Silvia R. M. Pedro

Meliponini neotropicais: o gênero Partamona Schwarz, 1939 (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Neotropical Meliponini: the genus Partamona Schwarz, 1939 (Hymenoptera, Apidae). The systematics and biogeography of Partamona Schwarz, a Neotropical genus of stingless bees (Meliponini, Apinae, Apidae), are revised. Seventeen new species are described: P. epiphytophila sp. nov., P. subtilis sp. nov., P. nhambiquara sp. nov., P. batesi sp. nov., P. yungarum sp. nov., P. vitae sp. nov., P. ferreirai sp. nov., P. gregaria sp. nov., P. auripennis sp. nov., P. nigrilabris sp. nov., P. combinata sp. nov., P. chapadicola sp. nov., P. seridoensis sp. nov., P. littoralis sp. nov., P. criptica sp. nov., P. rustica sp. nov. and P. sooretamae sp. nov. Partamona pseudomusarum Camargo, 1980, is considered as junior synonym of P. vicina Camargo, 1980. Types of P. grandipennis (Schwarz, 1951), P. xanthogastra Pedro & Camargo, 1996-1997, P. pearsoni (Schwarz, 1938), P. ailyae Camargo, 1980, P. pseudomusarum, P. vicina, P. mulata Moure in Camargo, 1980, P. aequatoriana Camargo, 1980, P. mourei Camargo, 1980, P. peckolti, (Friese, 1901), P. testacea (Klug, 1807), P. helleri (Friese, 1900) and P. musarum (Cockerell, 1917) were examined. Lectotypes of P. orizabaensis (Strand, 1919), and P. cupira (Smith, 1863) are designated. An identification key for the species and drawings of morphological characters are presented. A phylogenetic hypothesis, based mainly on morphological characters is proposed. Four groups are defined, considering the shape of mandible of workers and sternum VII of males: bilineata / epiphytophila group (western Amazon to Mexico), including P. bilineata (Say), P. grandipennis, P. xanthogastra P. orizabaensis P. peckolti P. epiphytophila sp. nov., P. subtilis sp. nov., P. nhambiquara sp. nov., P. batesi sp. nov., P. yungarum sp. nov. and P. vitae sp. nov.; musarum group (Central Brazil, north of South America to Central America), including P. musarum, P. aequatoriana, P. vicina, P. mourei, P. pearsoni, P. ferreirai sp. nov., P. gregaria sp. nov. and P. testacea; nigrior group (Central Brazil to northeast of South America) including P. nigrior (Cockerell, 1925), P. auripennis sp. nov., P. nigrilabris sp. nov., P. combinata sp. nov., P. chapadicola sp. nov., P. seridoensis sp. nov. and P. littoralis sp. nov., and cupira group (southeastern and Central Brazil), including P. cupira, P. mulata, P. ailyae, P. sooretamae sp. nov., P. criptica sp. nov., P. rustica sp. nov. and P. helleri. Some geographic distribution patterns, congruent with that of other Meliponini bees, are commented.

Meliponini Neotropicais: o gênero Dolichotrigona Moure (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae)

Neotropical Meliponini: the genus Ptilotrigona Moure, (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae). The Neotropical stingless bees genus Ptilotrigona Moure, 1951 is revised. Three species are recognized: Ptilotrigona occidentalis (Schulz, 1904), endemic to NW South America - from NW Ecuador to southern Darien -, and with one isolated population in Osa Peninsula - Costa Rica; P. pereneae (Schwarz, 1943), endemic to the western Amazon; and P. lurida (Smith, 1854), largely distributed in the Amazon region. Ptilotrigona lurida and P. pereneae are the only known stingless bees that store pollen in association with yeasts (Candida sp.) and produce little or no honey. Nests are described and illustrated. Holotypes of Trigona suffragata Cockerell, 1922 (syn. of P. occidentalis) and Trigona manni Cockerell, 1912, specimens of Trigona heideri Friese, 1900 (syns. of P. lurida) identified by Friese, and one paratype of Trigona (Tetragona) heideri pereneae Schwarz, 1943 were studied. New synonym: Ptilotrigona lurida (Smith, 1854) = Trigona mocsaryi lutea Friese, 1903 syn. nov. In the cladistic analysis, species of Camargoia Moure, 1989, and Tetragona Lepeletier & Serville, 1828, were used as outgroups; the hypothesis presented is the following: ((((Ptilotrigona lurida, P. pereneae) P. occidentalis)((Camargoia nordestina, C. pilicornis) C. camargoi)) Tetragona goettei). An identification key for the species and other bionomic aspects are also presented.

Revisão das espécies de Melipona do grupo fuliginosa (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Apidae, Meliponini)

Tres especies sao reconhecidas: Melipona (Michmelia) fuliginosa Lepeletier, 1836, de larga distribuicao, do Suriname e Guiana Francesa ate o sudeste do Brasil e noroeste da Argentina, M. (Michmelia) titania Gribodo, 1893 (revalidado), endemica do oeste da Amazonia, e M. (Michmelia) fallax sp. nov., do noroeste do Equador ate a America Central. Melipona fuliginosa distingue-se pela pilosidade dos tergos metassomaticos II-V, tanto do macho como da operaria, densa e plumosa, e pelo primeiro tarsomero da perna III do macho mais largo que longo. Em M. titania e M. fallax sp. nov., a pilosidade dos tergos II-V e escassa e simples, nao-plumosa, e o primeiro tarsomero tao longo quanto largo ou mais longo que largo. Operarias de Melipona titania e M. fallax sp. nov. separam-se pela forma do penicilo, que e fortemente sinuoso em M. titania, e nos machos de M. fallax sp. nov. as orbitas internas dos olhos sao paralelas, enquanto em M. titania as orbitas sao convergentes embaixo. Novos registros geograficos, dados bionomicos e uma chave para identificacao das especies sao apresentados. Adicionalmente, sao feitos comentarios sobre o padrao biogeografico e sobre as glândulas tergais das rainhas.

Stingless Bees from Venezuela

A checklist of stingless bee species recorded in Venezuela is presented with information on popular names, studies on honey, taxonomy, distribution records, and biogeographic patterns. A total of 83 species distributed in 19 genera were surveyed, based on specimens of collection and literature.

Uma espécie nova de Schwarzula da Amazônia (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

Schwarzula coccidophila sp. nov., a tiny Amazonian stingless bee, that attends scale insects (Cryptostigma Ferris, 1922, Coccidae) in its nest, is described. It is distinguished from Schwarzula timida (Silvestri, 1902), the only other species of the genus, mainly by the malar area longer than diameter of 3rd flagellomere, and the denser plumose pilosity. Additional records of S. timida is presented.

Comparative reproductive biology reveals two distinct pollination strategies in Neotropical twig-epiphyte orchids

Members of Oncidiinae are widely known for their interactions with oil-collecting bees that explore lipophilic secretions on flowers. They may also be pollinated through food deception and the offering of nectar. Although data on breeding systems are available for many Oncidiinae orchids, little is known about the reproductive strategies in Rodriguezia, a neotropical genus of ca. 55 species. In this paper, we explore the reproductive biology of two species of Rodriguezia with distinctive morphologies: R. decora and R. lanceolata. Floral features, spectral reflectance, pollinators and pollination mechanisms, and breeding systems were studied. Both species are scentless and produce nectar as a reward. Floral nectar is secreted by a gland at the base of the labellum and stored into the sepaline spur. Rodriguezia decora reflects mainly in the blue and red regions of the light spectrum, while R. lanceolata reflects in the red region. Rodriguezia decora is exclusively visited and pollinated by butterflies, while Trochilidae hummingbirds are the pollinators of R. lanceolata. Pollinaria attach to the upper third of the proboscis of butterflies (R. decora), and to the bill of hummingbirds (R. lanceolata), during the collection of nectar from the spur. Both Rodriguezia species are self-sterile. Flower features and floral reflectance support the occurrence of psychophily in R. decora and ornithophily in R. lanceolata.

Diversity of Stingless Bees in Ecuador, Pot-Pollen Standards, and Meliponiculture Fostering a Living Museum Meliponini of the World

Despite their megabiodiversity, the stingless bees from Ecuador have been studied in relatively few projects. An advancement in Ecuadorian meliponiculture is possible despite the reluctant support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute of Normalization in Ecuador. Diverse approaches to pursue the protection of ancestral knowledge – as that in the Good Living Plan Sumak Kawsay – are discussed: (1) diversity of Ecuadorian stingless bees, (2) valorization of Ecuadorian pot-honeys and pot-pollen, (3) impact of climate change in Meliponini biodiversity, and (4) the role of stingless beekeepers in heritage and conservation. We reviewed the literature on topics for the diversity of species and pot-pollen composition. Ecuador is megadiverse in stingless bees; a total of 132 species distributed in 23 genera were found in 24 provinces. We report 54 species collected during a pot-honey research project in 1 year (2014–2015), 26 of them for the first time in Ecuador. Stingless bees are key species of ecological and economic importance for their role as pollinators of native, wild, and cultivated plants – candidates to predict climate change impact. A living museum to embrace Meliponini of the world is presented as a project to support these efforts at a global scale in the tropics where stingless bees and their keepers live. The Route of Living Museums of Meliponini Bees in the World complies with the definition of eco-museum and enhances appreciation for stingless bees.