ABSTRACT We studied the volatile composition and sexual morphs of Nephelium lappaceum flowers from two orchards, and investigated the choice behavior of the honey bee, Apis mellifera toward the floral extracts from both locations. Our results showed significant differences in chemical composition and sexual morphs; only the hermaphrodite flowers from the Herradero orchard produced limonene and α-pinene and had longer peduncle and sepal than flowers from the Metapa orchard; on the other hand, the hermaphrodite flowers from the Metapa orchard had longer gynoecium. In the behavioral experiment the extracts from the Herradero orchard seemed to give A. mellifera foragers better cues for orientation to food sources, perhaps due to the presence of limonene and α-pinene, which are absent in the samples from Metapa. Such differences in both orchards could affect pollinator attraction and ultimately seed set and productivity.

Abstract: Toxicity of the Trichoderma harzianum-based fungicide Bioben(r) was evaluated in three species of bees and Anastrepha ludens, in the Soconusco region, Chiapas, Mexico, under laboratory conditions. Mortality in Scaptotrigona mexicana and Apis mellifera were slightly higher in the exposed groups than in control groups, contrary to Melipona beecheii and A. ludens.

Después de medir el tamaño del cuerpo, abdomen y cefalotórax de la pupa macho y hembra de Aedes albopictus, decidimos usar el tamaño del cefalotórax de la pupa macho para construir un dispositivo para la separación de individuos por sexo en el estado pupal. De manera interesante, muchas pupas macho no pasaron a través del tamiz y fueron retenidos y sacrificados como pupas hembra; esto puede significar un desperdicio de recursos que no ha sido informado previamente. Por tal motivo se hace énfasis en que la eficiencia de retención de pupas macho debe ser confirmada si se planea su cría masiva.

We evaluated the toxicity of field concentrations of glyphosate on the mortality of two bee species occurring in the Soconusco Region, Chiapas, Mexico. We did not find any significant difference in the mortality between exposed and control groups.

A device that uses fluorescent powder to automatically mark large numbers of honeybees provides a good method to distinguish focal colony foragers from foragers of other colonies. However, when humidity is high, the powder readily forms pellets that cannot pass through the mesh and marking is diminished. We present here an apparatus to mass-mark honeybees with liquid paint. We demonstrate that this low-cost device is a highly efficient method to mark honeybees and does not produce any observable mortality on test foragers or impairing flight ability.

Extratos florais de Citrus no comportamento de forrageamento da abelha sem ferrão Scaptotrigona pectoralis (Dalla Torre). As abelhas sem ferrão têm um papel importante na polinização de muitas espécies de plantas nativas e plantas cultivadas em regiões tropicais. Pouco se sabe, no entanto, sobre a interação entre as fragrâncias florais e comportamento de forrageamento de espécies de meliponíneos. Assim, investigou-se a composição química dos extratos de cítricos florais (limão e laranja) e seus efeitos sobre o comportamento de forrageamento da abelha sem ferrão Scaptotrigona pectoralis. Nós descobrimos que cada tipo de flor tem a sua própria composição específica de mistura de compostos: limoneno (62,9%), e farnesol (26,5%) para flores de limão, (E)-nerolidol (20,8%), e linalol (12,7%) para flores de laranja. Nos experimentos de forrageamento, as operárias de S. pectoralis foram capazes de utilizar os extratos de flores para se orientarem até a fonte de alimento, não sendo atrapalhadas por placas com iscas apenas de hexano. No entanto, os extratos de flores de laranja foram aparentemente mais atraentes para essas abelhas operárias, talvez por causa da mistura particular do extrato. Nossos resultados revelam que essas fragrâncias são muito atraentes para S. pectoralis, assim pode-se inferir que dentro de pomares cítricos poderiam ser visitantes importantes na área de estudo; no entanto a destruição do habitat, o uso excessivo de pesticidas e a substituição competitiva por abelhas Apis poderia por em risco suas populações e, assim, os serviços ecológicos que prestam para nós.

Effect of Citrus floral extracts on the foraging behavior of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis (Dalla Torre). Stingless bees have an important role as pollinators of many wild and cultivated plant species in tropical regions. Little is known, however, about the interaction between floral fragrances and the foraging behavior of meliponine species. Thus we investigated the chemical composition of the extracts of citric (lemon and orange) flowers and their effects on the foraging behavior of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis. We found that each type of flower has its own specific blend of major compounds: limonene (62.9%) for lemon flowers, and farnesol (26.5%), (E)-nerolidol (20.8%), and linalool (12.7%) for orange flowers. In the foraging experiments the S. pectoralis workers were able to use the flower extracts to orient to the food source, overlooking plates baited with hexane only. However, orange flower extracts were seemingly more attractive to these worker bees, maybe because of the particular blend present in it. Our results reveal that these fragrances are very attractive to S. pectoralis, so we can infer that within citric orchards they could be important visitors in the study area; however habitat destruction, overuse of pesticides and the competitive override by managed honeybees might have put at risk their populations and thus the ecological services they provide to us.