Método de nidificação de abelhas coletoras de óleo neotropicais em ninhos-armadilha: influências ambientais e intrínsecas

Abstract

The Neotropical oil-collecting bee species Centris analis and Tetrapedia diversipes successfully colonize trap nests, and have shown ample potential for both native and crop pollination alike. Aiming to identify useful stimulating factors for the improvement of management and rearing techniques of both bee species, their biological cycle, nesting and reproductive habits were studied. Trap nests differentiated into two diameter categories were made available from August 2018 until November 2021 and arranged into two different nesting sites 5.42 m apart from each other. During the development time of C. analis e T. diversipes brood, each trap nest was sheltered in one of two incubation sites, under distinct temperature and humidity conditions. Data concerning the effect of environmental and intrinsic parameters on nesting frequency and preference, occupied cavities, brood development, brood cell amount and brood size by both species were sampled. Mean temperature was shown to be a stimulating parameter to the nesting of both species in trap nests. Centris analis bees were seen nesting more frequently in 6.0 mm diameter trap nests, while Tetrapedia diversipes bees were seen instead nesting more frequently in 4.5 mm diameter trap nests. Temperature and humidity control in incubation sites during brood development was shown to be an important parameter for the decreasing of brood development time to both species. Tetrapedia diversipes bees presented a greater amount of hatched females than males, in contrast to Centris analis bees, which presented a greater amount of hatched males than females. Larger cavity diameters contributed on both species to greater brood survival and to increasing brood cell production and brood amount.