Orchid bees are classified in the family Apidae of the tribe Euglossini, which means "with a true tongue". They are primarily forest bees and exhibit varying degrees of specificity regarding nectar and pollen sources as well as nesting sites. Thus, they may be useful for biomonitoring habitats in the Amazon, especially because of their diversity and abundance. The present work aims to develop techniques for monitoring Euglossini bees. To capture the bees, traps made of 2 liter transparent plastic bottles were used, in which two openings of 1 inch diameter were made for the entrance of the animals. The chemical bait was soaked in a wad of absorbent cotton that was hung by string at the height of the bottle opening. In Belém, cineol, methyl salicylate and eugenol were used as bait, and in Monte Dourado only methyl salicylate was used, due to its efficiency of attraction and the ease of being found on the market. In Belém, 81 specimens were collected, 60 from the genus Euglossa, 20 from the genus Eulaema, and 1 from the genus Eufriesea, where the most abundant species was Eulaema nigrita and the most attractive bait was cineol, representing more than 80% of the captured animals. In Monte Dourado, 716 specimens were captured, 405 of the genus Euglossa, 304 of the genus Eulaema, 04 of the genus Eufriesea and 03 of the genus Exaerete. The most abundant habitat was forest with 399 specimens captured, followed by the capoeira with 192 specimens and the eucalyptus plantation with 68 specimens. Euglossini bees achieve their greatest abundance and diversity in forests. Ongoing experiments aim to determine whether these bees can indicate the efficiency of forested corridors between eucalyptus plantations in Monte Dourado. The techniques developed so far are promising for monitoring forest environments in the Amazon
|
