Stingless bees damage broccoli inflorescences when collecting fibers for nest building

Abstract

The stingless bee Trigona spinipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is an important pollinator for various crops, but constitutes an occasional pest of other plant species since it causes injury to leaves, stems, flowers and fruits while collecting nest materials. The aim of the present study was to determine the damage caused by T. spinipes to a broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica, Brassicaceae) growing on an organic farm. A significant number of plants (72.5 %) presented damaged inflorescences, while 39% of all of the inflorescences suffered some degree of injury. The activities of T. spinipes caused scarifications on the stems of the inflorescences, and these typically evolved to epidermal cicatrices up to 10 mm wide. In some cases, the lesions were sufficiently deep to cause partial destruction of the vascular tissues, and this lead to thinner (< 5 mm diameter) floral stems that may collapse. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the attack of broccoli plants by T. spinipes. The results obtained should serve to highlight the possibility that stingless bees could be responsible for direct and/or indirect damage to vegetable crops, and to stimulate the development of control strategies for these incidental pests.

Spatial distribution, ecological indices and interactions of arthropods on Sapindus saponaria (Sapindaceae) plants

“…It is a pioneer species with characteristics providing advantages in its adaptability, especially in pioneer plantations and areas near the rivers. Considering the plant's location and conditions, it will be most successful in adapting when it is similar to native sources (Santos et al, 2012). The use of native forest species such as S. saponaria is a practice that favors the restoration of degraded areas.…”

“…The use of native forest species such as S. saponaria is a practice that favors the restoration of degraded areas. It helps recover ecosystems that have been excessively anthropized or deteriorated, reduces costs and eliminates the seedling production phase in nurseries (Santos et al, 2012). To better understand the interactions between plants and insects, it is necessary to analyze distribution on the leaf surface, type of attack, ecological indices and ecological interactions (Zanuncio, et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2023).…”

Using Long-Term Volunteer Records to Examine Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) Nestbox Selection

“…stingless bees Trigona spinipes [1]; grass-cutting ants Atta vollenweideri [2]; chimpanzees Pan troglodytes [3]; great tits Parus major [4]). Selecting a suitable nest-site is important as it provides shelter from predators or adverse weather conditions, and increases fitness and survival of young [5–7].…”