Would Eulaema nigrita (Hym.: Apidae: Euglossini) be a reliable organism as a bioindicator of degraded environments?

• Published in: Contribuciones a las ciencias sociales Vol. 16; no. 11; pp. 26611 - 26626
• Main Authors: Menezes, Jaqueline Pereira, Alves Júnior, Valter Vieira, Henrique, Jessica Amaral, Lobtchenko, Gilberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.11.2023
• ISSN: 1988-7833; 1988-7833
• DOI: 10.55905/revconv.16n.11-111

Euglossini bees are recognized as orchid bees, they have a great importance as neotropical pollinators. Males are collectors of aromatic substances in flowers of several species of plants, but mainly of Orchidaceae. This tribe is composed of five genera, with the specie Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier considered in the group as a bioindicator species of degraded and anthropized areas. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the abundance of the group in areas with different intensities of anthropic activity in the southern region of Mato Grosso do Sul, seeking to certify the proposal that the species El. nigrita can be considered a bioindicator, as has been mentioned sometimes. The samplings were carried out with pet bottle traps (transparent), with two side openings containing vanillin as an attractive bait. Four areas were evaluated, resulting in a total of 1226 specimens of El. nigrita collected, 687 (56.03%) in the forest area and 539 (43.96%) in the open field area. No significant difference was found between the two types of areas evaluated in relation to the average number of individuals from El. nigrita sampled (t = 0.8529; p = 0.4563). Thus, considering the different areas evaluated for areas designated as closed forests and open areas, the results obtained do not favor the idea that the species of Euglossini El. nigrita may come to be considered as a significant biological organism as a bioindicator of the state of natural conservation of the habitat considered.