Queen rearing and colony multiplication of stingless bees

• Grant number: 07/50218-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: October 01, 2007
• End date: July 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Applied Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca
• Grantee: Cristiano Menezes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 04/15801-0 - Biodiversity and sustainable use of pollinators, with emphasis on Meliponini bees, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

The effective role of stingless bees in pollination of agricultural crops has been confirmed for 18 different cultures and their use in greenhouses was successful in 11 out of 13 tested bee species (Slaa et al., 2006). The major limitations to the commercial use of these pollinators are: the difficulty of producing large-scale colonies, which is hampered by low natural reproduction rates of these bees; few queens produced and constraints of the available techniques for multiplication of colonies and creation of queens in the laboratory. This project will be developed in order to advance the understanding of biological mechanisms involved in the natural production of queens to enable the production of colonies on a larger scale. The goals are: to study the natural mechanisms of production of queens; implement and optimize the methodology for the production of queens in the laboratory; study the process of fertilization and beginning mini-colonies with these queens; define methodologies to provide the growth and establishment of mini-colonies founded. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

JONES, SAM M.; VAN ZWEDEN, JELLE S.; GRUETER, CHRISTOPH; MENEZES, CRISTIANO; ALVES, DENISE A.; NUNES-SILVA, PATRICIA; CZACZKES, TOMER; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA L.; RATNIEKS, FRANCIS L. W.. The role of wax and resin in the nestmate recognition system of a stingless bee, Tetragonisca angustula. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY, v. 66, n. 1, p. 1-12, JAN 2012. (10/19717-4, 07/50218-1, 05/58093-8, 04/15801-0, 08/57782-2)

MENEZES, CRISTIANO; VOLLET-NETO, AYRTON; IMPERATRIZ FONSECA, VERA LUCIA. An advance in the in vitro rearing of stingless bee queens. Apidologie, v. 44, n. 5, p. 491-500, SEP 2013. (04/15801-0, 07/50218-1)

MENEZES, C.; COLETTO-SILVA, A.; GAZETA, G. S.; KERR, W. E.. Infestation by Pyemotes tritici (Acari, Pyemotidae) causes death of stingless bee colonies (Hymenoptera: Meliponina). Genetics and Molecular Research, v. 8, n. 2, p. 630-634, 2009. (07/50218-1)

MENEZES, CRISTIANO; VOLLET NETO, AYRTON; IMPERATRIZ FONSECA, VERA LUCIA. A method for harvesting unfermented pollen from stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH, v. 51, n. 3, p. 240-244, 2012. (04/15801-0, 07/50218-1)

VOLLET-NETO, AYRTON; MENEZES, CRISTIANO; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA LUCIA. Behavioural and developmental responses of a stingless bee (Scaptotrigona depilis) to nest overheating. Apidologie, v. 46, n. 4, p. 455-464, JUN 2015. (12/11144-0, 04/15801-0, 07/50218-1)

MENEZES, CRISTIANO; VOLLET-NETO, AYRTON; MARSAIOLI, ANITA JOCELYNE; ZAMPIERI, DAVILA; FONTOURA, ISABELA CARDOSO; LUCHESSI, AUGUSTO DUCATI; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA LUCIA. A Brazilian Social Bee Must Cultivate Fungus to Survive. Current Biology, v. 25, n. 21, p. 2851-2855, NOV 2 2015. (04/15801-0, 07/50218-1)

GRUETER, CHRISTOPH; MENEZES, CRISTIANO; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA L.; RATNIEKS, FRANCIS L. W.. A morphologically specialized soldier caste improves colony defense in a neotropical eusocial bee. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 109, n. 4, p. 1182-1186, JAN 24 2012. (07/50218-1, 08/57782-2)

KAERCHER, MARTIN H.; MENEZES, CRISTIANO; ALVES, DENISE A.; BEVERIDGE, OLIVER S.; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, VERA-LUCIA; RATNIEKS, FRANCIS L. W.. Factors influencing survival duration and choice of virgin queens in the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata. NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN, v. 100, n. 6, p. 571-580, JUN 2013. (10/19717-4, 07/50218-1, 06/59115-8, 05/58093-8, 04/15801-0)

MENEZES, C.; HRNCIR, M.; KERR, W. E.. A mixed colony of Scaptotrigona depilis and Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponina). Genetics and Molecular Research, v. 8, n. 2, p. 507-514, 2009. (07/50218-1)