Espécies de abelhas nativas sem ferrão utilizadas na meliponicultura no município de Água Branca-AL

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the species of native stingless bees used in meliponiculture in the municipality of Água Branca-AL. The experiment was conducted during the month of March to June 2017. Two collection methods were used. In the first method, the bees were collected in rational boxes, in the meliponary ones with the aid of the local meliponicultores. The second, entomological networks were used to capture bees in inflorescences and nesting sites. The samples were stored in vacuum tubes containing powdered naphthalene. The collected specimens were identified in the Laboratory of Bees and Ecology of Ecosystems-LABEE, in the Faculty of Technology and Sciences of Bahia (FTC-BA). It was observed the occurrence of nine species of native bees in the studied area, where six are rationally created, they are: Melipona (Melipona) subnitida Ducke, 1910 (61%); Plebeia flavocincta (Cockerell, 1912) (15.7%); Frieseomelitta varia (Lepeletier, 1836) (11.7%); Frieseomelitta doederleini (Friese, 1900) (5.8%); Melipona (Eomelipona) asilvai Moure, 1971 (5.3%) and Plebeia lucii Moure, 2004 (0.5%). The three generes, Scaptotrigona tubiba (Smith, 1863); Partamona sp. and Trigona sp. are not intended for meliponiculture.