FLIGHT RANGE OF AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES, Apis mellifera L. 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) IN AN APPLE GROVE

Abstract

Africanized honeybees from five colonies were marked with P-32 and taken to an apple grove for a flight behavior study. The method used to determine the flight range was to put out an array of tagged trees in a cross pattern with the colonies arranged in the center point of a 0.8 ha test area. The tagged trees were located 10 meters apart in the 4 rows of 50 meters each, arranged according to the North, South, East, and West directions. Bees were collected while visiting the tagged tree flowers twice a day, during a ten-day period. The number of honeybees marked decreased in relation to the distance from the hives. Analysis of variance showed that a linear regression was highly significant to describe the process. Geographic directions did not affect the activity of the bees.<br>O estudo do raio de ação das abelhas na coleta de néctar e pólen é de extrema importância para se saber até que distância a polinização por este inseto é promovida com eficiência. Para tanto, cinco colônias de abelhas africanizadas marcadas com 32P foram levadas a um pomar de maçã, sendo agrupadas no centro de uma área de 0,8 ha, a partir do qual foram colocadas estacas a cada 10m, formando quatro alas correspondentes às direções Norte, Sul, Leste e Oeste. As abelhas foram capturadas duas vezes por dia e por dez dias consecutivos, quando visitavam as flores das macieiras, até 50m do centro. Verificou-se que o número de abelhas marcadas coletadas, diminuiu linearmente à medida em que as mesmas se afastavam das colméias. Não houve interferência das orientações geográficas no comportamento de vôo das abelhas

Fontes de pólen utilizadas por Apis mellifera L. e algumas espécies de Trigonini (apidae) em Piracicaba (SP)

“…Paranhos et al (1997) estudaram o raio de vôo de A. mellifera em pomar de macieira, considerando uma distância má-xima de 50 m da colônia, e concluíram que o número de campeiras diminuiu à medida que se afastava da colméia, enquanto Marchini et al (1998) Na análise dos parâmetros do nicho trófico (Quadro 2) a utilização das fontes de pólen variou conforme a espécie. Entretanto, as colônias de A. mellifera e P. droryana tiveram uma dieta mais diversificada, com a largura do seu nicho trófico (H') não apresentando diferença signif icativa.…”

Body size and flight distance in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini): inference of flight range and possible ecological implications

“…These data suggest further need for research of the spatial dynamics of local populations of Meliponini. Paranhos et al (1997) observed that colonies of Apis mellifera show no directional interference in flight activities. This indicates that each colony occupies a central position in relation to flight radius, defining an effective area corresponding to the circumference described by the medium flight radius in their components.…”

“…Flight distances have been studied for only a few stingless bee species and generally utilize indirect methods of release and recapture (Roubik, 1989). Apparently, there is no directional interference in flight activities, and the number of marked honey bees (Apis mellifera) collected declines linearly in relation to distance from the colonies (Paranhos et al, 1997). There is an apparent positive correlation between body size, especially wing area, and flight distances (Casey et al, 1985;Byrne et al, 1988).…”

Pollen harvest by Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Dourados region, Mato Grosso do Sul state (Brazil)

“…It seems that a positive correlation is more likely to be found when one analyzes the collection of pollen, not nectar, due to characteristics inherent in pollen handling (Pernal & Currie 2002), however this was not seen here. In relation to distance from the source plants Paranhos et al (1997) and Pacheco et al (1985) saw that the Africanized honey bees prefer to harvest over distances between 50 and 100 meters but can go further. Data presented here are in agreement with this fi nding.…”