The flowering-visiting bees at the ecological station of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Abstract

A Fauna de Abelhas e Suas Plantas Hospedeiras na Estação Ecológica da UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MGRESUMO -Inventariaram-se as espécies de abelhas silvestres da Estação Ecológica do Campus Pampulha da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, que é localizada em uma área intensamente urbanizada. As abelhas foram coletadas de janeiro a dezembro de 1996, quando visitavam plantas floridas. A fauna de abelhas é rica em espécies, mas suas populações têm baixas densidades (350 indivíduos em 98 espécies). A composição em espécies é sazonal (Q = 29,35; gl = 11; P < 0,002), entretanto composição em espécies das plantas floridas não é sazonal (Q = 17.30, gl = 11, P < 0,099). As abelhas visitaram 23 espécies de plantas em 11 famílias. Asteraceae (111 indivíduos de 53 espécies) e Convolvulaceae (88 indivíduos de 26 espécies) foram as mais visitadas. Houve uma correlação positiva entre a abundância de abelhas e o número de plantas floridas (r 2 = 0,72; P = 0,0011, n = 12) e entre a riqueza e abundância de plantas floridas (r 2 = 0,46; P = 0,010, n = 12). Na área estudada e em outros locais da Região Sudeste, Apidae foi a mais rica e abundante e na Região Sul do Brasil, Halictidae foi a mais rica e abundante. Apesar de circundada por área intensamente urbanizada, a estação ecológica mantém uma apifauna relativamente rica. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Fauna de abelhas, planta florida, fragmento florestal urbano ABSTRACT -The richness and the composition of bee species at the ecological station of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, was recorded from January to December 1996. The bee fauna of the ecological station is rich (98 species) in lowdensity populations species (350 individuals). The composition of the bee fauna is seasonal (Q = 29.35, df = 11, P < 0.002), however the composition in flowering plants showed no seasonality (Q = 17.30, df = 11, P < 0,099). The bee species visited 23 flowering plant species from 11 families. Asteraceae (111 individuals in 53 species) and Convolvulaceae (88 individuals in 26 species) were the most visited families. There was a positive relation between bee abundance and the number of flowering plants (r 2 = 0.72, P = 0.0011, n = 12) and bee richness and abundance of flowering plants (r 2 = 0.46; P = 0.010, n = 12). In the studied area and other sites at Southeastern Brazil, Apidae was the richer and abundant family and Halictidae was the richer and abundant at South Brazil. Despite its localization in a heavily urbanized area, the ecological station supports a rich bee species assembly.

Wild bees along an urban gradient: winners and losers

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The importance of plant diversity in maintaining the pollinator bee, Eulaema nigrita (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in sweet passion fruit fields

“…The knowledge of such patterns is of fundamental importance since it provides support to determine the plants that may be used in the conservation and maintenance of bee populations at the surrounding areas of passion-fruit crops. There are two methods to identify the species of plants used by bees in their diet: by direct observation of the bees in the flowers (Antonini & Martins 2003, Andena et al 2005 and through identification of pollen grains present in brood cells, feces, or in the bees' body (males and females) (Silva et al 2010a). During the collection of floral resources, both male and female touch the anthers leaving the pollen grains adhered to their body.…”

Bee-flower association in the Neotropics: implications to bee conservation and plant pollination

“…This requires a large amount of resources collected throughout the year, favoring the use of Bee-flora association in the Neotropics various floral species. Centridini, Augochlorini, and Ceratinini are tribes rich in species in Brazilian habitats (Aguiar 2003;Andena et al 2012;Antonini and Martins 2003;Milet-Pinheiro and Schlindwein 2008) and they are formed by solitary and communal (in Augochlorini) bees. The great species richness increases the number of plant species explored by these tribes because the distinct species are active at different times of the year and, therefore, use different floral resources (Heithaus 1979).…”