Atividade de voo da abelha uruçu nordestina (Melipona scutellaris) nas diferentes épocas do ano

Abstract

The search for products of organic and sustainable origin has been growing over the years, and the creation of bees with both sting, beekeeping and stingless, meliponiculturers fit these patterns, and is shown to be an alternative for breeding and source of income, especially for small producers. This study aimed to verify the flight and collection activities of the northeastern uruçu bee (Melipona scutellaris) at different times of the year, on the UFRPE campus, located in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, zona da mata region. This study was conducted from September 2020 to June 2021. The observations were made three days in the beginning of each season, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for ten minutes each hour, where the number of bees that entered the colony carrying pollen and the number of bees that entered without apparent load were counted. The temperature and humidity data were as expected for each time of year in a place with a humid tropical climate, typical of the northeastern coast. The movement of bees was greater in the morning, a pattern that was repeated at all times of the year. Comparing each season, the trend was for greater nectar/water collection, when compared to pollen collection, with the exception of autumn, where there was a higher collection of pollen. Thus, it was concluded that stingless bees Melipona scutellaris prefer to collect both nectar and pollen in the morning, decreasing their frequency throughout the day, at all seasons of the year.