Genetic breeding on the bee Melipona scutellaris (Apidae, Meliponinae)

Abstract

A selection of queens of Melipona scutellaris through the most productive colonies were carried out during eight months in an orange honeyflow. Each of the colonies was evaluated by its production, that is, the gross weight production ( pollen, brood, geopropolis and wax of each hive). With this data a coefficient of repeatability was estimated by the intraclass correlation method, obtained r = 0.835 ± 0.071. The repeatibility is very high showing that the analysed data (production) is repeatable. Selection was then carried out using the regression coefficient of each colony and the respective production gain. Using these data the colonies were divided into three groups according to the method Vencovsky and Kerr (1982): a with the colonies of highest productivity, b of least productivity, and c of intermediary productivity. Colonies with the highest production (Group a) gave their queens to those of the lowest production (Group b) after their queens were taken out and killed; while those of intermediate (Group c) stayed with the same queens during the entire experiment both before and after the selection. The modifications in weight, that is, the genetic response was (R̂) = 7.98 gr per day which indicated a selection gain. The estimate of the realized herdability is twice the rate of the response to selection (R̂) by the selection differential (S2). That is ĥR2 = 2(R̂ / S2) then ĥR2 = 0.166.