Estudos morfométricos sobre espécies de abelhas da tribo Meliponini (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Abstract

The morphometrics analysis in bees can supply information on the ecological and evolution processes, indicating adaptations to the general conditions, including changes due the standards of competition and prerestitution in the community, and adaptation increase the climatic variations. The objective of this work was to investigate the morphological variations in workers of stingless bee (Melipona seminigra merrillae Cockerell, M. compressipes manaosensis Schwarz, M. crinita Moure & Kerr, M. interrupta grandis Guerin, M. compressipes fasciculata Smiths, M. rufiventris Lepeletier, M. rufiventris paraensis Ducke and M. fuliginosa Lepeletier) collected in seven localities: Manaus, Rio Preto da Eva, Manacapuru, Parintins and Alvarães (Amazon), Barra do Corda and São Luís (Maranhão), as well as verifying differences in the number of hamulus for each species of Melipona sp. between the Meliponary and municipal district. They had been considered measured of thirteen morphologic characters gotten ten individuals of each colony (workers) in each Meliponary. The number of hamulus also was gotten in the left and right posterior wing of the bees. The data for each species had been submitted to the principal component analysis (PCA) for the reduction of the multidimensional of the data. The relations to the morphometrics structures and the places had been determined by discriminate analysis. Melipona sp. had significant morphometric variability in the species studied. For M. compressipes manaosensis originating Manaus, Manacapuru and Cacau-Pirera, first the three main components had explained about 50,308% of the present total variation in the covariance matrix. M. seminigra merrillae originating Manaus and Cacau-Pirera, had shown that 30.656% of the variations can be explained by the size, and that remainders 25.975% can be explained by variations in the form of the individuals. For M. rufiventris originating Manaus and Cacau-Pirera, the three first components had explained about 47,538% of the present total variation in the matrix of covariance between the morphologic characters. In M. interrupta grandis originating Manaus and Alvarães, the three first components had explained about 63,893% of the present total variation in the matrix of covariance between the morphologic characters. For M. crinita originating Alvarães, the three first components had explained about 63,228% of the present total variation in the matrix of covariance between the characters. M. compressipes fasciculata originating Meliponary located in Parintins (Amazon), São Luís and Barra do Corda (Maranhão), had shown that 42.179% of the variations can be explained by the size, and that remainders 27.001% can be explained by variations in the form of the individuals. Discriminate analysis for the 13 morphometrics characters measured in workers of all the species (Melipona compressipes manaosensis, M. seminigra merrillae, M. rufiventris, M. interrupta grandis, M. crinita, M. compressipes fasciculata, M. fuliginosa, M. rufiventris paraensis, Partamona sp. and Lestrimelitta sp.) showed high canonic correlation, 78.7% of variance and the index Wilks' significant Lambda (λ < 0,05). 76.4% of the original cases had been classified correctly. The test of Kruskall Wallis (H) indicated differences meant for number of hamulus of the left posterior wing (H= 637,70; P<0,01) and right (H= 610,01; P<0,01) between workers of Melipona compressipes manaosensis, M. seminigra merrillae, M. rufiventris, M. interrupta grandis, M. crinita, M. compressipes fasciculata, M. fuliginosa and M. rufiventris paraensis. Discriminate analysis for the number of hamulus of the left and right posterior wings gotten in workers of all the species, originating all the Meliponary resulted in one high canonic correlation (0,903), 99.9% of variance and a Wilks' significant Lambda (λ < 0,05) for the two morphologic structures. 26.9% of the original cases had been classified correctly.