Preservação de Melipona capixaba Moure & Camargo, 1994 (Hymenoptera: Apidae): aspectos biológicos e ecológicos

• Ano de defesa: 2012
• Autor(a) principal: Serra, Bruna Danielle Vieira
• Orientador(a): Campos, Lúcio Antonio de Oliveira
• Banca de defesa: Siqueira, Maria Augusta Lima , Drummond, Murilo Sérgio
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Viçosa
• Programa de Pós-Graduação: Doutorado em Entomologia
• Departamento: Ciência entomológica; Tecnologia entomológica
• País: BR
• Palavras-chave em Português: Melipona capixaba; Extinção; Endemismo; Pólen; Termoregulação
• Palavras-chave em Inglês: Melipona capixaba; Extinction; Endemism; Pollen; Thermoregulation
• Área do conhecimento CNPq: CNPQ::CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ZOOLOGIA
• Link de acesso: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/901

This work evaluated biological and ecological aspects of Melipona capixaba with the intent of understanding the biology of the species, as well as collect, organize and generating information to aid in the correct management so as to diminish the risks of extinction oh the species. Types of pollen present in samples form the corbicula of workers and stored in feeding bowls inside the nests were identified. The main trophic resources used by M. capixaba belong to the families Myrtaceae and Melastomataceae, especially important in its diet throughout the year is the species Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus and Melastomataceae/ Combretaceae were most frequent in the pollen samples stored in feeding bowls inside the nest. In the months in which Eucalyptus pollen was not collected or did not predominate in the samples, pollen from species of remaining native forest and introduced ruderal, fruit and ornamental plants prevailed in the samples. Also verified was the influence of ambient temperature on intranidal temperatures of the rearing area and outside the rearing area. Variation in ambient temperature influenced the variation of temperature in the rearing area. Two of the studied colonies regulated temperature in the rearing area at approximately 30ºC while the ambient temperature ranged from 8 to 33,5ºC. The other colonies poorly controlled temperature in the rearing area, potentially as a result of poor adaptation to the box where it was housed. Outside the rearing area the temperature was influenced by ambient temperature variations and the colonies presented similar responses to this variation. Also tested was the possibility that the distribution of M. capixaba is an example of non-equilibrium history and priority areas were identified to be considered within preservation strategies of the species from distribution modeling procedures. Analyses performed here indicate that the distribution of M. capixaba is a case of non-equilibrium history, in which there are factors limiting its dispersion and preventing that it reaches areas with climatic characteristics similar to those of known occurrence. Species distribution is restricted to areas of high altitude and the locations with more suitable environment for its occurrence correspond to municipalities in the southwest and central highlands of Espírito Stanto state, Brazil. These areas are affected by the expansion of forestry, eucalyptus monoculture, grazing, farming, mining, use of pesticides, use of fire for clearing of vegetation, land speculation and irregular occupation of the soil. The pattern of occurrence, restricted to the mountains, indicates the need for protection of high-altitude forests. Finally, it was verified that most known nests of M. capixaba are in hives located on the properties of farmers in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo and the persistence of the species seems to depend largely on how farmers manage and care for their boxes or hives, since wild nests are rare. Information obtained from this research, together with information provided by keepers of M. capixaba, will help to determine the best management practices for this species.