Seasonal flight and resource collection patterns of colonies of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor schencki Gribodo (Apidae, Meliponini) in an Araucaria forest area in southern Brazil

Abstract

Seasonal flight and resource collection patterns of colonies of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor schencki Gribodo (Apidae, Meliponini) in Araucaria forest area in southern Brazil. Melipona bicolor schencki occurs in southern Brazil and at high elevations in southeastern Brazil. It has potential for use in meliponiculture but this stingless bee species is vulnerable to extinction and we have little knowledge about its ecology. In order to gather essential information for species conservation and management, we made a study of seasonal flight activities in its natural environment. We sampled bees entering the nests with pollen, nectar/water and resin/mud, in five colonies during each season. In parallel, we analyzed the influence of hour of the day and meteorological factors on flight activity. Flights were most intense during spring and summer, with daily mean estimates of 2,100 and 2,333 flights respectively, while in fall and winter the daily flight estimate was reduced to 612 and 1,104 flights, respectively. Nectar and water were the most frequently-collected resources, followed by pollen and building materials. This preference occurred in all seasons, but with variations in intensity. During spring, daily flight activity lasted over 14 hours; this period was reduced in the other seasons, reaching eight hours in winter. Meteorological factors were associated with 40.2% of the variation in flight and resource collection activity. Apparently, other factors that we did not measure, such as colony needs and availability of floral resources, also strongly influence the intensity of resource collection.

Extreme Effects of Season on the Foraging Activities and Colony Productivity of a Stingless Bee (Melipona asilvaiMoure, 1971) in Northeast Brazil

“…These results, associated with both a decrease in flight activity and the number of honey pots registered in the rainy season, suggests that M. asilvai colonies experience a kind of seasonal diapause. In southern states where seasons are more defined, flight activity of M. bicolor schencki and M. marginata obscurior was more intense during summer and spring than autumn and winter [33,34]. Reproductive diapause has been observed in other southern species of stingless bees, such as Plebeia remota and P. droryana [28,32].…”

Can climate shape flight activity patterns of Plebeia remota Hymenoptera, Apidae)?

“…The influence of climate factors on flight activity of Meliponini bees has been the subject of some studies in recent years (alves & lOrenzOn, 2001;HiláriO & imperatriz-FOnseca, 2002;cOntrera et al, 2004;BOrges & BlOcHtein, 2005;sOuza et al, 2006;carvalHO-zilse et al, 2007;cOrtOpassi-laurinO et al, 2007;FidalgO & kleinert, 2007;rOdrigues et al, 2007;Ferreira-JuniOr et al, 2010;nates-parra & rOdríguez, 2011;silva et al, 2011). All of these studies were done by visual observation, though instruments with photoelectric cells make it possible to automatically count bees (BuriOlla, 1988).…”

Influence of seasonal changes in daily activity and annual life cycle of Geotrigona mombuca (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a Cerrado habitat, São Paulo, Brazil

“…As observed in the present study, some meteorological factors have more influence on more seasons than others (Hilário et al, 2001). In higher latitudes, where seasons are well defined, meteorological factors can influence both intensity and amplitude of daily flight activity (Ferreira-Junior et al, 2010).…”