Ana María Román Díaz
Biblioteca MV José de
la Luz Gómez
Facultad de Medicina
Veterinaria y Zootecnia
Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México
México, D. F., C. P.
04510
Email:
anacarlo@unam.mx
Bases de datos utilizadas
CAB Direct Abstracts
Web of Knowledge
Antimicrobial activity of honey from five species
of Brazilian stingless bees. Mercês, M. D.; Peralta, E. D.;
Uetanabaro, A. P. T.; Lucchese, A. M.; Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade
Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil, Ciência Rural, 2013, 43, 4, pp
672-675, 14 ref.
Abstract: The antimicrobial activity of honey produced by Melipona asilvai, Melipona
quadrifasciata anthidioides, Friseomelita doederleinei, Tetragonisca angustula and Plebeia sp. were investigated. The agar
well diffusion assay demonstrated that all honeys had antibacterial activity
against Staphylococcus
aureus, but only the samples from M. quadrifasciata anthidioides and F. doederleinei
inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli. In the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration
determination assay, M. asilvai, M. quadrifasciata
anthidioides, F. doederleinei and T. angustula honeys were more active than that from Plebeia sp. for S. aureus and E. coli. The microorganisms Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans were resistant to the all native stingless bee
honeys in both assays. Honeys were more effective against bacteria than a sugar
solution, suggesting that the mechanism for bacterial growth inhibition is not
only related to the osmotic effect. The results of antimicrobial activity may
explain the popular medicinal use of these honeys in bacterial diseases.
Areas of natural occurrence of Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the state
of Bahia, Brazil. Alves, R. M. O.; Carvalho, C. A.
L.; Souza, B. A.; Santos, W. S.; Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, 2012, 84, 3, pp
679-688, 32 ref.
Abstract: The bee Melipona scutellaris is
considered the reared meliponine species with the largest distribution in the
North and Northeast regions of Brazil, with records from the state of Rio
Grande do Norte down to the state of Bahia. Considering the importance of this
species in the generation of income for family agriculture and in the
preservation of areas with natural vegetation, this study aimed at providing
knowledge on the distribution of natural colonies of M. scutellaris in the state of Bahia. Literature information,
interviews with stinglessbee beekeepers, and expeditions were conducted to
confirm the natural occurrence of the species. A total of 102 municipalities
showed records for M. scutellaris, whose occurrence was observed in areas ranging
from sea level up to 1,200-meter height. The occurrence of this species in the
state of Bahia is considered to be restricted to municipalities on the coastal
area and the Chapada Diamantina with its rainforests. Geographic coordinates,
elevation, climate and vegetation data were obtained, which allowed a map to be
prepared for the area of occurrence in order to support conservation and
management policies for the species.
Influence of climatic variations on the flight
activity of the Jandaira bee Melipona subnitida Ducke (Meliponinae). Oliveira, F. L. de; Dias, V. H. P.; Costa, E. M.
da; Filgueira, M. A.; Espínola Sobrinho, J.; Centro de Ciencias Agrarias da
Universidade Federal do Ceara, Ceara, Brazil, Revista Ciência Agronômica, 2012,
43, 3, pp 598-603, 24 ref.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to obtain
information about the influence of climatic variations on the flight activity
of Jandaíra bees, M. subnitida Ducke. The research was conducted in 2006 at the
stingless-bee apiaries of the Federal Semi-Arid Rural University do (UFERSA),
in Mossoró, RN, from March to June (the rainy season) and September to December
(the dry season). For the experiment, five colonies of M. subnitida Ducke were
used, where every fortnight, from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, the flow of bees
entering and leaving, and the type of material they carried, were noted. The
information collected at the entrance of the colonies was correlated with
climatic data, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and wind speed,
collected by an automatic weather station at the time of the evaluations. The
joint action of the climatic variations influenced the flight activity of M.
subnitida, where the influence of temperature, relative humidity and solar
radiation stood out. The wind speed acted only to compensate for the other
meteorological factors. The external activities of the Jandaira bee are
concentrated in the morning, both in the rainy season from March to June, and
in the dry season from September to December. Nectar, water and pollen were
collected in greater quantities during the foraging activities of the Jandaira
in both periods. Therefore, management of hives in the region, is best carried
out in the evening, when the external activities of the bees are coming to an
end.
Indigenous bees created in Rio Grande do Norte
state, Brazil. Pereira, D. S.; Menezes, P. R.;
Belchior Filho, V.; Sousa, A. H. de; Maracajá, P. B.; Universidade Federal
Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoro, Brazil, Acta Veterinaria Brasilica,
2011, 5, 1, pp 81-91, 11 ref.
Abstract: This work aimed to perform a survey of the species
of aboriginal bees without sting created by stingless bees keepers in Rio
Grande do Norte state, Brazil, as well to do a study on its geographic
distribution in the state. The research was directed to 104 stingless bees
keepers in cities where it had greater concentration of creators of aboriginal
bees in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. The species of stingless bees of 104
stingless bees keepers distributed in 29 cities of the state had been investigated.
It evidenced that the bee without sting M. subnitida,
with 86% of frequency, is the stingless bees species with better geographic
distribution in the Rio Grande do Norte state, predominating in all the visited
keepers. The P. mosquito specie presented frequency of 4.9%. The presence
of this species was not evidenced in all the studied areas, the same occurred
with species M. asilvae with 4.3% of frequency, M. scutellaris with a frequency of 1.4%, and P. cupira, Frieseomelitta spp. and F. varia, that together they had answered
with frequency of 3.4% in all state.
Melipona scutellaris: general characteristics. Gois, G. C.; Carneiro,
G. G.; Silva, E. de O.; Campos, F. S.; F. B. Moreira, Londrina, Brazil, PUBVET,
2010, 4, 16, pp unpaginated, many ref.
Abstract: Before European
settlement, the Americas and Australia did not have stinging bees; instead,
there were native species of bee that had atrophied stings. The interest in
these bees is justified by the nutritional and therapeutic use of honey, and
can be an alternative to increase the income of farmers. Besides honey,
propolis and pollen are potentially useful as alternative sources of rural
income. Zootechnical exploitation of stingless bees for commercial purposes is
a recent activity in Brazil and has attracted the interest of producers to new
ways of production. It is necessary to promote the conservation and diversity
of these bees, freeing them from the risk of extinction.
Microbiological quality of honey bee Melipona scutellaris. Gois, G. C.; Carneiro, G. G.;
Rodrigues, A. E.; Silva, E. de O.; Campos, F. S.; F. B. Moreira, Londrina,
Brazil, PUBVET, 2010, 4, 9, pp unpaginated, 4 ref.
Abstract: With the development of commercial establishment
of native bees, there has been a greatinterest in the identification and
characterization of honey come from stingless bees, to characterise it as food
and also as a bactericide. Given this, this study aims to examine the
characteristics of microbiological of honey bees Melipona scutellaris. The
experiment was conducted in the Meliponário Module of Beekeeping and silkworm
farming and the Laboratory of Plant, belonging to the Centre of Agricultural
Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Campus II, during the period August
2007 to August 2008. The honey used for conducting the survey was from hives of
bees M. scutellaris (uruçu) nest in Meliponário Sector of Beekeeping
in commercial boxes that were numbered 1 to 7 for identification. The honey was
placed on plates containing half BDA (Potato Dextrose Agar), totaling 7
treatments and 5 repetitions. All the honey used was from the Goupia glabra Aubl. The honey from hives had microorganisms that
ranged from Penicilium
digitatum, Penicilium sp.,
Aspergillus flavus, and yeasts and bacteria not identified.
Physical-chemical parameters of stingless bee (Melipona subnitida) honey after heat treatment. Freitas, W. E. de S.; Aroucha, E. M. M.; Soares,
K. M. de P.; Mendes, F. I. de B.; Oliveira, V. R. de; Lucas, C. R.; Santos, M.
C. A. dos; Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoro, Brazil,
Acta Veterinaria Brasilica, 2010, 4, 3, pp 153-157, 18 ref.
Abstract: This study assessed some honey quality parameters
from bee species (Melipona subnitida) subjected to thermal treatment. Honey samples
about 1 Kg were taken from Melipona subnitida
("jandaíra"). These samples were fractioned in Chemistry Laboratory
from DACS (UFERSA). A part of these was analyzed immediately and the other one
was subjected to thermal treatment at 70°C during 4, 8, 16, 24 hours.
Physical-chemistry characteristics available were moisture content, total
acidity, reducing sugar, HMF. The experiment was conducted with samples of
honey jandaia subjected to five times of thermal treatments, performed in three
replicates. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression. It was
found thermal treatment effects on all traits (acidity, pH, moisture, reducing
sugars and hydroxymethylfurfural). With the exception of the HMF, the other
physical and chemical parameters (moisture, total acidity and reducing sugars)
evaluated in honey Jandaira remained within specification suggested for quality
control of honey from stingless bees.
Circulating hemocytes from larvae of Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): cell types and
their role in phagocytosis. Amaral, I. M. R.; Moreira Neto, J. F.; Pereira, G.
B.; Franco, M. B.; Beletti, M. E.; Kerr, W. E.; Bonetti, A. M.; Ueira-Vieira,
C.; Elsevier, Oxford, UK, Micron, 2010, 41, 2, pp 123-129
Abstract: Infection in insects stimulates a complex
defensive response. Recognition of pathogens may be accomplished by plasma or
hemocyte proteins that bind specifically to bacterial or fungal
polysaccharides. Several morphologically distinct hemocyte cell types cooperate
in the immune response. Hemocytes attach to invading organisms and then isolate
them by phagocytosis, by trapping them in hemocyte aggregates called nodules,
or by forming an organized multicellular capsule around large parasites. In the
current investigation the cellular in the hemolymph third instar larvae of M. scutellaris has been characterized by means of light
microscopy analysis and phagocytosis assays were performed in vivo by injection of 0.5 µm fluorescence beads in
order to identify the hemocyte types involved in phagocytosis. Four morphotypes
of circulating hemocytes were found in 3rd instar larvae: prohemocytes,
plasmatocytes, granulocytes and oenocytoids. The results presented
plasmatocytes and granulocytes involved in phagocytic response of foreign
particles in 3rd instar larvae of M. scutellaris.
Physical-chemical characterization of honey of
guarana ("Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis") in Alta Floresta, Mato
Grosso. Fujii, I. A.; Rodrigues, P. R.
M.; Ferreira, M. do N.; Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal da
Bahia, Bahia, Brazil, Revista Brasileira de Saude e Producao Animal, 2009, 10,
3, pp 645-653, 27 ref.
Abstract: It was determined the physical-chemical
characteristics and the pollinic origins of 17 samples of honey from guarana
plant cultivation (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis), produced by Apis mellifera L, Scaptotrigona sp.
L and Melipona seminigra sp. honey bee species in Alta Floresta, Mato
Grosso State, Brazil. Pollinic and physical-chemical analysis were determined,
considering the variables humidity rate, free acidity, reducing sugar in
inverted sugar, apparent sucrose, ashes and solids insoluble in water,
comparing the samples to the identity and quality standards established by the
local legislation. Means comparisons were made by the Dunnet test at 5%
probability. The humidity rate for honey produced by indigenous honey bees - Scaptotrigona sp. and Melipona seminigra sp.
- was high when compared to honey produced by Africanized honey bees, and the
levels of reducing sugars for Scaptotrigona sp. were low. Any other determinations were
accordingly to standards imposed by Brazilian legislation. Through pollinic
analysis, it was verified that the pollen from guarana flower was present in
all samples of honey, being considered dominant pollen, with 80% of the pollen
grain in the samples, showing the apicultural potential of this species as a
honey plant.
Flavonoids, antibacterial and antioxidant
activities of propolis of stingless bees, Melipona quadrifasciata, Melipona compressipes, Tetragonisca
angustula, and Nannotrigona sp.
from Brazil and Venezuela. Manrique, A. J.; Santana, W. C.;
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agricolas (INIA), Maracay, Venezuela,
Zootecnia Tropical, 2008, 26, 2, pp 157-166, 46 ref.
Abstract: The flavonoid content and the antibacterial and
antioxidant activities of Brazilian and Venezuelan propolis from stingless
bees, Melipona
quadrifasciata, M. compressipes, Tetragonisca angustula and Nannotrigona sp.,
were evaluated using ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) against Gram positive
bacteria, Staphylococcus
aureus and Micrococcus luteus. The
propolis samples were collected in 3 locations (São Paulo State, Brazil and
Miranda and Guárico States, Venezuela) from November 2003 to April 2004. The
results showed that the flavonoid content was very low for all samples, ranging
from 0.19 to 0.32%. The antioxidant activity was lower than 22 s for all
samples (3-5 s on average). The EEP from M. quadrifasciata bees
showed a higher antioxidant activity than that from the other stingless bees.
All EEP showed a high antibacterial activity, with an inhibition halo between
11 and 30 mm, against S. aureus and Micrococcus luteus for
all Brazilian and Venezuelan samples, respectively. The EEP from Nannotrigona sp. showed a higher antibacterial activity than
that from other bees. The propolis studied showed high antibacterial and
antioxidant activities despite lower flavonoid percentages.
Adaptation and foraging behavior of the stingless
bee (Melipona subnitida) Ducke in a caged environment. Cruz, D. de O.; Freitas, B. M.; Silva, L. A. da;
Silva, E. M. S. da; Bomfim, I. G. A.; Universidade Estadual de Maringá,
Maringa, Brazil, Acta Scientiarum - Animal Sciences, 2004, 26, 3, pp 293-298,
34 ref.
Abstract: The effect of caged environment on the foraging
behaviour of the stingless bee Melipona subnitida was
studied in Ceará, Brazil. Species adaptation to enclosures, foraging
behavioural aspects and daily foraging pattern were investigated in
greenhouse-grown sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum).
The results showed that M. subnitida adapts well to greenhouses and forages throughout
the day. It may be concluded that this bee species can be used for crop
pollination in protected environments.
Hypothesis on the origin of the genetic caste
determination in Melipona species (Apidae, Meliponinae). Kerr, W. E.;
Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de; Pereira, R. A.; Santos Cristino, A. dos;
Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.; Lourenço, A. P.; Silva, J. E. B. da; Almeida, G.
F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do; Proceedings of the 8th IBRA International
Conference on Tropical Bees and VI Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto,
Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp 2-8, 20 ref.
Abstract: This paper describes caste determination in social
Apidae, examines the variation in chromosome number in Apinae, and discusses
hypotheses for the origin of castes in Melipona species.
Castle-specific gene expression in the stingless
bee Melipona
quadrifasciata. Judice, C.; Hartfelder, K.; Festa,
F.; Sogayar, M.; Pereira, G. A. G.; Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de; Pereira, R.
A.; Santos Cristino, A. dos; Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.; Lourenço, A. P.;
Silva, J. E. B. da; Almeida, G. F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do; Proceedings of the
8th IBRA International Conference on Tropical Bees and VI Encontro sobre
Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp 150-155, 25
ref.
Abstract: Results are presented of a study on the
differences in gene expression between newly emerged adult queens and workers
of Melipona
quadrifasciata anthidioides using differential display reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) and cDNA subtractive
libraries.
Development of AFLP-markers for the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and their application to the genetic caste
determination problem. Makert, G. R.; Paxton, R. J.; Hartfelder, K.;
Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de; Pereira, R. A.; Santos Cristino, A. dos;
Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.; Lourenço, A. P.; Silva, J. E. B. da; Almeida, G.
F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do; Proceedings of the 8th IBRA International
Conference on Tropical Bees and VI Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto,
Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp 156-160, 18 ref.
Abstract: Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was
designed as a highly sensitive method for DNA fingerprinting to be used in
plant and animal breeding. Only few studies applied the AFLP methodology to
insects, and no AFLP-protocol has been developed for bees. Therefore, we needed
to establish and optimize an AFLP method for Melipona quadrifasciata. In
this project, we developed AFLP markers for queens and workers. Our objective
is to find reliable genetic markers for Melipona caste determination.
Seasonal strategies of harvesting by Melipona sp. in the Amazon region. Cortopassi-Laurino, M.;
Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de; Pereira, R. A.; Santos Cristino, A. dos;
Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.; Lourenço, A. P.; Silva, J. E. B. da; Almeida, G.
F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do; Proceedings of the 8th IBRA International
Conference on Tropical Bees and VI Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto,
Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp 258-263, 8 ref.
Abstract: Observation of the flight and foraging activities
of bees (Melipona crinita,
M. eburnea fuscopilosa, M. grandis, M. flavolineata and M. fuliginosa)
were made in the Amazon region, at Xapuri City, Acre, Brazil, for some days
during the dry season in October 1999 and during the rainy season in January
2004. Flight activity peaks in both seasons occurred in the first hours of the
morning for all Melipona species, except for M. grandis
which had a later flight activity peak. In terms of foraging dynamics, a shift
in the materials mostly collected was observed, i.e. pollen in the dry season
and rubbery resin with seeds and mud in the rainy season. The resin or red pulp
with seeds, as well as the mud, are used for building structures inside the
nest. Gathering of mud, which was absent in the dry season, reached 48.7% for M. crinita and above 15% in the other bee species. Mud
gatherings increased immediately after the storms. Resin gathering, which was
low in the dry season, was recorded in more than 25% of bees during the rainy
season. Pollen gathering in both seasons occurred at temperatures of 24-26°C
and air humidity of 84-95%. White pollens were collected from two species of
Myrtaceae, and yellow pollens were collected from three species of Myrtaceae
and one species of Umbelliferae [Apiaceae].
The sharing of male production among worker cohorts
in Melipona (Apidae, Meliponini). Koedam, D.;
Imperatriz-Fonseca, V. L.; Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de; Pereira, R. A.;
Santos Cristino, A. dos; Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.; Lourenço, A. P.; Silva,
J. E. B. da; Almeida, G. F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do; Proceedings of the 8th
IBRA International Conference on Tropical Bees and VI Encontro sobre Abelhas,
Ribeirão Preto, Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp 264-270, 21 ref.
Abstract: Studies conducted on hived colonies of Melipona subnitida and M. bicolor
inside the Bee Laboratory of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
demonstrate that individual workers contribute to male production in different
numbers and that the egg laying potential of workers is regulated by food
(nutritional) conditions and social interactions during its ontogeny.
Ovarian development related to activity levels of
nurse workers in Melipona bicolor: evolutionary significance. Aponte, O. I. C.;
Imperatriz-Fonseca, V. L.; Santos Filho, P. S.; Hartfelder, K. H.; Jong, D. de;
Pereira, R. A.; Santos Cristino, A. dos; Morais, M. M.; Tanaka, E. D.;
Lourenço, A. P.; Silva, J. E. B. da; Almeida, G. F. de; Nascimento, A. M. do;
Proceedings of the 8th IBRA International Conference on Tropical Bees and VI
Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil, 6-10 September, 2004, 2004, pp
271-279, 29 ref.
Abstract: A study of Melipona bicolor was
conducted to verify if workers that participated more in the provisioning and
oviposition process (POP) are heavier and if they present higher levels of
ovarian development. Results revealed the correlation of individual weight and
extent of ovarian development with the levels of activity presented by each
nurse bee and suggested that ovarian development is necessary for workers to
assist effectively in brood production. This study also demonstrated that in M. bicolor, behavioural differences divide nurses into
non-layers and layers (of trophic and/or reproductive eggs), with egg layers
being the most interested in POP as demonstrated by their continuous presence
(constancy) and significant contribution to each process (assiduity). This
separation indicates that ovarian development may play an important role in
task partition in the colony and that it influences the degree of involvement
presented by each worker.
Stingless bees as alternative pollinators and their
possible competition with Africanized bees in Tabasco, Mexico.
Domínguez-Sanchez, D.; Goulson, D.; Serna-Ramos, R. la; Jones, R. ;
International Bee Research Association, Cardiff, UK, Bees without frontiers:
Sixth European Bee Conference, Cardiff, UK, 1-5 July 2002, 2002, pp 128-133, 15
ref.
Abstract: In this paper we present the results of
pollination experiments on three tropical crops and competition for food
between native stingless bees and the introduced Africanized honeybees. The
work was carried out during the spring of the year 2001 in Tabasco, Mexico. For
Byrsonima crassifolia and Spondias mombin the
presence of bees as pollinators increased the number of fruit set, but for Citrullus lanatus hand pollination treatment produced more fruits.
Melipona and Africanized bees collected nectar on early a similar number of
flowering plants - 9 and 12 respectively, but Melipona collected pollen mainly
from 5 species of flowers and Apis on 10, this may affect the reproduction success of
the former in long term.
Ultrastructure of the ducts of the reproductive
tract of males of Melipona bicolor
bicolor lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apinae,
Meliponini). Dallacqua, R. P.; Cruz-Landim, C. da; Blackwell
Wissenschafts-Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Germany, Anatomia Histologia Embryologia,
2003, 32, 5, pp 276-281, 39 ref.
Abstract: The present paper describes the ultrastructural
features of seminal vesicle, post-vesicular vas deferens and ejaculatory duct
of Melipona bicolor
bicolor from newly emerged and mature males. Although the results do not
show very consistent morphological signs of secretory activity by the
epithelium of these organs, lipidic droplets and lamellar granules present in
mature males' seminal vesicles and the vacuoles present in post-vesicular vas
deferens are probably secretion. Besides, the spermatozoa in the lumen are
immersed in a material of characteristic structure, which must be produced in
superior regions of the reproductive system of immature males, not studied
here. The presence of sperm cells, apparently in cytoplasm vesicles of seminal
vesicle and post-vesicular vas deferens, suggests spermiophagy by their
epithelium.
Offspring Analysis in a Polygyne Colony of Melipona
scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) by Means of Morphometric Analyses. de
Carvalho, CAL (Lopes de Carvalho, Carlos Alfredo); Santos, WD (Santos, Wyratan
da Silva); Nunes, LA (Nunes, Lorena Andrade); Souza, BD (Souza, Bruno de
Almeida); Zilse, GAD (de Carvalho Zilse, Gislene Almeida); Alves, RMD (de
Oliveira Alves, Rogerio Marcos). SOCIOBIOLOGY. Vol: 57 (2) pp. 347-354. 2011
Abstract: In the few cases of
polygyne colonies in Melipona the presence of active queens is common,
generating offspring from different maternal origins. One of the techniques
employed to identify maternity of the offspring is morphometric analysis, which
allows inter- and intraspecific groups to be discriminated. The objective of
this study was to identify the maternal source of Melipona scutellaris workers
from a polygyne colony with five queens using wing morphometric analysis. The
right forewings and hindwings of 209 workers were used. The workers came from a
brood disk extracted from the colony and taken to a B.O.D. incubator maintained
at 28 +/- 1 degrees C and 75% relative humidity. Conventional and geometric
morphometry analyses were made. Groups were discriminated, indicating that the
material analyzed had different maternal origins, with predominance of one
queen, which was responsible for 57% of the progeny. Cluster analysis allowed
to confirm that the use of conventional morphometry can identify offspring
groups from existing queens in a M scutellaris polygyne colony. However, such identification was not possible
with geometric morphometry
Genome size variation in Melipona species
(Hymenoptera: Apidae) and sub-grouping by their DNA content. Tavares, MG (Tavares, Mara Garcia); Carvalho, CR
(Carvalho, Carlos Roberto); Soares, FAF (Ferrari Soares, Fernanda Aparecida). APIDOLOGIE. Vol: 41 (6) pp. 636-642. 2010
Abstract: The stingless bees
of the genus Melipona comprise a group with approximately 40 Neotropical
species. Despite their ecological and economic importance, the size of the
genomes of these species remains poorly known. Thus, the present study measured
the DNA content of 15 Melipona species. The mean genome size (1C) of the
females ranged from 0.27 pg to 1.38 pg, with increments of, approximately, 0.12
pg. It was possible to recognize two groups of species: the first presented
relatively low DNA content (average = 0.29 pg), while the second showed high
DNA content (average = 0.98 pg). This result corroborates the cytogenetic
classification of these species into two groups, one of them comprising species
with a low heterochromatin content (<50 and="" content="" heterochromatin="" high="" other="" species="" the="" with="">50%). Amongst the groups with low and high DNA
content, there was no significant correlation between the DNA content and the
size of the bees. The data obtained may aid in the selection of species which
are suitable for sequencing projects, besides providing an overview of the
diversity in the genome size of the Melipona genus. 50>
Trophallaxis and reproductive conflicts in social
bees Contrera, FAL (Contrera, F. A. L.); Imperatriz-Fonseca, VL
(Imperatriz-Fonseca, V. L.); Koedam, D (Koedam, D.). INSECTES SOCIAUX. Vol: 57 (2) pp. 125-132. May 2010
Abstract: In the eusocial
Hymenoptera, reproductive division of labour is a key aspect of colony
organisation. In most of its species, workers are sterile and are unable to
reproduce, while the queen monopolises reproduction. When workers are able to
reproduce, a conflict with the queen or with other workers over male production
is predicted. Because this reproduction may involve costs for the colony, the
potential conflict over male parentage gives rise to important questions, such
as what are the proximate mechanisms that allow a queen to control the
reproductive potential of its workers, and which factors make some workers
fertile and others not. In the groups where it occurs, an important mechanism
for the regulation of reproduction is trophallaxis (the process of mutual
feeding through regurgitation that occurs in several species of social
insects). Trophallaxis gives dominant individuals a trophic advantage by taking
nutrients from submissive individuals. In advanced eusocial species of bees,
trophallaxis may also serve as an alternative hierarchical interaction in the
absence of agonistic conflicts. In this way, trophallaxis not only represents
an alternative path for hierarchical interactions, but it may be evolutionary
linked to intracolonial conflict among workers
Circulating hemocytes from larvae of Melipona
scutellaris (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): Cell types and their role in
phagocytosis. Amaral, IMR (Rodrigues Amaral, Isabel Marques); Neto, JFM
(Moreira Neto, Joao Felipe); Pereira, GB (Pereira, Gustavo Borges); Franco, MB
(Franco, Mariani Borges); Beletti, ME (Beletti, Marcelo Emilio); Kerr, WE
(Kerr, Warwick Estevam); Bonetti, AM (Bonetti, Ana Maria); Ueira-Vieira, C
(Ueira-Vieira, Carlos). MICRON. Vol: 41 (2) pp. 123-129. Feb 2010
Abstract:
Infection in insects stimulates a complex defensive response. Recognition of
pathogens may be accomplished by plasma or hemocyte proteins that bind
specifically to bacterial or fungal polysaccharides. Several morphologically
distinct hemocyte cell types cooperate in the immune response. Hemocytes attach
to invading organisms and then isolate them by phagocytosis, by trapping them
in hemocyte aggregates called nodules, or by forming an organized multicellular
capsule around large parasites. In the current investigation the cellular in
the hemolymph third instar larvae of M. scutellaris has been characterized by
means of light microscopy analysis and phagocytosis assays were performed in
vivo by injection of 0.5 mu m fluorescence beads in order to identify the
hemocyte types involved in phagocytosis. Four morphotypes of circulating
hemocytes were found in 3rd instar larvae: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes.
granulocytes and oenocytoids. The results presented plasmatocytes and
granulocytes involved in phagocytic response of foreign particles in 3rd instar
larvae of M. scutellaris. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Circulating hemocytes from larvae of Melipona
scutellaris (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): Cell types and their role in
phagocytosis. Rodrigues Amaral, Isabel Marques;
Moreira Neto, Joao Felipe; Pereira, Gustavo Borges; Franco, Mariani Borges;
Beletti, Marcelo Emilio; Kerr, Warwick Estevam; Bonetti, Ana Maria;
Ueira-Vieira, Carlos. Micron. Vol: 41 (2) pp. 123-129. Feb 2010
Abstract: Infection in insects
stimulates a complex defensive response. Recognition of pathogens may be
accomplished by plasma or hemocyte proteins that bind specifically to bacterial
or fungal polysaccharides. Several morphologically distinct hemocyte cell types
cooperate in the immune response. Hemocytes attach to invading organisms and
then isolate them by phagocytosis, by trapping them in hemocyte aggregates
called nodules, or by forming an organized multicellular capsule around large
parasites. In the current investigation the cellular in the hemolymph third
instar larvae of M. scutellaris has been characterized by means of light
microscopy analysis and phagocytosis assays were performed in vivo by injection
of 0.5 [mu]m fluorescence beads in order to identify the hemocyte types
involved in phagocytosis. Four morphotypes of circulating hemocytes were found
in 3rd instar larvae: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes. granulocytes and
oenocytoids. The results presented plasmatocytes and granulocytes involved in
phagocytic response of foreign particles in 3rd instar larvae of M.
scutellaris. [copyright] 2009 Elsevier Ltd.
All rights reserved.
Global stingless bee phylogeny supports ancient
divergence, vicariance, and long distance dispersal. Rasmussen, C (Rasmussen,
Claus); Cameron, SA (Cameron, Sydney A.). BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN
SOCIETY. Vol: 99 (1) pp. 206-232. Jan 2010
Abstract: Stingless bees
(Meliponini) are one of only two highly eusocial bees, the other being the well
studied honey bee (Apini). Unlike Apini, with only 11 species in the single
genus Apis, stingless bees are a large and diverse taxon comprising some 60
genera, many of which are poorly known. This is the first attempt to infer a
phylogeny of the group that includes the world fauna and extensive molecular
data. Understanding the evolutionary relationships of these bees would provide
a basis for behavioural studies within an evolutionary framework, illuminating
the origins of complex social behaviour, such as the employment of dance and
sound to communicate the location of food or shelter. In addition to a global
phylogeny, we also provide estimates of divergence times and ancestral
biogeograhic distributions of the major groups. Bayesian and maximum likelihood
analyses strongly support a principal division of Meliponini into Old and New
World groups, with the Afrotropical+Indo-Malay/Australian clades comprising the
sister group to the large Neotropical clade. The meliponine crown clade is
inferred to be of late Gondwanan origin (approximately 80 Mya), undergoing
radiations in the Afrotropical and Indo-Malayan/Australasian regions,
approximately 50-60 Mya. In the New World, major diversifications occurred
approximately 30-40 Mya. (C) 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological
Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 99, 206-232.
Postembryonic Development of Rectal Pads in Bees
(Hymenoptera, Apidae). Santos, CG (Santos, Carolina
Goncalves); Neves, CA (Neves, Clovis Andrade); Zanuncio, JC (Zanuncio, Jose
Cola); Serrao, JE (Serrao, Jose Eduardo). ANATOMICAL
RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY .Vol: 292
(10) pp. 1602-1611. Oct. 2009
Abstract: The morphology and
development of the digestive tract of insects has been extensively studied, but
little attention has been given to the development of the rectal pads. These
organs are responsible for absorption of water and salts. In insects where they
occur, there are usually six ovoid rectal pads located in the medial-anterior
portion of the rectum. The rectal pad has three types of cells: principal,
basal, and junctional. The arrangement of these three cell types delimits an
intrapapillary lumen. The aim of the current study is to describe the
development of the rectal pads during postembryonic development of Melipona
quadrifasciata anthidioides and Melipona scutellaris. Specimens were analyzed
at the following developmental stages: white-, pink-, brown-, and black-eyed
pupae, and adult workers. The development of the rectal pad begins as a
thickening of the epithelium in white-eyed pupae at 54 hr. At this stage, there
is neither a basal cell layer nor intrapapillary lumen. The basal layers begin
to form in the pink-eyed pupa and are completely formed at the end of the
development of the brown-eyed pupa. In the brown-eyed pupal stage, the
intrapapillary lumen is formed and the junctional cells are positioned and
completely differentiated. Necrotic and apoptotic cell death were detected
along with cell proliferation in the whole rectum during pupal development,
suggesting that the development of the rectal pads involves cell proliferation,
death, and differentiation. The rectal pads originate only from the ectoderm.
Anat Rec, 292:1602-1611, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intergenerational reproductive parasitism in a
stingless bee. Oldroyd, BP (Oldroyd, Benjamin P.); Beekman, M (Beekman,
Madeleine). MOLECULAR ECOLOGY. Vol: 18 (19) pp. 3958-3960. Oct 2009
Abstract: Insect colonies have
been traditionally regarded as closed societies comprised of completely sterile
workers ruled over by a single once-mated queen. However, over the past 15
years, microsatellite studies of parentage have revealed that this perception
is far from the truth (Beekman & Oldroyd 2008). First, we learned that
honey bee queens are far more promiscuous than we had previously imagined
(Estoup et al. 1994), with one Apis dorsata queen clocked at over 100 mates
(Wattanachaiyingcharoen et al. 2003). Then Oldroyd et al. (1994) reported a
honey bee colony from Queensland, where virtually all the males were sons of a
single patriline of workers - a clear case of a cheater mutant that promoted
intra-colonial reproductive parasitism. Then we learned that both bumble bee
colonies (Lopez-Vaamonde et al. 2004) and queenless honey bee colonies (Nanork
et al. 2005, 2007) are routinely parasitized by workers from other nests that
fly in and lay male-producing eggs that are then reared by the victim colony.
There is even evidence that in a thelytokous honey bee population, workers lay
female-destined eggs directly into queen cells, thus reincarnating themselves
as a queen (Jordan et al. 2008). And let us not forget ants, where
microsatellite studies have revealed equally bizarre and totally unexpected
phenomena (e. g. Cahan & Keller 2003; Pearcy et al. 2004; Fournier et al.
2005). Now, in this issue, Alves et al. (2009) use microsatellites to provide
yet another shocking and completely unexpected revelation about the nefarious
goings-on in insect colonies: intergenerational reproductive parasitism by
stingless bee workers.
The queen is dead-long live the workers:
intraspecific parasitism by workers in the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris. Alves, DA (Alves, D. A.); Imperatriz-Fonseca, VL
(Imperatriz-Fonseca, V. L.); Francoy, TM (Francoy, T. M.); Santos, PS
(Santos-Filho, P. S.); Nogueira-Neto, P (Nogueira-Neto, P.); Billen, J (Billen,
J.); Wenseleers, T (Wenseleers, T.). MOLECULAR
ECOLOGY. Vol: 18 (19) pp. 4102-4111 Oct. 2009
Abstract: Insect societies are
well known for their high degree of cooperation, but their colonies can
potentially be exploited by reproductive workers who lay unfertilized, male
eggs, rather than work for the good of the colony. Recently, it has also been
discovered that workers in bumblebees and Asian honeybees can succeed in
entering and parasitizing unrelated colonies to produce their own male
offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate whether such intraspecific
worker parasitism might also occur in stingless bees, another group of highly
social bees. Based on a large-scale genetic study of the species Melipona
scutellaris, and the genotyping of nearly 600 males from 45 colonies, we show
that similar to 20% of all males are workers' sons, but that around 80% of
these had genotypes that were incompatible with them being the sons of workers
of the resident queen. By tracking colonies over multiple generations, we show
that these males were not produced by drifted workers, but rather by workers
that were the offspring of a previous, superseded queen. This means that
uniquely, workers reproductively parasitize the next-generation workforce. Our
results are surprising given that most colonies were sampled many months after
the previous queen had died and that workers normally only have a life
expectancy of similar to 30 days. It also implies that reproductive workers
greatly outlive all other workers. We explain our results in the context of kin
selection theory, and the fact that it pays workers more from exploiting the
colony if costs are carried by less related individuals.
Stingless Bees: Chemical Differences and Potential
Functions in Nannotrigona testaceicornis and Plebeia droryana Males and
Workers. Pianaro, A (Pianaro, Adriana);
Menezes, C (Menezes, Cristiano); Kerr, WE (Kerr, Warwick Estevam); Singer, RB
(Singer, Rodrigo B.); Patricio, EFLRA (Patricio, Eda Flavia Lotufo R. A.);
Marsaioli, AJ (Marsaioli, Anita J.). JOURNAL
OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY. Vol: 35 (9) pp. 1117-1128. Sep. 2009
Abstract: Cuticular wax,
abdominal and cephalic extracts of foraging workers and males of Nannotrigona
testaceicornis and Plebeia droryana, from the "Aretuzina" farm in So
Simo, SP, Brazil, were analyzed by GC-MS. The principal constituents were
hydrocarbons, terpenes, aldehydes, esters, steroids, alcohols, and fatty acids.
Interspecific differences for both cuticular wax and cephalic extracts were
found. The composition of cuticular wax and cephalic extracts was similar at
the intraspecific level, with minor component differences between males and
workers. Abdominal extracts differentiated sexes (male and worker) at the
intraspecific and interspecific levels. The main chemical components in
abdominal extracts of N. testaceicornis workers and males were geranylgeranyl
acetate and (Z)-9-nonacosene, respectively. The principal components of
abdominal extracts from P. droryana workers and males were tetradecanal and
unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids), respectively. A
secondary alcohol, (S)-2-nonanol, was detected in Plebeia droryana males only,
but not in workers. Preliminary field experiments showed that
(S)-(+)-2-heptanol and (S)-(+)-2-heptanol/ (S)-(+)-2-nonanol (1:1) attracted
workers of P. droryana, N. testaceicornis, and Frieseomelitta silvestrii.
However, males did not respond suggesting that these compounds do not function
as alarm or recruitment pheromones . In addition, racemic mixtures
were inactive.
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