Notes on the systematics of the orchid-bee genus Eulaema (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

The orchid-bee fauna of the region of Tarapoto, northeastern Peru, was surveyed using seventeen different scents as baits to attract orchid-bee males. Six hundred and fifty-nine males belonging to 41 species were actively collected with insect nets during 120 hours in late July and early August, 2012. Euglossa dressleriMoure, 1968, Euglossa laurensiBembé, 2008, and Euglossa maculilabrisMoure, 1968, three species belonging to the Euglossa cybelia species-group, are here reported for Peru for the first time. Previous sporadic and unpublished samplings in the area recorded eleven additional species. With 53 species, the region of Tarapoto can be considered the richest single site in the Neotropics for orchid bees. Diversity, estimated with the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′ = 3.02), was also the highest ever recorded for orchid bees.

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Is the “Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco” a biodiversity hotspot for orchid bees?

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.26412 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 74 (3 suppl 1) ◽

pp. S078-S092 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A Nemésio ◽

JE Santos Junior

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Orchid Bees ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

Forest Remnants ◽

First Time ◽

Forest Preserve

The orchid-bee faunas (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) of the three largest forest remnants in the “Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco”, northeastern Brazil, namely Estação Ecológica de Murici (ESEC Murici), RPPN Frei Caneca, and a forest preserve belonging to Usina Serra Grande, in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, were surveyed using seventeen different scents as baits to attract orchid-bee males. Eight sites were established in the three preserves, where samplings were carried out using two protocols: insect netting and bait trapping. We collected 3,479 orchid-bee males belonging to 29 species during 160 hours in early October, 2012. Seven species were collected in the “Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco” for the first time. Richness proved to be one of the highest of the entire Atlantic Forest domain, and diversity in some sites, especially at ESEC Murici, revealed to be one of the highest in the Neotropics. Eulaema felipei Nemésio, 2010, a species previously recorded only at ESEC Murici, was found in no other preserve in the region and its conservation status is discussed.

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Are orchid bees at risk? First comparative survey suggests declining populations of forest-dependent species

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842013000200017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 367-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

A Nemésio

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽

The Other ◽

Orchid Bees ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

Disturbed Areas ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Forest Remnants ◽

Declining Populations ◽

Comparative Survey

The two largest Atlantic Forest remnants in the state of Espírito Santo, eastern Brazil, namely ‘Reserva Biológica de Sooretama’ (REBIO Sooretama) and ‘Reserva Natural Vale’ (RNV), were surveyed for their orchid-bee faunas. Seventeen scent baits were used to attract orchid-bee males. Three-thousand, two hundred and twenty-five males belonging to 24 species were actively collected with insect nets during 100 hours in March, April and December, 2009. In comparison with a previous study in the same area twelve years before, it is evident that the abundance of all forest-dependent orchid bees analysed declined around 50%, and it was statistically significant (P = 0.022) for Euglossa marianae Nemésio, 2011, the most sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances of all Atlantic Forest orchid bees. On the other hand, the abundance of populations of species tolerant to open or disturbed areas rose. Possible explanations are discussed.

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Euglossa anodorhynchi sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), a new orchid bee from Southern Brazil

Neotropical Entomology ◽

10.1590/s1519-566x2006000200008 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 206-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

André Nemésio

Keyword(s):

Southern Brazil ◽

Orchid Bee

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The orchid-bee faunas (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of 'Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal', 'Parque Nacional do Descobrimento' and three other Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Bahia, eastern Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842013000200028 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 437-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

A Nemésio

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Amazon Basin ◽

First Record ◽

The State ◽

Orchid Bees ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Forest Remnants ◽

Southern Bahia

The orchid-bee faunas of ‘Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal’, ‘Parque Nacional do Descobrimento’ and three other Atlantic Forest remnants ranging from 1 to 300 ha in southern Bahia, eastern Brazil, were surveyed. Baits with seventeen different scents were used to attract orchid-bee males. Four thousand seven hundred and sixty-four males belonging to 36 species were actively collected with insect nets during 300 hours from November, 2008 to November, 2009. Richness and diversity of orchid bees found in this study are the highest ever recorded in the Atlantic Forest domain. Eufriesea dentilabris (Mocsáry, 1897) and Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard, 1840) were collected at the ‘Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal’, the first record of these species for the state of Bahia and the northernmost record for both species. Females Exaerete dentata (Linnaeus, 1758) were also collected at ‘Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal’ and old records of Eufriesea aeneiventris (Mocsáry, 1896) in this area makes this site the richest and most diverse concerning its orchid-bee fauna in the entire Atlantic Forest and similar to areas in the Amazon Basin.

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Euglossa samperi n. sp., a new species of orchid bee from the Ecuadorian Andes (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.1272.1.3 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 1272 (1) ◽

pp. 61 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

SANTIAGO RAMÍREZ

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

New Taxon ◽

Orchid Bees ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

The Pacific ◽

A New Species

A new species of orchid bee in the genus Euglossa is here described. Euglossa samperi n. sp. Ramírez occurs on the Pacific foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. Based on morphological characters, this new taxon is assigned to the subgenus Glossurella, one of the most species-rich, yet poorly known groups of orchid bees.

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First record of the orchid bee Euglossa imperialis Cockerell, 1922 (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina) in Mato Grosso do Sul state, midwestern Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/14.5.1059 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1059-1064

Author(s):

Jessica Amaral Henrique ◽

Ana Isabel Sobreiro ◽

Valter Vieira Alves-Júnior

Keyword(s):

First Record ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Paulo State ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

São Paulo State ◽

First Time ◽

Mato Grosso Do Sul

The occurrence of Euglossa imperialis Cockerell, 1922 is recorded for the first time in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This paper extends the distribution of the species by about 800 km west of the São Paulo state, its nearest record.

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Transcriptomic signatures of ageing vary in solitary and social forms of an orchid bee

10.1101/2020.07.30.228304 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alice C. Séguret ◽

Eckart Stolle ◽

Fernando A. Fleites-Ayil ◽

José Javier G. Quezada-Euán ◽

Klaus Hartfelder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Juvenile Hormone ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Gene Networks ◽

Life Histories ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Trade Off ◽

Eusocial Insects ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

Social Forms

AbstractEusocial insect queens are remarkable in their ability to maximise both fecundity and longevity, thus escaping the typical trade-off between these two traits. In species exhibiting complex eusocial behaviour, several mechanisms have been proposed to underlie the remoulding of the trade-off, such as reshaping of the juvenile hormone pathway, or caste-specific susceptibility to oxidative stress. However, it remains a challenge to disentangle the molecular mechanisms underlying the remoulding of the trade-off in eusocial insects from caste-specific physiological attributes that have subsequently arisen due to their different life histories. Socially plastic species such as the orchid bee Euglossa viridissima represent excellent models to address the role of sociality per se in longevity as they allow direct comparisons of solitary and social individuals within a common genetic background. We present data on gene expression and juvenile hormone levels from young and old bees, from both solitary and social nests. We found 940 genes to be differentially expressed with age in solitary females, versus only 14 genes in social dominant females, and seven genes in subordinate females. We performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis to further highlight candidate genes related to ageing in this species. Primary “ageing gene” candidates were related to protein synthesis, gene expression, immunity and venom production. Remarkably, juvenile hormone titres did not vary with age or social status. These results represent an important step in understanding the proximate mechanisms underlying the remodeling of the fecundity/longevity trade-off that accompanies the evolutionary transition from solitary life to eusociality.Significance statementThe remarkably long lifespan of the queens of eusocial insects despite their high reproductive output suggests that they are not subject to the widespread trade-off between fecundity and longevity that governs solitary animal life histories, yet surprisingly little is known of the molecular mechanisms underpinning their longevity. Using a socially plastic bee in which some individuals of a population are social whilst others are solitary, we identified hundreds of candidate genes and related gene networks that are involved in the remoulding of the fecundity/longevity tradeoff. As well as identifying candidate ageing genes, our data suggest that even in incipient stages of sociality there is a marked reprogramming of ageing; long live the queen.

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O Efeito do Fogo sobre a Comunidade de Abelhas Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em Floresta de Transição Cerrado-Amazônia (Mato Grosso, Brasil)

EntomoBrasilis ◽

10.12741/ebrasilis.v6i3.345 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 178-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nubia França da Silva Giehl ◽

Marco Bruno Xavier Valadão ◽

Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ◽

Josias Oliveira dos Santos ◽

Sara Miranda Almeida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cluster Analysis ◽

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Control Plot ◽

The Other ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Transitional Area ◽

Orchid Bee ◽

Transitional Forest ◽

Fire Area

Os efeitos de queimadas induzidas sobre a comunidade de abelhas Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) foram avaliados em floresta de transição entre o Cerrado e a Floresta Amazônica, no leste do Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. A riqueza, abundância e a composição de Euglossini foram determinadas em uma área controle não queimada (preservada), uma área queimada anualmente desde 2004 (degradação intermediária) e uma área queimada trienalmente desde 2004 (degradação elevada). Testamos a hipótese de que áreas com diferentes frequências de queimadas apresentam menor abundância de machos, menor riqueza e diferente composição de espécies de Euglossini em relação à área controle. As técnicas de coleta ativa e passiva de abelhas foram aplicadas usando seis substâncias puras para atração dos machos: β-ionona, benzoato de benzila, geraniol, fenil-etil-acetato, salicilato de metila e vanilina. Sete espécies foram catalogadas e não houve diferença nas abundâncias entre as três áreas amostradas (F (2, 12) = 0,150; p= 0,8). A riqueza estimada de espécies na área controle foi superior à área com fogo trienal (12 ± 3,8; 4 ± 2, respectivamente), enquanto a área com fogo anual apresentou riqueza intermediária (8 ± 4,35) e superior àquela da área com fogo trienal. A análise de UPGMA revelou diferença significativa quanto a composição de espécies da área de fogo trienal para as outras duas áreas. As queimadas anual e trienal reduziram a riqueza de espécies e alteraram a composição de espécies, com efeitos mais evidentes na área com fogo trienal, causando efeitos deletérios sobre a comunidade das abelhas das orquídeas. The effect of Fire on the Community of Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a Cerrado-Amazon Transitional Forest (Mato Grosso, Brazil) Abstract. We evaluated the effects of induced burned on Euglossini bee assemblages (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a transitional area between Cerrado and Amazonia, eastern Mato Grosso, Brazil. We determinate abundances, richness and composition of Euglossini in three plots: control plot (unburned), plot burned each year since 2004 (intermediate degradation), plot burned each three years since 2004 (high degradation). We tested the hypothesis that two burned plots present lower male abundances, less species richness and different species composition in comparison with the control plot. We collected male bees actively and passively by using six pure fragrances: β-ionona, benzoato de benzila, geraniol, fenil-etil-acetato, salicilato de metila e vanilina. We collected seven species with no differences in male abundances among three plots (F (2, 12)= 0.150; p= 0.8). Estimated richness species in control the plot was higher than the plot burned each three years (12 ± 3.8; 4± 2, respectively), while plot burned each year showed intermediate richness (8 ± 4.35) and higher than plot burned each three years. Cluster Analysis (UPGMA) revealed significant differences in species composition of the triennial fire area to the other two areas. Our results suggest that fire occurring with different frequencies in transitional forest promote decreases in richness of species and modifications in species composition. These modifications were clearer in plot more degraded (burned each three years) and induce deleterious effects on orchid bee assemblage.

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