in seasonal forest domains. servation of this species. Nesting MATERIAL AND METHODS Nests of C. capitata were found in wide hollows of living trees with a large diameter and thick The records of C. capitata were based on wood (Tab. 2). Only a single colony was observed interviews, location and rescue of nests, as well in openings previously used by Melipona mondury as collection of specimens on flowers with the in a dead tree of the species Tapirira guianense use entomological nets. The analyzed nests Aubl. Their nests were found in the following were found in trees and rustic boxes, and the tree species characterized by great heights, large coordinates of their locations were obtained trunk diameters and thick wood: Mimosa sp. in through GPS (Global Position System) and SEI Cravolândia, Parkia pendula and Sclerolobium sp. (2015) dataset. Dr. J.M.F. Camargo (USP-FFCLRP- in Taperoá and Igrapiúna, Tapirira guianense in 1992) as C. capitata Smith, 1874, identified the Gandu and Wenceslau Guimarães, and Jacaranda collected bee samples from Canavieiras-BA caroba in Igrapiúna and Camamu. while Dr. Favizia Freitas de Oliveira (UFBA) identified the specimens from Mundo Novo-BA. Nest entrance The vegetal species herein cited was sampled The entrance of the evaluated nests were and sent to identification in the IBGE-RADAM hardly visible, with elongated to dished external herbarium. structures depending on the colony. Nonetheless, Nest architecture was evaluated based on most nests did not present obvious entrances, nesting substrate (diameter and size of trunk composed of solid dark resin (Fig. 2). The entrance cavities and wood thickness), diameter of honey tube was short and narrow, built from dark combs, number of food pots and population cerumen, opening into the nest periphery. In this estimates. The dimensions and internal study, many bees were observed around the components of nests were measured with a tape tube. Internally, the tube would end in a gallery measure , honey amount in pots was estimated 21 cm in length and 18 cm in diameter formed with graduate syringes and pollen amounts in by a highly compact and hard material. The pots were estimated with a portable digital scale entrances of colonies were located between 0.5 (Alves, Carvalho, & Souza, 2003; Barbosa et al., to 5.0 m above the ground, with a mean value 2013). The mean and standard deviation values of 2.83± 0.25 m, thus showing the preference of were calculated for each parameter using the large trees to their nesting. The orifice diameter BioEstat v. 5.0 software. presented a mean value of 0.88 ± 0.05 cm, usually guarded by a single bee, always located on the RESULTS internal part. Distribution range Defenses Cephalotrigona capitata was sampled in fifteen The bees usually defend themselves when municipalities from the state of Bahia (Tab. 1). disturbed, even in highly populated colonies The estimated range comprises 3.59% of Bahia with large amounts of honey. Some individuals territory (Fig. 1). Forty-one nests, the largest of C. captata were observed on animal feces in abundance, were reported in Mundo Novo, Cocos-BA, which usually occurs when there is Gandu, Igrapiúna, and Wenceslau Guimarães. Eight resources scarcity. of those from trees plus two from rustic boxes 50 J. APIC. SCI. Vol. 63 No. 1 2019 Table 1. Localities with records of Cephalotrigona capitata in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil (altitude, latitude, longitude, amount of nests, year, climate, vegetation, mean temperature, and rainfall) Mean Municipali- Altitude Number of Main Rainfall Latitude Longitude Year Climate tempera- ties (m) nests (units) vegetation (mm) ture (℃) Subhumid to Seasonal Amargosa 400 13°01’09” 39°36’17” 02#/01* 2008 21.8 960 dry forest Dense om- Humid to Camamu 40 13°56’41” 39°06’14” 02** 2015 brophilous 24.6 2340 subhumid forest Canaviei- Humid to Ombrophil- 4 15º40’30’’ 38º56’50’’ 02* 1992 24.1 1739 ras subhumid ous forest Semiarid/ Seasonal Cravolân- Subhumid forest / 477 13°21’31” 39°48’54” 02** 2006 21.2 753 dia to dry and Ombrophil- humid ous forest Open Subhumid Cerrado Cocos 559 14°11’ 02’ ’ 44°32’ 04’’ 01*** 2015 to dry and Park with 23.7 909 humid Gallery forests 02#/02**01* Humid to Ombrophil- Gandu 164 13º 44’ 38’’ 39º 29’ 12’’ 2014 22.8 1449 subhumid ous forest Dense om- brophilous Humid to forest Igrapiúna 48 13°49’35” 39°08’32” 02*/05** 2015 24.5 2183 subhumid Primary formations Coastal Caatinga/ Semiarid Jequié 215 13° 51’27” 40°05’01” 01** 2010 Seasonal 23.2 696 and humid forest Semiarid, Mundo 02*01**/01# Seasonal 604 11º 51’ 32’’ 40º28’21’ 2002/2006 subhumid to 22.1 875 Novo forest dry Dense om- Humid to Nova Ibiá 292 13°48’36” 39°37’32” 01* 2015 brophilous 23 1344 subhumid forest Presidente Humid to Ombrophil- Tancredo 150 13º26’55’’ 39º25’17’’ 02** 2014 23.0 1594 subhumid ous forest Neves Humid to Ombrophil- Taperoá 15 13°27’17” 39°05’55” 01#/01* 2006 23.1 525 subhumid ous forest Humid to Ombrophil- Teolândia 192 13º36’06’’ 39º29’29’’ 02# 01** 2014 23.2 1461 subhumid ous forest Subhumid Ombrophil- Ubaíra 324 13º16’05’’ 39º39’46’’ 01# 2006 to dry and 22.2 881 ous forest humid Wenceslau Humid to Ombrophil- 178 13º41’13’’ 39º28’46’’ 01*/02**/02# 2014 23.6 1331 Guimarães subhumid ous forest Caption: *rescued nests, **located nests, ***records of species presence, # nests in rustic boxes. 51 ALves et al. Geographic range of Cephalotrigona capitata Fig. 1. Spatial distribution of Cephalotrigona capitata in the state of Bahia. Counties: 1 - Alcobaça, 2 - Almadina, 3 - Amargosa, 4- Apuarema, 5- Arataca, 6 - Aurelino Leal, 7 - Baixa Grande, 8 - Belmonte, 9- Buerarema, 10 - Cairu, 11-