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Comparative temperature tolerance in stingless bee species from tropical highlands and lowlands of Mexico and implications for their conservation (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temperature sensitivity of three stingless bee species, one from the tropical highland transition Neartic-Neotropical region (Melipona colimana) and two from the tropical lowland regions (Melipona beecheii and Scaptotrigona hellwegeri) of Mexico. The changes in thoracic temperature, behavior, and mortality rate of workers and pupae of the three species submitted to control high and low temperatures were assessed. Workers of highland M. colimana regurgitated water and fanned their wings when submitted to high temperatures, a behavior reported here for the first time in a stingless bee. M. colimana consumed syrup and increased its thoracic temperature in response to cold environment. Workers and pupae of M. colimana experienced lower mortality rates than M. beecheii and S. hellwegeri. The results of this study showed the tolerance of M. colimana to a wider temperature range, possibly as a response to extreme conditions in its native environment. The implications of thermal susceptibility differences for the conservation of highland and lowland stingless bees are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank people who have contributed to this work, especially to Angelica Farias S, Jalil Fallad and Judith Hueso. To SEP-Conacyt project 103341 “Conservacion de las abejas sin aguijon de Mexico (Hymenoptera: Meliponini): Identificacion de especies cripticas e indicadores de diversidad genetica” and Conacyt-Promep for the financial support granted to J. Octavio Macías-Macías to achieve a doctoral degree at the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, and to Bernardo Soto and Gustavo Alcazar and to the Centro Universitario del Sur (CUSUR) of the Universidad de Guadalajara for providing facilities in which the experiments were conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Abejas, Departamento de Producción Agrícola, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Independencia Nacional 151, Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico

    José Octavio Macías-Macías & Francisca Contreras-Escareño

  2. Departamento de Apicultura, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Apartado postal 4-116, CP 97100, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    José Javier G. Quezada-Euán & Humberto Moo-Valle

  3. Departamento de Producción Animal, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapotlán el Grande, Jalisco, Mexico

    José Maria Tapia-Gonzalez

  4. Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 21, San Patricio, Jalisco, 48980, Mexico

    Ricardo Ayala

Authors
  1. José Octavio Macías-Macías
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  2. José Javier G. Quezada-Euán
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  3. Francisca Contreras-Escareño
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  4. José Maria Tapia-Gonzalez
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  5. Humberto Moo-Valle
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  6. Ricardo Ayala
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Correspondence to José Octavio Macías-Macías.

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Manuscript editor: Stan Schneider

Comparaison de la tolérance à la température chez des espèces d’abeilles sans aiguillon des hautes et basses terres tropicales du Mexique; implication pour leur conservation (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Melipona/ Scaptotrigona/ Apidae/ tolérance à la température/ comportement/ forêt tempérée/ Mexique

Temperaturtoleranz von stachellosen Bienen aus den tropischen Hochländern und den Tieflandgebieten in Mexiko im Vergleich, und ihre Konsequenzen für den Artenschutz (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Melipona / Scaptotrigona / Apidae/ Temperaturtoleranz/ Verhalten/ Wald der gemäßigten Zonen / Mexiko

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Macías-Macías, J.O., Quezada-Euán, J.J.G., Contreras-Escareño, F. et al. Comparative temperature tolerance in stingless bee species from tropical highlands and lowlands of Mexico and implications for their conservation (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Apidologie 42, 679–689 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0074-0

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