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Stingless Bee Foraging Activity Related to Environmental Aspects.
Marcos Estevan Kraemer de Moura1, Márcia Regina Faita2, Juliano Garcia Bertoldo3
1Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas (Entomologia), Depto de Zoologia, Centro Politécnico, Univ Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. marcosestevan.d@gmail.com.
Neotropical Entomology
|October 1, 2024
Summary
Land use impacts stingless bee foraging. Dense vegetation areas supported higher resource collection for smaller species like Plebeia droryana and Scaptotrigona bipunctata, highlighting the importance of habitat preservation for bee survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Bee colony survival depends on environmental resources.
- Biotic and abiotic environmental changes significantly affect bee colony development and survival.
- Land use and land cover variations can influence essential bee activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the foraging activity of three stingless bee species: Plebeia droryana, Scaptotrigona bipunctata, and Melipona quadrifasciata.
- To compare foraging behavior across distinct land use areas: urbanized/forest, agricultural, and dense vegetation.
- To correlate bee morphometric characteristics with pollen load and environmental factors.
Main Methods:
- Established four colonies of each bee species in three different land use areas.
- Recorded environmental parameters: light, wind speed, humidity, and temperature.
- Quantified returning foragers carrying nectar, pollen, and resin; analyzed morphometric data and pollen loads.
Main Results:
- Plebeia droryana and Scaptotrigona bipunctata showed increased resin and nectar collection in dense vegetation areas compared to agricultural ones.
- Scaptotrigona bipunctata exhibited higher pollen collection in urbanized/forest and dense vegetation areas.
- Smaller bee species demonstrated greater resource gathering in dense vegetation zones; environmental factors like temperature and light showed varied correlations with foraging.
Conclusions:
- Land use significantly influences stingless bee foraging activity and resource collection.
- Dense vegetation areas are crucial for supporting the foraging efforts of smaller stingless bee species.
- Reduced vegetation cover poses a threat to the resource collection capabilities of stingless bees, impacting colony health.
