Dinoponera lucida (Formicidae; Ponerinae) is an extinction-threatened species of ant which is endemic in the central corridor of the Atlantic Forest. We used mitochondrial sequences of the Cox1, Cox2 and Cytb genes in order to infer some aspects of the evolutionary history and phylogeography of this ant. High genetic divergence and population structure were observed for the whole species. The current pattern of D. lucida diversity seems to be shaped during different geological times: middle Pliocene, early Pleistocene and mainly late Pleistocene, when the reduction of populations generated a structure pattern of the genetic variation of this species. Our data show that this structure results from the maintenance of populations of D. lucida within very small putative refuges to the south of the central Bahia refugium. We thus argue that, for some Atlantic forest endemic species, especially those resistant to very small fragments of forest, such as D. lucida, the small putative refuges were as important as, or even more important than, larger and stable refuges for the creation and maintenance of diversity, adding another piece to the puzzle of the mechanisms underlying local endemism.
Pollen samples were collected in three different periods from 11 Melipona capixaba Moure & Camargo hives and analyzed with melissopalynological methodology. A total of 33 pollen types were identified, of which 23 genera and 15 families were identified. The following families showed the highest pollen richness: Fabaceae (7), Myrtaceae (3), Solanaceae (3), Arecaceae (2), Asteraceae (2), Euphorbiaceae (2), Melastomataceae/Combretaceae (2), Rubiaceae (2), and Sapindaceae (2). The most frequent pollen types (>45%) were Eucalyptus, which generated great similarities between the samples, except one in which the Tibouchina was predominant. Although the majority of the pollen types showed low percentage values, the results demonstrated that M. capixaba has taken advantage of the polliniferous sources available in the Atlantic Rainforest as well as in the "Capoeira" (brushwood, secondary forest) and "ruderal" (field) plants, probably implying its importance as a pollinator of the native flora and of the exotic species.
Physicochemical analyses were carried out to evaluate 27 samples of honeys from three species of the Brazilian genus Melipona (M. capixaba, M. rufiventris and M. mondury) from Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais States. The parameters water activity (Aw), percentage of soluble solids (Brix %), pH, acidity (meq/kg) and moisture (%) were evaluated. The honey characteristics obtained from these samples were very similar to the ones from other Melipona species. However, regarding the honey from Apis (honey bee), only the pH values were similar. The low pH value and the high acidity detected in Melipona honey are potential factors for increasing the honey shelf life because they do not provide favorable conditions for the microbial development. On the other hand, the high level of water activity favors the growth of microorganisms, especially yeast, which demands a more careful handled and storage. The observed differences between Melipona and Apis honey reinforce the need for specific quality settings for stingless bee honey.
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