Recursos polínicos utilizados por fêmeas de Centris (Hemisiella) tarsata Smith (Apidae, Centridini) em áreas naturais e agrícolas do Cerrado

Abstract

Bees of the genus Centris are important pollinators for several crops, being the main ones for some crops, such as acerola. Knowledge of the food niche of these bees in remnants of natural vegetation and cultivated areas of the Cerrado is one of the preponderant factors for defining possible conservation strategies. The objective of this work was to identify the main sources of pollen resources used by Centris tarsata bees, through pollen analysis, in different remnants of natural vegetation and in agricultural areas. The study was conducted in seven areas of different sizes, four areas of agricultural cultivation and three areas of natural Cerrado vegetation, located in the cities of Araguari and Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Wooden shelters were installed in all areas, in which trap nests (NA) were made available, which consisted of bamboo sections closed at one end by the knot itself, with an approximate length of 10.5cm and a diameter of 0.8cm. . The NAs were inspected monthly, from August 2020 to December 2021, and the nests produced were taken to the Bee Ecology and Behavior Laboratory (LECA-UFU). After emergence, samples of residual pollen from these nests were collected from brood cells and incorporated feces, and processed through the acetolysis process. The presence of 16 pollen types was observed. In agricultural areas, the pollen types Heteropterys, Platypodium and Fabaceae were the most abundant, while in areas of natural vegetation, Solanum, Mimosa and Senna. There were no significant differences in pollen diversity between samples collected in natural and agricultural areas. Similarity analyzes also did not show that these areas form two distinct clusters. The networks of interactions between Centris tarsata individuals and pollen resources suggest a tendency for individual specialization