Diversidade biológica e preferência por habitat das Abelhas Euglossinae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) nos Arredores de Belém, Pará

Abstract

The Euglossinae bees are used as indicators of the degree of irlocal disturbance in studies on environmental degradation, because they are sensitive to changes in microclimate, vegetation, and habitat conditions due to anthropogenic factors and are, therefore, bio-indicators of great value in monitoring biodiversity and environmental health. The Euglossinae bees, besides being pollinators of orchids and trees in the Amazon, fly long distances and are important for pollen dispersal between isolated or distant trees. The present work aims to survey the fauna of Euglossinae found in the surroundings of Belém, verifying the abundance of the species, their preference for chemical baits, and their flight schedule. The collection of males of Euglossinae was carried out in areas of open and closed forest, using chemical baits (essences) as attractants, which were placed in trees at 1.8 m high and renewed every hour. The specimens were captured manually and with entomological nets. The reagents used in the baits were: cineol, eugenol and methyl silicylate. The time of collection was noted for all specimens. Four collections of four hours duration each were performed. A total of 319 specimens of at least 30 species belonging to four genera were collected. The cineol bait was the most attractive and the time of greatest incidence was from 09:30 to 10:30 am. From 13:00 h, few specimens were observed on the baits. The most abundant species were: Euglossa a.ff uariabilis, Euglossa modestior, Buglossa toumsendi, and Euglossa oiridis. The rarest species were represented by only one or two specimens. Preliminary results lead to the conclusion that the quantitative survey of Euglossinae bees may help to monitor and evaluate eventual disturbances or degradations in forested environments in the Amazon.