The use of different stingless bee species to pollinate cherry tomatoes under protected cultivation

Under standard greenhouse conditions, the tomato fruits of spontaneous self-pollination are expected to be of lower quality than those of bee pollination, as well as that simultaneously use different bee species which can complement pollination services. To test these hypotheses, we evaluated the complementarity of pollination services from the use of three native stingless bee species that have distinct foraging behaviors, Melipona bicolor Lepeletier 1836, Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Lepeletier 1836) and Partamona helleri (Friese 1900) during flowering of cherry tomatoes in greenhouses. Fruit quality parameters resulted from pollination experiments were measured and the acclimatization of the analyzed bee species was evaluated. Visits of M. bicolor and N. testaceicornis to the tomato flowers contributed significantly to the increase in the average weight, seed number, and thickness of the pericarp (only for N. testaceicornis) of the fruits, compared to the spontaneous self-pollination treatment. Partamona helleri, however, did not show any pollen collection behavior in the experimental conditions. Although N. testaceicornis do not perform the buzzing behavior, fruits from its pollination were equivalent to those fruits from pollination by M. bicolor. The simultaneous use of bee species with different flower-visiting behaviors can optimize tomato pollination in greenhouses, contributing significantly to the quality of the fruits and the increase of productivity and consequently the commercial value.

Microbiological characteristics of meliponine honey marketed in the State of Paraná – Brazil

Meliponine is a honey with particular characteristics; it has a high percentage of humidity, which can favor the development of microorganisms, thereby causing changes in the quality of the product. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological characteristics of meliponine honey produced by different species and marketed in the State of Paraná-Brazil. The sample unit was composed of honey of Tetragonisca angustula (n = 15), Scaptotrigona bipunctata (n = 05), Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata (n = 05) and Melipona bicolor schencki (n = 01). The following microbiological parameters were evaluated: counts of total and thermotolerant coliforms, fungi count and detection of Salmonella spp. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the possible relationships among species, locality and type of microorganism. For microorganisms of the total coliform group, 15.38% of the analyzed samples had values >3 MPN/g. The presence of thermotolerant coliforms was observed in 7.69% of the samples, all of which were T. angustula samples. For fungi counts, 100.00% of the analyzed samples had values within the established range created by the Agricultural Defense Agency of Paraná. The presence of Salmonella spp. was not observed in any of the samples evaluated. The amount of water in the honey is related to the location of the apiary and edaphoclimatic factors. Adoption of good handling practices by beekeepers is indispensable for the safety of the final product.

Melissopalinologia no Rio Grande do Sul: revisão e caracterização das espécies botânicas potenciais à apicultura e meliponicultura

Um levantamento dos estudos melissopalinológicos realizados no Rio Grande do Sul é aqui apresentado. O intuito é contribuir para o conhecimento nessa área e identificar as lacunas de informações para que sejam propostos estudos que complementem as informações sobre a flora apícola desse estado, um dos principais produtores de mel do Brasil. Os estudos encontrados na literatura foram realizados com mel de Apis mellifera e dos meliponíneos Tetragonisca angustula, Scaptotrigona bipunctata, Melipona obscurior, Melipona bicolor, Melipona quadrifasciata, Plebeia emerina e Plebeia remota. Os méis são classificados como heteroflorais, com predominância de Schinus terebenthifolia, Ilex sp., Syagrus romanzoffiana, Asteraceae, Clethra scabra, Sebastiania sp., Eucalyptus sp., Mimosa sp., Eugenia sp. e Hovenia dulcis. O levantamento demonstra que o número de análises realizadas até o momento não corresponde à quantidade de produção de mel do Rio Grande Sul e que são necessários mais estudos da flora apícola em outras áreas do estado do que aquelas aqui avaliadas para a caracterização botânica e melissopalinológica. Espera-se sensibilizar os órgãos de fomento de pesquisa e a cadeia produtiva para conhecer e promover estratégias de manejo da flora apícola a fim de valorizar a apicultura no Rio Grande do Sul.

Molecular identification of coffee (Coffea arabica) pollinator insects in North Sumatra, Indonesia based on designed COI primers

Sitompul F, Siregar EH, Roesma DI, Dahelmi, Prasetya E. 2018. Molecular identification of coffee (Coffea arabica) pollinator insects in North Sumatra, Indonesia based on designed COI primers. Biodiversitas 19: 1877-1883. Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is one of the most important economic commodities in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Insects associated with pollination of C. arabica are one of the key factors for successful cultivation of C. arabica, but, the research regarding of these was still limited. The population of coffee plant is scattered across the highlands of Indonesia and the pollination of C. arabica is strongly believed linked to a diverse group of pollinating insects. However, lack of taxonomic identification of insects pollinating these plants has become one of constraints to succeed the cultivation of C. Arabica. This study aimed to analyze types and variations of pollinating insects of C. arabica in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia, using DNA barcoding. DNA barcoding is now considered an alternative method of molecular identification. Sixteen of C. arabica flower visitors were captured in different planting location in North Sumatra province. Using mtDNA markers, the cytochrome oxidase subunit sequence I (COI), about 12 pollinator insect species were identified based on the COI sequence i.e Amegilla cingulata, Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, Trigona chanchamayoensis, Idiella divisa, Dolichopodidae sp., Allactoneura sp., Stomorhina discolor, Phytomia erratica, Rhiniidae sp., Melipona bicolor, and Hymenoptera sp.

Abelhas sem ferrão (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) da Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa, Cataguases-MG, Brasil.

Resumo. No presente estudo realizou-se um levantamento de ninhos de abelhas Meliponini na Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa (EEAL), no município de Cataguases, Minas Gerais. Foram encontrados 21 ninhos pertencentes a nove espécies: Friesella schrottkyi (Friese), Melipona bicolor Lepeletier, Plebeia sp. 1, Plebeia sp. 2, Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius), Tetragona quadrangula (Fabricius), Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille), Trigona hyalinata (Lepeletier), Trigona spinipes (Fabricius). Vinte dos 21 ninhos foram encontrados em substrato arbóreo. A fauna de Meliponini observada na EEAL é representada por um baixo número de espécies. Embora a vegetação local tenha potencial para oferecer substratos para nidificação e recursos florais, a baixa riqueza de espécies pode estar relacionada com o fato da EEAL ser um remanescente florestal isolado. Stingless Bees of the Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa, Cataguases-MG, Brazil Abstract. This study carried out a survey of nests of stingless bees present in the Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa (EEAL) in the municipality of Cataguases, Minas Gerais. We found twenty-one nests belonging to nine species: Friesella schrottkyi (Friese), Melipona bicolor Lepeletier, Plebeia sp. 1, Plebeia sp. 2, Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius), Tetragona quadrangula (Fabricius), Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille), Trigona hyalinata (Lepeletier), Trigona spinipes (Fabricius). Twenty of the 21 nests were found in arboreal substrate. The fauna of stingless bees observed in EEAL is represented by a low number of species. Although the local vegetation has the potential to provide substrates for nesting and floral resources, the low species richness may be related to the fact that the EEAL is an isolated forest remnant.

Preliminary Characterization of Mitochondrial Genome ofMelipona scutellaris, a Brazilian Stingless Bee

Bees are manufacturers of relevant economical products and have a pollinator role fundamental to ecosystems. Traditionally, studies focused on the genusMeliponahave been mostly based on behavioral, and social organization and ecological aspects. Only recently the evolutionary history of this genus has been assessed using molecular markers, including mitochondrial genes. Even though these studies have shed light on the evolutionary history of theMeliponagenus, a more accurate picture may emerge when full nuclear and mitochondrial genomes ofMeliponaspecies become available. Here we present the assembly, annotation, and characterization of a draft mitochondrial genome of the Brazilian stingless beeMelipona scutellarisusingMelipona bicoloras a reference organism. Using Illumina MiSeq data, we achieved the annotation of all protein coding genes, as well as the genes for the two ribosomal subunits (16S and 12S) and transfer RNA genes as well. Using the COI sequence as a DNA barcode, we found thatM. cramptoniis the closest species toM. scutellaris.