melipona scutellaris is a eusocial stingless bee species of the order hymenoptera and the genus melipona .

it is considered to be the reared melipona species with the largest distribution in the north and northeast regions of brazil , with records from rio grande do norte down to bahia .

its common name , uruçu , comes from the tupi " eiru su " , which in this indigenous language means " big bee " .

their honey is highly desirable and the materials they create for nests have been proven to be a promising source of antibiofilm agents and to present selectivity against human cancer cell lines at low concentrations compared to normal cells .

melipona scutellaris

antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities of stingless bee melipona scutellaris geopropolis . - pubmed - ncbi
sexual dimorphism and phenotypic plasticity in the antennal lobe of a stingless bee , melipona scutellaris .
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication
sexual dimorphism and phenotypic plasticity in the antennal lobe of a stingless bee , melipona scutellaris . - pubmed - ncbi
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication | apidologie
this study evaluated the gastroprotective activity of eegp from melipona scutellaris , as well as the possible action mechanisms involved .
best matched melipona scutellaris contigs from blastn analysis . the melipona contig id is the access number in genbank . only sequences that matched the insect sequence are shown .
geopropolis from melipona scutellaris decreases the mechanical inflammatory hypernociception by inhibiting the production of il - 1β and tnf - α .
a –sem of melipona scutellaris larvae head . b –immunohistochemistry of melipona scutellaris larvae ( head circled ) , negative control ( haematoxylin & eosin staining– 4x ) . c—zoomed mandibular region spotted in a . d –mscuobp8 was detected by specific staining of larvae tegument in the mandibular region ( 40x ) , comparatively to c . sem—scanning electron microscopy ; mscuobp8 – melipona scutellaris odorant binding protein .
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication | stefan jarau - urltoken
the sound field generated by tethered stingless bees ( melipona scutellaris ) : inferences on its potential as a recruitment mechanism inside the hive .
the aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of melipona scutellaris geopropolis ( stingless bee ) using different models of nociception .
recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance | apidologie
geopropolis from melipona scutellaris decreases the mechanical inflammatory hypernociception by inhibiting the production of il - 1β and tnf - α . - pubmed - ncbi
a study of a brazilian species - melipona scutellaris - found that some male bees are the sons of workers , rather than the queen bee .
the sound field generated by tethered stingless bees ( melipona scutellaris ) : inferences on its potential as a recruitment mechanism inside the hive . - pubmed - ncbi
m . g . da cunha , m . franchin , l . c . c . galvão et al . , “apolar bioactive fraction of melipona scutellaris geopropolis on
transcript distribution of the best matches of the melipona scutellaris fat body cdna library . the best matches were listed based on the insect species without considering e - values .
in this work , the ddrt - pcr technique was used to study differential gene expression profiles during post - embryonic development of melipona scutellaris . the differentially expressed cdna fragments detected were cloned , sequenced and analyzed by comparison using public databases . the results reported here are the first pieces of evidence of differential gene expression profiles in melipona scutellaris during its ontogenetic development .
this reproductive tug - of - war between workers and queens isn ' t unique to melipona scutellaris . a 2013 study on honeybees ( apis mellifera ) found evidence of a similar conflict .
key words : melipona , microsatellites , polygyny , queen number , social structure .
kerr w . e . , rocha r . ( 1988 ) comunicação em melipona rufiventris e melipona compressipes , cienc . cult . 40 , 1200 - 1203 .
the study focused on melipona scutellaris a brazilian species of highly social stingless bees , found throughout the atlantic rainforest . colonies contain around 1 , 500 workers and are headed by one single - mated queen .
carvalho - zilse g and kerr we ( 2004 ) natural substitutions of queens and flight distance of males in tiuba ( melipona compressipes fasciculata smith , 1854 ) and uruçu ( melipona scutellaris latreille , 1811 ) ( apidae , meliponini ) . acta amazon 34 : 649 - 652 . [ links ]
transcript distribution of melipona scutellaris fat body cdna library . protein functions were assigned based on homology with drosophila genes . ( a ) biological process . ( b ) molecular function . ( c ) cell component .
alves da , imperatriz - fonseca vl , francoy tm et al ( 2009 ) the queen is dead–long live the workers : intraspecific parasitism by workers in the stingless bee melipona scutellaris . mol ecol 18 : 4102–4111
oliveira mhcc , leal mca , almeida mg and coelho mp . 1986 . criação e preservação da abelha melipona scutellaris latreille , 1811 , no nordeste brasileiro . cad omega 2 : 195 - 211 . [ links ]
kerr we , jungnickel h , morgan ed . workers of the stingless bee melipona scutellaris are more similar to males than to queens in their cuticular compounds . apidologie . 2004 ; 35 ( 6 ) : 611–8 .
hrncir m , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2000 ) recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication . apidologie 31 : 93 - 113
table s3 - monthly contribution of queens to progeny constitution in polygynous colonies of melipona bicolor .
therefore , in order to aggregate scientific value to the geopropolis , this study aims at evaluating the gastroprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of geopropolis ( eegp ) from melipona scutellaris and at investigating the possible mechanisms of action .
cortopassi - laurino m & montenegro - de - aquino h . 2000 . forrageamento na abelha urušu ( melipona scutellaris ) . in : anais do xii congresso brasileiro de apicultura , florianˇpolis . p . c - 022 .
biesmeijer , k . ( 1999 ) . the organization of foraging in melipona stingless bees . pegone summer : 11 - 12 [ 11 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , citation )
alves rmo , carvalho cal and souza ba . 2005 . ninhos de melipona scutellaris l . em coqueiros na região do litoral norte e metropolitana do estado da bahia . mensagem doce 83 : 10 - 13 . [ links ]
melipona quadrifasciata is a highly eusocial bee , making communication imperative for the survival of the colony .
manejo e manipulação artificial de colônias de melipona quadrifasciata lep . ( apidae : meliponinae )
table s2 - inferred genotypes of queens and drones from monogynous and polygynous colonies of melipona bicolor .
melipona scutellaris is a stingless bee found in northeastern brazil . populations of this bee have decreased substantially as a consequence of human activity ( kerr et al . , 1996 ) and studies of this species are important for its maintenance .
bee colonies are renowned for their high levels of cooperation , but a study of a brazilian species of highly social stingless bees , known as melipona scutellaris , found some male bees are the sons of workers , rather than the queen .
kerr ; nielsen ( 1966 ) .
evidences that genetically determined melipona queens can become workers
.
jarau s , hrncir m , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2000 ) recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance . apidologie 31 : 81 - 91
the occurrence of m . scutellaris was recorded in 102 municipalities of bahia , from a total of 417 , corresponding to 24 . 5 % . the climate , elevation range and geographic coordinate data for the natural distribution of m . scutellaris in bahia are summarized in table i .
nunes la , costa - pinto mff , carneiro pls , pereira dg and waldschmidt am . 2007 . divergência genética em melipona scutellaris ( hymenoptera : meliponina ) com base em caracteres morfológicos . biosci j 23 : 1 - 9 . [ links ]
pierrot , l . m . & schlindwein , c . ( 2003 ) . variation in daily flight activity and foraging patterns of uruçu - melipona scutellaris latreille ( apidae , meliponini ) . rev . bras . zool . 20 ( 4 ) : 565 - 571 [ 569 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , flight activity , citation )
jarau , s . , hrncir , m . , zucchi , r . & barth , f . g . ( 2000 ) . recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance . apidologie 31 ( 1 ) : 81 - 91 [ 87 , 88 ] ( as melipona panamica , behavior , communication , recruitment , citation ; as melipona fasciata , flight range , citation )
imperatriz - fonseca vl , cortopassi laurino m and koedam d . 2007 . a distribuição geográfica da abelha uruçu ( melipona scutellaris , latreille , 1881 ) , ( apidae - meliponinae ) . ( available at : < urltoken > [ links ] ) .
kerr we . 1950 . genetic determination of castes in the genus melipona . genetics 35 : 143 - 152 .
hrncir m . , jarau s . , zucchi r . , barth f . g . ( 2000 ) recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication , apidologie 31 , 93 - 113 [ edp sciences ] .
hrncir , m . jarau , s . , zucchi , r . & barth , f . g . ( 2000 ) . recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . ii . possible mechanisms of communication . apidologie 31 : 93 - 113 [ 94 , 106 , 109 , 110 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , sound pulse , scent beacon , citation )
behavior studies of the stingless bees , with special reference to the oviposition process . i . : melipona compressipes manaosensis schwarz
for a better evaluation of the model using apis mellifera in toxicology studies with insecticides , the oral acute toxicity of the insecticide fipronil against the stingless bee melipona scutellaris was determined . the results showed that fipronil was highly toxic to m . scutellaris , with a calculated lc 50 ( 48 h ) value of 0 . 011 ng a . i . / μl of sucrose solution and an estimated oral ld 50 ( 48 h ) of 0 . 6 ng a . i . / bee . our results showed that m . scutellaris bee is more sensitive to fipronil than the model specie a . mellifera .
citation : carvalho wjd , fujimura pt , bonetti am , goulart lr , cloonan k , da silva nm , et al . ( 2017 ) characterization of antennal sensilla , larvae morphology and olfactory genes of melipona scutellaris stingless bee . plos one 12 ( 4 ) : e0174857 . urltoken
schwarz hf . 1932 . the genus melipona . bull am mus nat hist 63 : 402 - 403 . [ links ]
kerr we . evolution of the mechanism of caste determination in the genus melipona . evolution . 1950 ; 1 : 7–13 .
the organization of foraging in stingless bees of genus melipona : an individual - oriented approach [ ph . d . thesis ]
melipona quadrifasciata is commonly used in agriculture in south america , but wild bees are feeling the effects of deforestation and pesticides .
differentiation of melipona quadrifasciata l . ( hymenoptera , apidae , meliponini ) subspecies using cytochrome b pcr - rflp patterns
jarau s . , hrncir m . , zucchi r . , barth f . g . ( 2000 ) recruitment behavior in stingless bee , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance , apidologie 31 , 81 - 91 [ edp sciences ] .
table s1 - allelic frequencies and observed ( h o ) and expected ( h e ) heterozygosities in colonies of melipona bicolor .
martins scs ; albuquerque lmb ; matos jhg ; silva gc & pereira ajb . 1997 . atividade antibacteriana em méis de abelhas africanizadas ( apis mellifica ) e nativas ( melipona scutellaris , m . subnitida e scaptotrigona bipunctata ) no estado do ceará . higiene alimentar , v . 52 , p . 50 - 53
therefore , the aim of this study was to identify the differential expression of genes in pupae of white eyed workers , queens and intercastes of m . scutellaris by ddrt - pcr .
moure , j . s . ( 1971 ) . notas sobre algumas espécies duvidosas de melipona ( hymenoptera - apidae ) . arq . mus . nac . ( rio j . ) 54 : 193 - 201 [ 198 ] ( as melipona fasciata panamica , taxonomic note )
nates - parra , g . ( 1995 ) . las abejas sin aguijon del genero melipona ( hymenoptera : meliponinae ) en colombia . bol . mus . ent . valle 3 ( 2 ) : 21 - 33 [ 24 ] ( as melipona fasciata panamica , list )
alves da , imperatriz - fonseca vl , francoy tm , santos - filho ps , nogueira - neto p , billen j and wenseleers t ( 2009 ) the queen is dead - long live the workers : intraspecific parasitism by workers in the stinglees bee melipona scutellaris . mol ecol 18 : 4102 - 4111 . [ links ]
kerr we . genetic determination of castes in the genus melipona . genetics . 1950 ; 35 ( 2 ) : 143–52 . pmid : 17247339
. . . the results indicate a convergence between odour patterns in mixed - colony individuals . this may explain how intruders can stay in the invaded nest ( trigona pallens workers in trigona fulviventris nest and vice versa : caliari et al . , 2007 ; melipona rufiventris workers in a melipona scutellaris colony : pianaro et al . , 2007 ) . although stingless bees are the most diverse group of social bees , little is known about the nestmate recognition process . . . .
studies conducted in pernambuco showed the relationship between m . scutellaris and the humid forest whose conditions are ideal for the bees to build their nests ( lamartine 1962 , m . g . almeida , unpublished data ) . in bahia , alves et al . ( 2005 ) observed the nest building adaptation of m . scutellaris in coconut tree hollows located in the state ' s coastal region .
nieh , j . c . ( 1998 ) . the food recruitment dance of the stingless bee , melipona panamica . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 : 133 - 145 [ 133 - 145 ] ( as melipona panamica , behavior , communication , recruitment , dance , sound )
roubik , d . w . ( 1981 ) . a natural mixed colony of melipona ( hymenoptera : apidae ) . j . kansas entomol . soc . 54 ( 2 ) : 263 - 268 [ 263 - 268 ] ( as melipona fasciata , mixed colony , geographic record )
wax constituents produced by worker bees and the chemistry of the nest batumen ( mixture of wax , mud , and floral materials ) in a melipona scutellaris colony changed when it was invaded by melipona rufiventris workers . gas chromatography / mass spectrometry analyses showed that after invasion , the m . scutellaris workers of the invaded colony produced waxes with higher relative abundance of triacontanyl acetate and decreased the amounts of n - alkanes and n - 9 - alkenes . on the other hand , waxes from m . rufiventris workers displayed few changes . the change in the composition of the m . scutellaris waxes chemically differentiates that species from the m . rufiventris invader workers . comparative analyses of batumens samples from pure and invaded colonies revealed greater amounts of terpenes and phenolic derivatives in the batumen from the invaded colony . this is the first report on the chemical characterization of batumens from stingless bees .
we have compared gene expression , using the differential display reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction ( ddrt - pcr ) technique , by means of mrna profile in melipona scutellaris during ontogenetic postembryonic development , in adult worker , and in both natural and juvenile hormone iii - induced adult queen . six , out of the nine ests described here , presented differentially expressed in the phases l1 or l2 , or even in both of them , suggesting that key mechanisms to the development of melipona scutellaris are regulated in these stages . the combination ht11g - ap05 revealed in l1 and l2 a product which matches to thioredoxin reductase protein domain in the clostridium sporogenes , an important protein during cellular oxidoreduction processes . this study represents the first molecular evidence of differential gene expression profiles toward a description of the genetic developmental traits in the genus melipona .
denise alves , dr tom wenseleers , and their co - authors carried out a genetic study of nearly 600 males from 45 colonies to discover the parentage of the worker population . their results showed that 22 . 89 % of melipona scutellaris males are sons of the workers rather than the queen , demonstrating an on - going conflict for reproduction .
the data obtained demonstrate a wide elevation distribution of m . scutellaris in the state , with occurrences from the sea level on the coast to the heights of chapada diamantina ( fig . 3 ) .
nunes et al . ( 2007 ) used morphometric characters of the wings and observed the existence of phenotypic genetic variation in m . scutellaris populations at different elevations . molecular studies using the rapd technique conducted by m . f . f . costa pinto ( unpublished data ) with m . scutellaris specimens confirmed that , despite being visually different , the species found in the entire state of bahia is m . scutellaris , with the same number of chromosomes and similar genetic characteristics . however , there is the formation of distinct groups due to a lack of gene flow among all populations , thus creating genetic distances .
stefan jarau , michael hrncir , ronaldo zucchi , friedrich barth . recruitment behavior in stingless bees , melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata . i . foraging at food sources differing in direction and distance . apidologie , springer verlag ( germany ) , 2000 , 31 ( 1 ) , pp . 81 - 91 . < 10 . 1051 / apido : 2000108 > .
the two stingless bee species melipona scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata recruit nestmates to a rich foraging site . we tested this with feeders up to 140 m away from the hive . foragers of m . scutellaris communicated direction ( up to 140 m ) more accurately than distance ( up to 30 m ) whereas those of m . quadrifasciata communicated direction only up to 30 m and distance up to 40 m . our data indicate that in both species recruitment is divided into two temporal phases . whereas in an initial phase alarmed nestmates search for food at random , bees leaving the hive in the following phase are obviously provided with information about its specific location . as a consequence after 35 minutes ( m . scutellaris ) and 85 minutes ( m . quadrifasciata ) , respectively , significantly more newcomers arrive at the feeder than at an identical control feeder . the differences found in the recruitment success of m . scutellaris and m . quadrifasciata are discussed in regard to the different demands of their natural habitats .
figure 2 : daily frequency of returning melipona asilvai foragers during the 38 days of observations . ( a ) dry season and ( b ) rainy season .
camargo ca ( 1972 ) mating of the social bee melipona quadrifasciata under controlled conditions . j kansas entomol soc 45 : 520 - 523 . [ links ]
kerr w . e . ( 1994 ) communication among melipona workers ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , j . insect behav . 7 , 123 - 128 .
schwarz , h . f . ( 1932 ) . the genus melipona the type genus of the meliponidae or stingless bees . bull . am . mus . nat . hist . 63 ( 4 ) : 231 - 460 [ 381 , 392 , 393 , 395 , 396 ] ( as melipona fasciata paraensis , partim : bees from panamá , junior synonym melipona fasciata panamica : cockerell , 1919 , 1920 , lutz & cockerell , 1920 , synonymy , notes on type )
nieh , j . c . ( 1998 ) . the role of a scent beacon in the communication of food location by the stingless bee , melipona panamica . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 : 47 - 58 [ 43 - 58 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , scent beacon , pheromone , recruitment )
heard , t . a . ( 1999 ) . the role of stingless bees in crop pollination . annu . rev . entomol . 44 : 183 - 206 [ 186 , 197 ] ( as melipona panamica , flight range - citation ; as melipona fasciata , pollination : gustavia superba ( lecythidaceae ) , pollen , citation )
this study aimed at identifying the areas of natural occurrence of m . scutellaris l . ( apidae : meliponina ) in the state of bahia , brazil , providing background information for future conservation and management strategies for the species .
six of the nine ests described here were differentially expressed in the phases l1 or l2 , or even in both of them , suggesting that key mechanisms to the development of m . scutellaris could be regulated in these stages .
nieh , j . c . , contrera , f . a . l . , rangel , j . & imperatriz - fonseca , v . l . ( 2003 ) . effect of food location and quality on recruitment sounds and success in two stingless bees , melipona mandacaia and melipona bicolor . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 55 : 87 - 94 [ 88 , 89 , 91 , 92 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , recruitment , sound pulses , food source distance , citation )
nieh j . c . , contrera f . a . l . , rangel j . , imperatriz - fonseca v . l . ( 2003c ) effect of food location and quality on recruitment sounds and success in two stingless bees , melipona mandacaia and melipona bicolor , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 55 , 87 - 94 .
the possibility of contamination with human material during sample manipulation of m . scutellaris was discarded because the technique was rigorously followed and , beyond this , of the only two m . scutellaris ests , b03 and b04 , that had similarity with the groupun . 6210 and group1 . 45 , respectively , in the apis genome assembly version 2 . 0 , the b03 ( which matched human ) showed highly conserved among bees , with e - value = 1e - 22 . melipona sequences that didn ' t have conclusive matches with the ones deposited in databases were obtained in this study and they could represent genes not yet described .
biesmeijer , j . c . & ermers , m . c . w . ( 1999 ) . social foraging in stingless bees : how colonies of melipona fasciata choose among nectar sources . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 46 : 129 - 140 [ 138 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , recruitment , pulse sound , citation )
nascimento m , fernandes - salomão t , martins g . estudos moleculares e morfológicos em abelhas do gênero melipona ( hymenoptera ) . entomobrasilis . 2013 ; 6 : 64–7 .
figure 1 : relationship between temperature ( a ) and humidity ( b ) and the number of returning melipona asilvai bees ( ● dry season ; □ rainy season ) .
nogueira , juliano ; et al . ( 2014 ) .
conservation study of an endangered stingless bee ( melipona capixaba—hymenoptera : apidae ) with restricted distribution in brazil
.
moure , j . s . & j . m . f . camargo ( 1994 ) . melipona ( michmelia ) capixaba , uma nova espécie de meliponinae ( hymenoptera , apidae ) do sudeste do brasil . rev . bras . zool . 11 ( 2 ) : 289 - 296 [ 295 ] ( as melipona panamica , taxonomic note )
interestingly , topical treatment of pre - defecating larvae of the diploid male ( 2n ) of m . scutellaris with jh iii induced development of queen phenotype , i . e . , queen - like males ( qlms ) . despite their queen - like phenotype , qlm antenna resembled male antennae in having 11 flagellomeres and lacking sensilla basiconica [ 18 ] . it may suggest that either development of sensilla basiconica is not under jh iii control or these sensilla are not relevant for jh iii reception [ 48 ] . undoubtedly , m . scutellaris workers are morphologically more similar to males than to queens . additionally , m . scutellaris workers and males share similar cuticular hydrocarbon composition . these similarities are also observed in m . quadrifasciata [ 49 , 50 ] . however , we found that workers of m . scutellaris are more similar to queens in terms of antennal sensilla composition and number of flagellomeres , as previously reported for m . quadrifasciata [ 18 ] .
inoue , t . , roubik , d . w . & suka , t . ( 1999 ) . nestmate recognition in the stingless bee melipona panamica ( apidae , meliponini ) . insectes soc . 46 : 208 - 218 [ 208 - 218 ] ( as melipona panamica , nestmate recognition , worker oviposition , labor division , guard workers behavior )
according to a 2009 study published in molecular ecology , worker bees within the species melipona scutellaris , a stingless brazilian bee , will reproduce behind the queen ' s back . the study , which examined the lineage of 600 males across 45 colonies , found that nearly a quarter of the bees were sons of workers rather than the queen . rather than cooperating , the workers were instead in conflict with their queen .
nieh , j . c . , ramírez , s . & nogueira - neto , p . ( 2003 ) . multi - source odor - marking of food by a stingless bee , melipona mandacaia . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 54 : 578 - 586 [ 579 , 585 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , recruitment , anal droplet )
data on the preferred foraging times and identification of pollen collected by stingless bees has led to further insights into the bees’ behavioral and ecological habits , thus enabling the analysis of the honey produced which in turn will facilitate quality control of this product . present study reveals the foraging times and food preferences of the stingless bee melipona scutellaris ( hymenoptera : apidae ) together with a physicochemical evaluation of the honey produced by this bee . m . scutellaris tended to be more active in the morning during the winter , visited a wide variety of plants in their search for food , and produced a good quality honey . in winter the bees showed generalist behavior foraging many different plants .
vieira et al . ( 2006 ) have identified by ddrt - pcr technique the differential expression of genes in m . scutellaris after topical application of jh iii in larvae , demonstrating the efficacy of this technique to evalúate transcriptional profiles in this species .
flight distance data were taken from publications which used mark - recapture methods . roubik & aluja ( 1983 ) used a magnetic recapture method and through regression analysis concluded that the maximum flight distance for workers of cephalotrigona capitata was 1 , 650 m . in melipona marginata , maximum flight distance is 800 m . ( wille , 1983 ) . kerr ( 1987 ) recorded a flight distance of 2 , 000 m for melipona quadrifasciata ; 840 m for trigona spinipes ; 2 , 470 m for melipona compressipes ; and 540 m for plebeia droryana .
marcelo fidelis marques mendes ; et al . ( 2007 ) .
intra - populational variability of melipona tquadrifasciata lepeletier , 1836 ( hymenoptera , meliponini ) using relative warp analysis
.
jarau s , hrncir m , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2005 ) morphology and structure of the tarsal glands of the stingless bee melipona seminigra . naturwissenschaften 92 : 147 - 150
nieh , j . c . & roubik , d . w . ( 1998 ) . potential mechanisms for the communication of height and distance by a stingless bee , melipona panamica . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 : 387 - 399 [ 387 - 399 ] ( as melipona panamica , behavior , recruitment , communication , distance , height , sound pulses )
an est found in the fat body of m . scutellaris was similar to a putative farnesoic acid o - methyl - transferase ( famet ) . this putative enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of methylfarnesoate from farnesoic acid in the biosynthetic pathway of juvenile hormone in the corpora allata . vieira et al . ( 2008 ) found that famet of m . scutellaris ( msfamet ) has different expression levels in castes , suggesting that this enzyme may be associated with the metabolism of juvenile hormone in this stingless bee . these findings suggest either that this enzyme is ambiguous in melipona and can participate in other biochemical pathways or that it is not specific for juvenile hormone synthesis . although no ests encoding for enzymes that degrade juvenile hormone were detected in the m . scutellaris fat body , rt - pcr and qpcr detected mrnas for juvenile hormone esterase and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase ( data not shown ) , which confirms the expression of these genes in this fat body .
aguilar , i , & briceño , d . ( 2002 ) . sounds in melipona costaricensis ( apidae : meliponini ) : effect of sugar concentration and nectar source distance . apidologie 33 : 375 - 388 [ 376 , 378 , 382 , 384 , 385 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , sound , food source height , behavior , sugar concentration , citation )
aguilar , i . & sommeijer , m . ( 2001 ) . the deposition of anal excretions by melipona favosa foragers ( apidae : meliponinae ) : behavioral observations concerning the location of food sources . apidologie 32 : 37 - 48 [ 38 , 43 , 44 , 45 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , scent beacon , recruitment , anal excretion , citation )
hrncir , m . , jarau , s . , zucchi , r . & barth , f . g . ( 2004 ) . on the origin and properties of scent marks deposited at the food source by a stingless bee , melipona seminigra . apidologie 35 : 3 - 13 [ 4 , 10 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , scent marks , citation )
the geopropolis from melipona scutellaris bee species , popularly known as “uruçu” and found in northeastern brazil , has been the focus of our research . studies have shown that geopropolis has antinociceptive and anti - inflammatory properties , besides antimicrobial activity against different types of bacteria . in addition , studies on the chemical profile of geopropolis revealed absence of flavonoid and phenolic acids commonly found in propolis from apis mellifera and presence of benzophenones [ 13 – 16 ] .
van veen jw . cell provisioning and oviposition in melipona beecheii ( apidae , meliponinae ) , with a note on caste determination . apidologie . 2000 ; 31 ( 3 ) : 411–9 .
rossini , as . 1989 . caracterização das mudas ontogenéticas e biometria dos corpora allata de melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides lep . ( hymenoptera , apidae ) . dissertação de mestrado , ibcr - unesp .
velthuis hhw , de vries h and imperatriz - fonseca vl ( 2006 ) the polygyny of melipona bicolor : scramble competition among queens . apidologie 37 : 222 - 239 . [ links ]
nieh j . c . ( 1998a ) the food recruitment dance of the stingless bee , melipona panamica , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 , 133 - 145 [ crossref ] .
considering the elevation variation in localities with m . scutellaris records , three distinct groups of populations of the species can be separated in the state of bahia as proposed by m . f . f . costa pinto ( unpublished data ) ( table iii ) .
sensilla basiconica were found in almost all female flagellomeres ( figs 1e , 1f and 2d ) , however these sensilla were not found in males of m . scutellaris ( table 1 ) , in agreement with what has been found with other tribe of bees , including meliponini [ 18 , 35 , 45 ] . in m . scutellaris , we found that sensilla basiconica was more numerous in workers than in queens ( table 2 ) , in contrast to what ravaiano and collaborators reported for m . quadrifasciata [ 18 ] . it has been reported that sensilla basiconica detect cuticular hydrocarbon in ants , thus allowing identification of individuals within the colony and food source recognition [ 34 ] . therefore , we assume that this class of sensilla plays a similar role in m . scutellaris .
tóth , e . , queller , d . c . , dollin , a . & strassmann , j . e . ( 2004 ) . conflict over male parentage in stingless bees . insectes soc . 51 : 1 - 11 [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , partim [ citation of inoue et al . , 1999 ] , worker ovary development , male production , nest population , oviposition behavior , citation ; as melipona panamica , nest population , taxonomic note , citation ; as melipona rufiventris , note )
ramalho , m . , kleinert - giovannini , a . & imperatriz - fonseca , v . l . ( 1990 ) . important bee plants for stingless bees ( melipona and trigonini ) and africanized honeybees ( apis mellifera ) in neotropical habitats : a review . apidologie 21 : 469 - 488 [ 473 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , habitat , citation )
we tested 18 primer combinations , an example of m . scutellaris expression profile obtained in a polyacrylamide gel is shown in figure 1 . we could verify differences of intensity in fragments during larval stages and also , bands exclusively found only in one of the samples .
roubik d . w . , aluja m . ( 1983 ) flight ranges of melipona and trigona in tropical forest , j . kans . entomol . soc . 56 , 217 - 222 .
a abelha melipona scutellaris é considerada a espécie criada de meliponíneo com maior distribuição no norte e nordeste do brasil , com ocorrência registradas desde o estado do grande do norte até o estado da bahia . considerando a importância desta espécie na geração de renda para agricultura familiar e na manutenção de áreas com vegetação natural , este trabalho teve como objetivo conhecer a distribuição de colônias naturais de m . scutellaris no estado da bahia . informações de literatura , entrevistas com meliponicultores e expedições foram realizadas para confirmar a ocorrência natural da espécie . um total de 102 municípios apresentou registro de m . scutellaris , cuja ocorrência foi observada em áreas desde o nível do mar até 1 . 200 metros de altitude . a ocorrência desta espécie no estado da bahia é considerada como restrita a municípios da área costeira e da chapada diamantina , onde existem matas úmidas . dados de coordenadas geográficas , altitude , clima e vegetação foram obtidos , possibilitando elaborar o mapa da área de ocorrência , subsidiando políticas de conservação e manejo da espécie .
for centuries these bees have been cultivated all over the country , especially in the north and northeast that are the birthplace of the first two domestic species : melipona compressipes fasciculata and melipona scutellaris ( kerr et al . , 1996 ) . the latter popularly known as
uruçu
of the northeast is one the best known species biologically , especially due to its peculiar mechanism of determination of castes , as a consequence of its genetic - feeding interaction , which is different from the pattern presented by other apidae . it is found from bahia to rio grande do norte , mainly in
zona da mata
( forest zone ) ( carvalho , 2001 ) .
nesse estudo nós usamos a técnica de differential display reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction ( ddrt - pcr ) para comparamos o perfil de mrna em melipona scutellaris durante o desenvolvimento ontogenético pós - embrionário e em operárias adultas , rainha natural e induzida pelo hormônio juvenil iii . fragmentos diferencialmente expressos foram detectados usando as seguintes combinações de primers : ht11g - ap05 ; ht11c - ap05 ; ht11g - opf12 ; ht11g - opa16 . dos 9 ests descrito nesse trabalho , 6 tiveram expressão diferencial nas fases de larva l1 e l2 , sugerindo serem mecanismos chave no regulação do desenvolvimento larval em melipona . a combinação ht11g - ap05 revelou em l1 e l2 um produto com similaridade à proteína tioredoxina redutase de clostridium sporogenes , uma proteína importante durante os processos de oxidoredução . esse estudo representa as primeiras evidências moleculares do perfil de expressão durante o desenvolvimento ontogenético em abelhas do gênero melipona .
in queenright colonies of stingless bees of the genus melipona , workers recognize , attack , and kill young virgin queens . for melipona scutellaris , we observed that virgin queens were executed when they were between 5 and 9 days old , while newly emerged queens were not attacked . the faster movements of old virgin in relation to newly emerged might be responsible for attacks . it has been also hypothesized that cuticular hydrocarbons are the source of the signal used by workers to recognize virgin queens . we investigated whether newly emerged , 8 days old virgin and physogastric queens of m . scutellaris have different cuticular hydrocarbon profiles . cuticular hydrocarbons of three ages were compared using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry . the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles varied by reproductive status and age . changes in the cuticular hydrocarbons in virgin queens during aging suggest that these compounds , together with change in movement , may play a role in the recognition of virgin queens by workers prior to regicide .
nieh , j . c . & roubik , d . w . ( 1995 ) . a stingless bee ( melipona panamica ) indicates food location without using a scent trail . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 37 : 63 - 70 [ 63 - 70 ] ( as melipona panamica , behavior , communication , recruitment , nest population , geographic record , altitudinal record , sound , zigzag flight )
roubik , d . w . & aluja , m . ( 1983 ) . flight ranges of melipona and trigona in tropical forest . j . kansas entomol . soc . 56 ( 2 ) : 217 - 222 [ 217 - 222 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , geographic record , nesting site : tree cavities , behavior , flight range , nest population , foraging activity )
wilms w . , wiechers b . ( 1997 ) floral resource partitioning between native melipona bees and the introduced africanized honey bee in the brazilian atlantic rain forest , apidologie 28 , 339 - 355 .
geopropolis is a type of propolis containing resin , wax , and soil , collected by threatened stingless bee species native to tropical countries and used in folk medicine . however , studies concerning the biological activity and chemical composition of geopropolis are scarce . in this study , we evaluated the antimicrobial and antiproliferative activity of the ethanolic extract of geopropolis ( eegp ) collected by melipona scutellaris and its bioactive fraction against important clinical microorganisms as well as their in vitro cytotoxicity and chemical profile .
. . . like other stingless bees , the cycle of melipona colonies is perennial ( michener , 2000 ) . chc profiles have been studied in m . quadrifasciata ( abdalla et al . , 2003 ) , mixed colonies of m . rufiventris and m . scutellaris ( pianaro et al . , 2007 ) , m . scutellaris ( kerr et al . , 2004 ) , and m . marginata ( ferreira - caliman et al . , 2010 ) . reports on other stingless bees demonstrated differences in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles , and the ability of guard bees to discriminate nestmates and non - nestmates ( scaptotrigona bipunctata : jungnickel et al . , 2004 ; frieseomellitta varia : nunes et al . , 2008nunes et al . , , 2011 ) . . . .
bego lr ( 1989 ) behavioral interactions among queens of the polygynic stingless bee melipona bicolor bicolor lepeletier ( hymenoptera , apidae ) . braz j med biol res 22 : 587 - 596 . [ links ]
jarau s , van veen j , aguilar i , ayasse m ( 2009 ) virgin queen execution in the stingless bee melipona beecheii : the sign stimulus for worker attacks . apidologie 40 : 496 - 507
hrncir m , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2003 ) a stingless bee ( melipona seminigra ) uses optic flow to estimate flight distances . j comp physiol a 189 : 761 - 768
lima - verde l and freitas bm . 2002 . occurrence and biogeographic aspects of melipona quinquefasciata in ne - brazil ( hymenoptera , apidae ) . braz j biol 62 : 479 - 486 . [ links ]
sakagami sf , oniki y ( 1963 ) behaviour studies of the stingless bees , with special reference to the oviposition process . i melipona compressipes manaosensis schwarz j fac sci hokkaido univ ser vi zool 15 : 300–318
velthuis hhw , roeling a and imperatriz - fonseca vl ( 2001 ) repartition of reproduction among queens in the polygynous stingless bee melipona bicolor . proc exp appl entomol 12 : 45 - 49 . [ links ]
chinh tx , grob gbj , meeuwsen fjaj and sommeijer mj ( 2003 ) patterns of male production in the stingless bee melipona favosa ( apidae , meliponinae ) . apidologie 34 : 161 - 170 . [ links ]
biesmeijer , j . c . , nieuwstadt , m . g . l . , lukács , s . & sommeijer , m . j . ( 1998 ) . the role of internal and external information in foraging decisions of melipona workers ( hymenoptera : meliponini ) . behav . ecol . sociobiol . 42 : 107 - 116 [ 114 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , artificial feeding , training experiments , recruitment , citation )
bonetti am , kerr we , matusita sh . effects of juvenile hormones i , ii and iii , in single and fractionated dosage in melipona bees . rev bras biol . 1995 ; 55 : 113–20 . pmid : 8729273
sakagami , shoichi ( 1965 ) .
behavior studies of the stingless bees , with special reference to the oviposition process . ：ⅴ . melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides lepeletier ( with 7 text - figures and 1 table )
.
waldschmidt am , salomão tmf , barros eg and campos lao ( 1997 ) extraction of genomic dna from melipona quadrifasciata ( hymenoptera , apidae , meliponinae ) . braz j genet 20 : 421 - 423 . [ links ]
hrncir m , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2004 ) thorax vibrations of a stingless bee ( melipona seminigra ) . ii . dependence on sugar concentration . j comp physiol a 190 : 549 - 560
hrncir , m . , jarau , s . , zucchi , r . & barth , f . g . ( 2004 ) . thorax vibrations of a stingless bee ( melipona seminigra ) . i . no influence of visual flow . j . comp . physiol . a . sens . neural behav . physiol . 190 : 539 - 548 [ 547 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , sound , food source distance , citation )
strassmann , j . ( 2001 ) . the rarity of multiple mating by females in the social hymenoptera . insectes soc . 48 : 1 - 13 [ 7 ] ( as melipona panamica , mating frequency , citation )
honeybees are the most known type of bee . several species exist including ? honeybees live for ? years and have a queen . new queens are also born at specific times and can start a new colony on their own ( swarming ) , taking with them a part of the colony ' s members . stingless bees ( ie melipona beecheeii , . . . ) [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] are quite similar to honeybees but differ in the structure of their hive . they also make a lot less honey ( generally > 1kg per year per hive ( and some even only a few cm³ of honey per year per hive ) , as opposed to 75kg per year per hive that honeybees produce ) . some species though still make fair amounts of honey , ie melipona scutellaris and melipona compressipes produce upto 8l of honey per year . it should also be taken into account that the honey is quite different ( called
bush honey
) .
hrncir m , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2004 ) thorax vibrations of a stingless bee ( melipona seminigra ) . i . no influence of visual flow . j comp physiol a 190 : 539 - 548
wille , a . ( 1983 ) . biology of the stingless bees . ann . rev . entomol . 28 : 41 - 64 [ 51 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , mixed colony - citation )
inoue t . , roubik d . w . , suka t . ( 1999 ) nestmate recognition in the stingless bee melipona panamica ( apidae , meliponini ) , insectes soc . 46 , 208 - 218 [ crossref ] .
in conclusion , we have identified 1728 ests from the fat body of m . scutellaris . in silico analysis of these ests has provided new insights into the physiological roles of this tissue in phenomena such as innate immunity , cellular proliferation , resistance to insecticides and environmental stress , and caste differentiation in stingless bees .
a . o . fidalgo and a . m . p . kleinert , “floral preferences and climate influence in nectar and pollen foraging by melipona rufiventris lepeletier ( hymenoptera : meliponini ) in ubatuba , são paulo state , brazil , ”
koedam d , cepeda oi and imperatriz - fonseca vl ( 2007 ) egg laying and oophagy by reproductive workers in the polygynous stingless bee melipona bicolor ( hymenoptera , meliponini ) . apidologie 38 : 55 - 66 . [ links ]
sommeijer mj , chinh tx and meeuwsen fjaj ( 1999 ) behavioral data on the production of males by workers in the stingless bee melipona favosa ( apidae , meliponinae ) . insectes soc 46 : 92 - 93 . [ links ]
hrncir m , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2004 ) on the origin and properties of scent marks deposited at the food source by a stingless bee , melipona seminigra friese 1903 . apidologie 35 : 3 - 13
smith , b . h . & roubik , d . w . ( 1983 ) . mandibular glands of stingless bees ( hymenoptera : apidae ) : chemical analysis of their contents and biological function in two species of melipona . j . chem . ecol . 9 ( 11 ) : 1465 - 1472 [ 971 - 978 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , communication , alarm , recruitment , mandibular gland secretion , chemical analysis , defense behavior )
nieh j . c . ( 1998b ) the role of a scent beacon in the communication of food location in the stingless bee , melipona panamica , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 , 47 - 58 [ crossref ] .
the aim of this study was to carry out the first formal genetic test of whether or not intraspecific queen parasitism occurs in stingless bees , and whether queens could indeed succeed in entering unrelated hives to opportunistically rear their own brood . in order to do so , we carried out a long - term genetic study on the brazilian stingless bee , melipona scutellaris , and sampled female brood before and after queen replacement events to check whether newly established queens were either the daughter of the previous queen , or instead were unrelated queens that had flown in from elsewhere .
roubik , d . w . & buchmann , s . l . ( 1984 ) . nectar selection by melipona and apis mellifera ( hymenoptera : apidae ) and the ecology of the nectar intake by bee colonies in a tropical forest . oecologia ( berl . ) 61 : 1 - 10 [ 1 - 10 ] ( ? uncertain identity , as melipona fasciata , behavior , nectar foraging , sucrose concentration , imbibing rate , flower record : hybanthus prunifolius ( violaceae ) )
biesmeijer j . c . , ermers m . c . w . ( 1999 ) social foraging in stingless bees : how colonies of melipona fasciata choose among nectar sources , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 46 , 129 - 140 .
the species melipona scutellaris , locally known as
uruçu do nordeste
or
uruçu verdadeira
, was one of the first bee species domesticated by potiguara , kiriri , xucuru , pataxó , paiaku , tupicuruba and aymoré indians . the portuguese colonizers , who enjoyed honey of this species , soon learned rearing techniques that led uruçu to become one of the most frequently reared species of stingless bees in the northeast and , consequently , the subject of hunting in order to extract honey ( kerr et al . 1996 , imperatriz - fonseca et al . 2007 ) .
our results suggest that the risk of extinction is greater for smaller stingless bees . colonies of plebeia droryana would be effectively isolated if inter - fragment distances were greater than 600 m . on the other hand , larger species , such as melipona compressipes and melipona quadrifasciata , would be effectively isolated if forest fragments were greater than 2 km apart . however , larger species theoretically have a greater capacity to migrate between forest fragments , but would also depend upon larger areas to persist .
the limited variation in the number of queens in monogynous and polygynous colonies over a one year period agreed with the common view that queen replacement is rare in stingless bee colonies ( queen replacement was detected in only one of the 14 analyzed colonies here ) and that queens have long life spans . queens of melipona compressipes and m . scutellaris , for example , have a maximum longevity of 84 months ( 7 years ) ( carvalho - zilse and kerr , 2004 ) . this reduced turnover of queens could help to maintain the relatedness among nestmate workers stable over time .
alonso wj , lucena t , fracasso cm , velthuis hhw and imperatriz - fonseca vl ( 1998 ) do melipona bicolor ( apidae , meliponinae ) workers distinguish relatedness among different physogastric queens ? apidologie 29 : 503 - 512 . [ links ]
boleli ic , paulino - simões zl and bitondi mmg ( 2000 ) regression of the lateral oviducts during larval - adult transformation of the reproductive system of melipona quadrifasciata and frieseomelitta varia . j morphol 243 : 141 - 151 . [ links ]
koedam d , velthuis hhw , dohmen mr and imperatriz - fonseca vl ( 2001 ) the behavior of laying workers and the morphology and viability of their eggs in melipona bicolor bicolor . physiol entomol 26 : 254 - 259 . [ links ]
aguilar i . , sommeijer m . ( 2001 ) the deposition of anal excretions by melipona favosa foragers ( apidae : meliponinae ) : behavioural observations concerning the location of food sources , apidologie 32 , 37 - 48 [ edp sciences ] .
nieh j . c . , roubik d . w . ( 1995 ) a stingless bee ( melipona panamica ) indicates food location without using a scent trail , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 37 , 63 - 70 [ crossref ] .
nieh , j . c . , contrera , f . a . l . , ramírez , s . & imperatriz - fonseca , v . l . ( 2002 ) . variation in height communication : testing three - dimensional location communication in the stingless bees , melipona mandacaia and melipona bicolor pp . 167 - 171 in garófalo , c . a . et al . ( ed . ) v encontro sobre abelhas : anais . ribeirão preto : faculdade de filosofia , ciências e letras de ribeirão preto , universidade de são paulo , departamento de biologia xxv + 355 pp . [ 167 , 169 , 170 ] ( as melipona panamica , communication , food sources distance , height , recruitment , behavior , sound pulse , citation )
nieh j . c . , roubik d . w . ( 1998 ) potential mechanisms for the communication of height and distance by a stingless bee , melipona panamica , behav . ecol . sociobiol . 43 , 387 - 399 [ crossref ] .
sakagami sf , oniki y . behavior studies of the stingless bees , with special reference to the oviposition process . i . : melipona compressipes manaosensis schwarz . journal of the faculty of science hokkaido university . 1963 ; 15 ( 2 ) : 300–18 .
the ancient maya domesticated a separate species of stingless bee . the use of stingless bees is referred to as meliponiculture , named after bees of the tribe meliponini—such as melipona quadrifasciata in brazil . this variation of bee keeping still occurs around the world today .
hrncir m , schmidt vm , schorkopf dlp , jarau s , zucchi r , barth fg ( 2006 ) vibrating the food receivers : a direct way of signal transmission in bees ( melipona seminigra ) . j comp physiol a 192 : 879 - 887
roubik d . w . ( 1982b ) seasonality in colony food storage , brood production , and adult survivorship : studies of melipona in tropical forest ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , j . kans . entomol . soc . 55 , 789 - 800 .
roubik d . w . , buchmann s . l . ( 1984 ) nectar selection by melipona and apis mellifera ( hymenoptera : apidae ) and the ecology of nectar intake by bee colonies in a tropical forest , oecologia 61 , 1 - 10 .
in colonies of melipona scutellaris latreille , 1811 workers can be found with four ganglion nerve cells , a morphological characteristic of the queen . it is hypothesized that these workers , called intercastes , or phenocopies , are phenotypically - like workers , but genotypically identical to queens due to this specific trait . workers with the same number of ganglion as queens seem to be intercastes between queens and workers . our objective was to analyze the mrna pro files of workers , queens , and intercastes of m . scutellaris through ddrt - pcr . three hundred ( 300 ) pupae with white eyes were collected and externally identified according to the number of abdominal nerve ganglions : workers ( 5 ganglions ) , queens ( 4 ganglions ) and intercastes ( 4 ganglions ) . the analysis identified differentially expressed transcripts that were present only in workers , but absent in intercastes and queens , confirming the hypothesis , by demonstrating the environmental effect on the queen genotype that generated phenotype - like workers .