Meliponini and Apini in Africa (Apidae: Apinae): a Review on the Challenges and Stakes Bound to Their Diversity and Their
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286848644 Meliponini and Apini in Africa (Apidae: Apinae): A review on the challenges and stakes bound to their diversity and their... Article in Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment · January 2015 CITATIONS READS 2 52 5 authors, including: Edgard Cédric Fabre Anguilet Eric Haubruge University of Liège University of Liège 1 PUBLICATION 2 CITATIONS 458 PUBLICATIONS 6,818 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Frédéric Francis University of Liège 335 PUBLICATIONS 3,249 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Selapis View project Termitofuel View project All content following this page was uploaded by Edgard Cédric Fabre Anguilet on 26 January 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. B A S E Biotechnol. Agron. Soc. Environ. 2015 19(4), 382-391 Focus on: Meliponini and Apini in Africa (Apidae: Apinae): a review on the challenges and stakes bound to their diversity and their distribution Edgard Cédric Fabre Anguilet (1, 2), Bach Kim Nguyen (1), Toussaint Bengone Ndong (2), Éric Haubruge (1), Frédéric Francis (1) (1) University of Liege - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech. Functional and Evolutionary Entomology. Passage des Déportés, 2. BE-5030 Gembloux (Belgique). E-mail: [email protected] (2) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENAREST). Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestières (IRAF). Trois Quartier, B. 2246 Libreville (Gabon). E-mail: [email protected] Received on August 27, 2014; accepted on April 3, 2015. Introduction. Meliponini and Apini contribute to the pollination of flowering plants and to improving agricultural yields. These bees’ diversity, distribution and abundance depend on the ecosystem in which they evolve. The present work aims to summarize the diversity, distribution, abundance, potential threats, challenges and issues faced with respect to these social bees in Africa. Literature. In Africa, there were 21 species of Meliponini and 2 species of Apini (Apis). Aspects related to the species diversity, distribution, biology, ecology and abundance of nests are poorly documented, especially for Meliponini. This deficit could be related to a lack of interest of the authors or the various difficulties in performing these studies in Africa. With regard to the difficulties, there is a need to clarify the taxonomy of Meliponini, and the observation of nests in certain forest environments is difficult. Nest predation and habitat loss are the main threats that could cause the depopulation of certain social bee species in Africa. If there is currently new evidence that diseases and pests did not endanger these bees, then there is a need for further studies for better assessment of the risks that are associated with these potential threats. Conclusions. Work on the diversity, distribution and abundance of the social bees must be strengthened to address the challenges that are related to these insects in Africa. Indeed, this approach will contribute to answering the challenges of sustainable management of the biodiversity and economic and agricultural issues. Keywords. Biodiversity, honey bees, Melipona, bee colonies, risk factors, biodiversity conservation, Gabon. Les Meliponini et les Apini en Afrique (Apidae : Apinae) : synthèse bibliographique sur les défis et les enjeux liés à leur diversité et leur distribution Introduction. Les Meliponini et les Apini contribuent à la pollinisation des plantes à fleurs et à l’amélioration des rendements agricoles. La diversité, la distribution et l’abondance de ces abeilles dépendent de l’écosystème dans lequel elles évoluent. Le présent travail vise à faire une synthèse sur la diversité, la distribution, l’abondance, les menaces potentielles, les enjeux et les défis rencontrés à l’égard de ces abeilles sociales en Afrique. Littérature. En Afrique, on a dénombré 21 espèces de Meliponini et 2 espèces d’Apini (Apis). La diversité, la distribution, la biologie, l’écologie et l’abondance de ces espèces sont peu documentées, particulièrement pour les Meliponini. Cela pourrait être lié au manque d’intérêt des auteurs ou aux différentes difficultés pour réaliser ces études en Afrique. En ce qui concerne les difficultés, il est nécessaire de clarifier la taxonomie des Meliponini et l’observation de nids dans certains milieux forestiers est difficile. La prédation des nids et la perte d’habitat restent les principales menaces qui pourraient occasionner le dépeuplement de certaines espèces d’abeilles sociales en Afrique. Si les maladies et les parasites ne constituent pas encore une grande menace pour ces abeilles, il est nécessaire de poursuivre de nouvelles études pour mieux évaluer les dangers liés à ces potentielles menaces. Conclusions. Les travaux sur la diversité, la distribution et l’abondance des abeilles sociales doivent être renforcés afin de relever les défis qui sont liés à ces insectes en Afrique. En effet, cela contribuera à répondre à des enjeux de gestion durable de la biodiversité et à des enjeux économiques et agricoles. Mots-clés. Biodiversité, abeille domestique, abeilles sans dard, colonie d’abeilles, facteur de risque, conservation de la diversité biologique, Gabon. Meliponini and Apini in Africa: diversity and challenges 383 1. INTRODUCTION and Meliponula bocandei (Spinola), nest on the ground or in trees (Kajobe, 2007a; Mogho Njoya, Bees play a role in the reproduction of some flowering 2009) (Figure 1). Other species, such as Meliponula plants, similar to other pollinators (Bradbear, 2010; nebulata (Smith), nest in the cavities of trees or in Ollerton et al., 2011). Through this activity, bees termite mounds (Brosset et al., 1967; Darchen, 1969; contribute to the preservation and maintenance of the Kajobe, 2007a; Mogho Njoya, 2009) (Figures 2 and genetic diversity of flowering plants (Bradbear, 2010). 3). Central African countries have the highest reported In agriculture, bees contribute to an increase in the diversity of Meliponini, with 17 species (Table 1); qualitative and quantitative crop yields (Klein et al., 16 of these 17 species have been reported in Gabon 2007; Klatt et al., 2014). While bees contribute to the (Table 1) (Figure 4). Of all of the species listed in preservation of ecosystems, they are also dependent Gabon, Meliponula roubiki Eardley has been described on the balance of these ecosystems. Therefore, their and is found only in this country in Africa (Eardley, diversity, distribution and abundance are related to 2004; Eardley et al., 2010) (Table 1). Pauly’s (1998) different environmental conditions as well as the impact inventory showed that many Meliponini species of human activity (Brown et al., 2009). Among these in Gabon were distributed throughout the entire arthropods, two groups can be distinguished according territory, including Dactylurina staudingeri (Gribodo), to their social organization: solitary and social. The M. bocandei, M. nebulata, and the genus Hypotrigona subject of this paper focuses on Meliponini and Apini, (Figure 5). Other species have been inventoried in which belong to the social bees group (highly eusocial). smaller regions (i.e., Meliponula cameroonensis These bees are organized as colonies that consist of (Friese) and Meliponula lendliana (Friese)) (Figure 5). a female queen, males, and female workers that are The actual number of species requires revision responsible for different activities (Michener, 2007). because the taxonomy of the Meliponini in Africa is Threats to social bees, which are related to diseases, unclear, and some cryptic species remain to be identified parasites and habitat loss, have been reported worldwide on the African continent (Eardley et al., 2013). The (Jaffé et al., 2009; Van Der Zee et al., 2012). In Africa, description of the Hypotrigona and Liotrigona species, there is less scientific work that has been published on in particular, requires clarification. highly eusocial, especially for Meliponini, of which the Unlike in the case of the Meliponini of South taxonomy still must be clarified (Eardley et al., 2013). America or Asia, there are few published studies on Considering the ecological and economic importance aspects of morphometrics that relate to the Meliponini of bees, it is important to gain knowledge about them in Africa. Darchen (1969; 1971) performed body in Africa. This concern is especially important because measurements on Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier) this continent contains the second largest forest in (synonymous with Meliponula oyani [Darchen]) the world, in which there is a high level of ecosystem (Eardley et al., 2010)) and M. nebulata in Gabon. These diversity. measurements were performed without statistical The aim of this study is to summarize the current analysis but within the framework of a description knowledge on the species diversity, distribution and of these species; the results showed great variability abundance of Meliponini and Apini in Africa in general for M. nebulata. In Ghana, Combey et al. (2013) and in Gabon, a country in the Congo Basin Forest, in studied biodiversity in four species of Meliponini particular. Potential threats to the diversity of social (M. ferruginea, M. bocandei, D. staudingeri, and bees will be discussed as well as the environmental and Hypotrigona gribodoi [Magretti]). Using geometric economic challenges and prospects that are related to morphometrics, the authors demonstrated