Bees as pollinators in Brazil - USP

to this genus a high importance for additional
investigation.
6. At least 9 species of stingless bees from
Amazon (Melipona spp., Aparatrigona spp.,
Plebeia spp. and Scaptotrigona spp.) could
be kept massively to be used on pollination
programs. Tropical crops as cupuassu (Theo -
broma grandiflorum), urucum (Bixa orellana),
assai (Euterpe oleracea), hogplum
(Spondias mombim), guaraná (Paullinia
cupana) are some examples of Amazon
plants witch demands pollination services
from stingless bees.
Improving knowledge base
1. Improve regional stingless bees collections
and the use of molecular techniques needed
to help identification.
2. Automatic monitoring of flight activity for
modeling in climate change issues.
3. Promote stingless bees’ conservation in
areas where logging is allowed.
4. Study nest sites; nests populations; nests
sizes and densities.
5. Improve nests availability through the
establishment of ecological corridors.
6. Establish techniques for ecological restoration
and pollinators.
7. Identify pollinators assemblages in ecotones
and fragments.
8. Promote stingless bees conservation in
agricultural landscapes, also promoting
heterogeneity in landscapes.
9. Study exotic and native pollinators’ ecological
relationships.
10.Study species acceptation in trap nests of
different materials.
11. Use molecular tools to evaluate: density of
colonies; males provenience; populationcharacteristics;
relatedness among nests;
number of nearby nests (through the analysis
of male clouds near the nest entrance, or
by analyzing workers collected in a transect).
Workshop I 83
12.Develop metanalysis, data analysis and
scientific publication diffusion of pollinators
issues.
14.Improve techniques for nests development
in hives.
15.Evaluate queen survivorship in the colony.
16.Compare the characteristics of initial and
mature nests.
17.Study sex-ratio and queen production in
selected species.
18.Improve honey production, quality and
conservation.
19.Evaluate pollen availability and quality.
20.Study foragers’ lifetable in different seasons.
21.Study seasonal aspects of life cycle, mainly
in subtropical environment.
Final remarks
Concerning stingless bees’ biology, there is an
urgent need for implement the research
groups in the different Brazilian regions for
improving the local knowledge basis. Regional
groups should be trained in standard methodologies
to apply in their region.
Improve capacity building and training in
all levels, as well as concentrate studies in
nests requirements in order to implement the
new law 02000.006608.2000-81 concerning
to stingless bees beekeeping.
Conservation of stingless bees in logging
areas is an important issue, due to the large
Brazilian area that will be used for logging in
Amazon region.
Develop life history studies for a selected
number of stingless bees species that are
potential generalist pollinators.
Provide literature in Portuguese and available
on line.