Fontes alimentares para abelhas Mamangava (Apidae: Xylocopini: Xylocopa) no litoral cearense

Abstract

Mamangavas are large and robust bees that have great potential for pollinating agricultural crops. However, little is known about the trophic resources these bees need to maintain and establish populations in these areas. That said, the aim of this study was to learn about the plants that these insects collect as a source of resources on the coast of Ceará. Based on the results found, the analysis of the trophic niche of Xylocopa frontalis, Xylocopa grisescens, Xylocopa cearensis and Xylocopa sp. showed that these insects visited 29 botanical species, distributed in 23 genera and 9 families. Solanum paniculatum, Libidibia ferrea, Leucaena leucocephala, Macroptilium sp., Moringa oleifera, Dioclea grandiflora, Tecoma stans, Mimosa caesalpinifolia, Ziziphus platyphylla and Senna sp. 1 were common to the niche of the 4 bee species. X. cearensis shows significant trophic niche similarity with the other three mamangava species. The presence of common and exclusive plants in the bees' diets suggests adaptive strategies and specific food preferences for this group. Taking into account the participation of each plant in the diet of the Xylocopa, Solanum paniculatum, Libidibia ferrea, Moringa oleifera, Genipa americana, Ziziphus platyphyla, Syzygium malaccense, Senna sp. 1 and Senna sp. 2 can be used in the enrichment of edge areas in agricultural matrices to attract and maintain these pollinators.