Importância de centridini (apidae) na polinização de plantas de interesse agrícola: O maracujá-doce (passiflora alata curtis) como estudo de caso na região sudeste do Brasil

Abstract

Centridini bees are known for their interactions with oil producing flowers, mainly from the Malphighiaceae family. Centridini are also known for their pollination of nectar and pollen flowers. However, information about the importance of Centridini in the pollination of agricultural plants is still scarce and fragmented in Brazil. The current study aim are to 1) contribute to the reduction of this gap by presenting data obtained from passion- fruit cultures in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and 2) discuss the possibilities of maintaining these native bees in agricultural areas. The flowers of passion-fruit are hermaphroditic, typically melitophyle, auto-incompatible and require large size pollinators, capable of promoting the nototribic transfer of pollen. Of the 19 bee species considered pollinators of P. alata in this study, 13 belong to the tribe Centridini. Species richness was particularly high in Uberlândia, close to Cerrado areas. Flower visits by these bees corresponded to 44-49% of the observed total. Epicharis flava was the most frequent polinator in both study sites. Species of Eulaema Bombus (Apini) and Xylocopa (Xylocopini) were also considered potential polinators. Anthesis begun at 5h and pollinator visits were more frequent between 7h and 11h. The presence of Centridini bees in the cultivation area is facilitated by its nesting habits, frequently on bare areas on the ground. However, the necessity of other specific resources, such as floral oils, creates a dependence of plants that can be present only in native vegetation fragments or in secondary vegetation situated close to the cultivation areas. Therefore, the maintenance of populations of these pollinators is related to the proper management of the landscape. Currently, attempts to breed pollinator bees are restricted to species the nest in pre-existing cavities, by supplying bait- nests. Soil preservation in native areas and the recovery of degraded areas may be essential for the maintenance or introduction of bee species that nest on the ground.