Biologia de nidificação, sazonalidade e inimigos naturais de Epicharis (Epicharoides) picta (Smith, 1874) (Apidae: Centridini) no município de Viçosa, MG Brasil

• Autor(a) principal: Werneck, Hugo de Azevedo
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: LOCUS Repositório Institucional da UFV
• Texto Completo: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/3945
• topic: Abelhas coletoras de óleo; Cleptoparasitismo; Univoltinismo; Fenologia; Oil-collecting bees; Cleptoparasitismo; Univoltinismo; Phenology; CNPQ::CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ECOLOGIA

The bees are the main pollinator group in most terrestrial ecosystems. It is believed that there are more than 20.000 species of bees in the world. Of these, about 80% are solitary, 15% have a parasitic habit and about 5% are social. An interesting group of solitary bees is known as oil-collecting bees which females use floral oil mainly in the provisioning of brood cells. This oil is produced by specialized glands (elaiophores) present in a few botanical families which Malpighiaceae is the main in Neotropical Region. The main groups of oil-collecting bees in the Neotropical Region are Centridini, Tetrapediini and Tapinotaspidini. The Centridini tribe is composed of the genus Centris and Epicharis. All Epicharis species nidify in the soil, especially in the ones with sandy feature. The aim of this study is to describe Epicharis (epicharoides) picta biological aspects. Observations about the female nesting and male behavior were held in 2010 and 2011. To evaluate parasitism rate, relation with natural enemies, sex ratio and seasonality of E. picta 10 emergence-traps were set up in the aggregation of this species, located in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Pollen sample from the female scopae, provision and larval feces were taken in order to determinate the pollen source used by this species. Immature of E. picta and Tetraonyx sp. (Coleoptera: Meloidae) were collected and kept in the lab to describe its development. Adults of E. picta were active from mid-January until May. This is a protandric species. Nests were built in a dense aggregation with about 40 nests/m², reaching approximately 110 cm deep, with one or two cells inside each. Males have no territorial behavior. They are attracted both by virgin females and by the ones in nesting activity. However, only mating with virgin females was observed. Rhathymus friesei was the most abundant natural enemy, although Tetraonyx sexguttata, T. aff. lycoides and Physocephala have also been recorded. Eleven wasp species from Mutillidae family were collected in the nesting area but it was not possible to confirm parasitism between this species and E. picta. A Heteroptera species called Apiomerus lanipes was observed preying on specimen of E. picta. The dominant kind of pollen grain was Banisteriopsis/Heteopterys with more than 98% of frequency. The development since the egg stage until the adult emergence lasts about 360 days which confirms the univoltin life cycle. The first record of R. friesi host and a compilation of recorded hosts for the genus Rhathymus are presented. From the obtained information it was possible to characterize the bionomics of E. picta, check out which are their natural enemies and the main pollen source.