Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal production and spatial distribution of Melipona bicolor schencki (Apidae; Meliponini) castes in brood combs in southern Brazil

  • Original article
  • Published:
Apidologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Melipona bicolor schencki is currently considered a threatened stingless bee in southern Brazil, and studies about its ecology may provide new insights to enable its conservation. This study evaluated the seasonal variability in the sex/caste proportion, numbers of combs and brood cells, and spatial distribution of the individuals present in emerging combs in five polygynous colonies of M. bicolor schencki for 1 year. Throughout the year, the colonies showed similar variations. Individual combs exhibited a higher number of brood cells in spring and summer, although there was no variation in the number of combs over the four seasons. Workers (79.7 %), queens (15.6 %), and drones (4.7 %) were produced in all months sampled. Analysis of spatial distribution indicated no clear predominance of a specific sex or caste in a specific comb area, contrary to other species of Melipona.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bertoletti, J.J., Teixeira, M.B. (1995) Centro de Pesquisas e Conservação da Natureza Pró-Mata. Termo de Referência. Divulgações do Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia-UBEA/PUCRS 2, 1-47

  • Blochtein, B., Harter-Marques, B. (2003) Hymenoptera. In: Fontana, C.S., Bencke, G.A., Reis, R.E. (eds.) Livro Vermelho da Fauna Ameaçada de Extinção no Rio Grande do Sul. EDIPUCRS, Porto Alegre

    Google Scholar 

  • Borges, F.V.B., Blochtein, B. (2006) Variação sazonal das condições internas de colônias de Melipona marginata obscurior Moure, no Rio Grande do Sul. Brasil Revta. Brasil. Zool. 23, 711–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cepeda, O.I. (2006) Division of labor during brood production in stingless bees with special reference to individual participation. Apidologie 37, 175–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danilevskii, A.S. (1965) Photoperiodism and seasonal development of insects. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Engels, W., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1990) Caste development, reproductive strategies, and control of fertility in honey bees and stingless bees. In: Engels, W. (ed.) Social Insects. An evolutionary approach to castes and reproduction, Springer-Verlag, New York

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fidalgo, A.O., Kleinert, A.M.P. (2007) Foraging behavior of Melipona rufiventris Lepeletier (Apinae; Meliponini) in Ubatuba, SP. Brazil. Braz. J. Biol. 67, 133–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freitas, S.W., Lopes, L.A., Kluwe, F.D., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (2006) A guaraipo negra (Melipona bicolor schencki Gribodo, 1893), uma rara espécie de abelha nativa sem ferrão (Meliponini) e sua conservação em um fragmento de Mata de Araucárias do Rio Grande do Sul. Mens. Doce 86, 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilário, S.D., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L., Kleinert, A.M.P. (2000) Flight activity and colony strength in the stingless bee Melipona bicolor bicolor (Apidae, Meliponinae). Revta. Brasil. Biol. 60, 299–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IBAMA. (2003) Lista das espécies de fauna ameaçada de extinção. Available at World Wide Web: http://www.ibama.gov.br/fauna/downloads/lista%20spp.pdf. Accessed in June 31, 2006

  • Kerr, W.E. (1949) Algumas comparações entre a abelha européia (Apis mellifera, L.) e as abelhas brasileiras (Meliponini). O Solo 1, 40–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, W.E. (1950) Genetic determination of castes in the genus Melipona. Genetics 35, 143–152

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, W.E., Stort, A.C.G., Montenegro, M.J. (1966) Importância de alguns fatores ambientais na determinação de castas no gênero Melipona. An. Acad. Bras. Cienc. 38, 149–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, W.E., Petrere Jr., M., Diniz-Filho, J.A.F. (2001) Informações biológicas e estimativa do tamanho ideal da colmeia para a abelha tiúba do Maranhão (Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith—Hymenoptera, Apidae). Revta. Brasil. Zool. 18, 45–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitazawa, T., Kanda, T., Takami, T. (1963) Changes of mitotic activity in the silkworm egg in relation to diapause. Bull. Seric. Exp. Stat. 18, 283–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinert, A.M.P. (2005) Colony strength and queen replacement in Melipona marginata (Apidae: Meliponini). Braz. J. Biol. 63, 469–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinert-Giovannini, A., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1986) Flight activity and responses to climatic conditions of two subspecies of Melipona marginata Lepeletier (Apidae, Meliponinae). J. Apic. Res. 25, 3–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Koedam, D. (1999) Production of queens, workers and males in the stingless bee Melipona favosa (Apidae, Meliponinae): patterns in time and space. Neth. J. Zool. 49, 289–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Koedam, D. (2003) A non-invasive method for sampling Melipona brood combs and determining caste and sex ratios. In: Melo, G.A.R., Alves-dos-Santos, I. (eds.) Apoidea Neotropica–Homenagem aos 90 anos de Jesus Santiago Moure. UNESC, Criciúma

    Google Scholar 

  • Koedam, D., Contrera, F.A.L., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1999) Clustered male production by workers in the stingless bee Melipona subnitida Ducke (Apidae, Meliponinae). Insectes Soc. 46, 387–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.M., Zucchi, R., Zucoloto, F.S. (1991) Colony condition and bionomic alterations in Geotrigona inusitata (Apidae, Meliponinae). Acta Biol. Paran. 20, 109–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Menezes, C., Bonetti, A.M., Amaral, I.M.R., Kerr, W.E. (2007) Alimentação larval de Melipona (Hymenoptera, Apidae): estudo individual das células de cria. Biosci. J. 23, 70–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C.D. (1974) The social behavior of the bees. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C.D. (2000) The bees of the world. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore

  • Moo-Vale, H., Quezada-Euán, J.J.G., Canto-Martín, J., Gonzalez-Acereto, J.A. (2004) Caste ontogeny and distribution of reproductive cells on the combs of Melipona beecheii (Apidae: Meliponini). Apidologie 35, 587–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira-Neto, P. (1997) Vida e Criação de Abelhas Indígenas sem Ferrão. Nogueirapis, São Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • Pick, R., Blochtein, B. (2002) Atividades de vôo de Plebeia saiqui Holmberg (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) durante o período de postura da rainha e em diapausa. Revta. brasil. Zool. 19, 827–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro, M.F., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L., Santos-Filho, P.S. (2003) A interrupção da construção de células de cria e postura em Plebeia remota Holmberg (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). In: Melo, G.A.R., Alves-dos-Santos, I. (eds.) Apoidea Neotropica–Homenagem aos 90 anos de Jesus Santiago Moure. UNESC, Criciúma

    Google Scholar 

  • Roubik, D.W. (2006) Stingless bee nesting biology. Apidologie 37, 124–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakagami, S.F. (1982) Stingless bees. In: Hermann, H.R. (ed.) Social insects III. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos-Filho, P.S., Alves, D.A., Eterovic, A., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L., Kleinert, A.M.P. (2006) Numerical investment in sex and caste by stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini): a comparative analysis. Apidologie 37, 207–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva, D.L.N., Zucchi, R., Kerr, W.E. (1972) Biological and behavioral aspects of the reproduction in some species of Melipona (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae). Anim. Behav. 20, 123–132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sommeijer, M.J., de Bruijn, L.L.M., Meeuwsen, F.J.A.J., Martens, E.P. (2003) Natural patterns of caste and sex allocation in the stingless bees Melipona favosa and M. trinitalis related to worker behavior. Insectes Soc 50, 38–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masali, S. (1986) Seasonal adaptations of insects. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • van Veen, J.W., Sommeijer, M.J., Meeuwsen, F. (1997) Behavior of drones in Melipona (Apidae, Meliponinae). Insectes Soc. 44, 435–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velthuis, H.W., Koedam, D., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1999) The rate of brood cell production in the stingless bee Melipona bicolor fluctuates with nest box temperature. Ver. Etol. 2, 141–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Velthuis, H.H.W., Roeling, A., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (2001) Repartition of reproduction among queens in the polygynous stingless bee Melipona bicolor. Proc. Sec. Exp. Appl. Ent. Neth. Entomol. Soc. 12, 45–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Winston, M.L. (2003) A Biologia da Abelha. Magister, Porto Alegre

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, W.H., Sato, Y., Ikeda, M., Yamashita, O. (1995) Stage-dependent and temperature-controlled expression of the gene encoding the precursor protein of diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 3804–3808

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Brazilian Research Agencies National Council of Research (CNPq).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Entomologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Ney Telles Ferreira Jr & Betina Blochtein

  2. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil

    José Eduardo Serrão

Authors
  1. Ney Telles Ferreira Jr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Betina Blochtein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. José Eduardo Serrão
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Betina Blochtein or José Eduardo Serrão.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: James Nieh

Production saisonnière et distribution spatiale des castes dans les rayons de couvain de Melipona bicolor schencki (Apidae; Meliponini), dans le sud du Brésil

Melipona / larve / abeille sans aiguillon / reine / mâle

Jahreszeitabhängige Produktion und räumliche Verteilung der Kasten auf Brutwaben der Stachellosen Biene Melipona bicolor schencki (Apidae; Meliponini) in Südbrasilien

Melipona / Larven / Stachellosen Biene / Königin / Männchen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jr, N.T.F., Blochtein, B. & Serrão, J.E. Seasonal production and spatial distribution of Melipona bicolor schencki (Apidae; Meliponini) castes in brood combs in southern Brazil. Apidologie 44, 176–187 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0169-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0169-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation