Biología de abejas silvestres potencialmente utilizables como polinizadores de cultivos. Resumen de Tesis

DALMAZZO, MILAGROS

Revista de la Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Lugar: Santa Fe; Año: 2014 vol. 18 p. 235 - 237

2362-5546

Use and management of wild bees in crop pollination are growing up around the world. Despite this, studies on the biology of wild bees as pollinators are almost nonexistent in Argentina. The purpose of the present thesis is to study the systematics and biological aspects of Augochlora species. I chose Augochlora amphitrite and Augochlora phoemonoe for the biological study. Both species had interesting characteristics for their management. Only five species occur in central Argentina and Uruguay, between 30° and 40° south latitude: A. iphigenia Holmberg, A. amphitrite (Schrottky), A. nausicaa (Schrottky), A. phoemonoe (Schrottky) and A. daphnis Smith. Re?descriptions of all species, illustrations, distributional data, and taxonomic keys are presented. The nest structure of A. amphitrite and A. phoemonoe are described. Two types of nest architecture were found in both species. The nest architecture differed according to the substrate where they were built. Coexistence and cooperation of two or three adult females into the same nest were observed in A. amphitrite and A. phoemonoe. In the bee room, these females were the mother, a totipotent foundress, and its daughters. Interactions and division of labour between these females were observed, showing that both studied species were primitively eusocial. The analysis of frequency of activities and interactions recorded for each individual into the bee room, gave statistically significant differences between the foundress female and the daughters. Augochlora amphitrite and A. phoemonoe used pollen from ten and three families of plants respectively. For this reason, these bee species can be classified as polylectic. A detailed study of the behavioral interactions and social structure of two species of Augochlora was performed. This study contributes to the interpretation of the variation and evolutionary mechanisms of eusociality in Augochlorini.