Capacity and retourn time of Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenopter: Apidae) in an anthropized environment: monitoring based on RFID technology

• Grant number: 23/17578-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rogério Hartung Toppa
• Grantee: Letícia Oliveira Furlan
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present project aims to analyze the capacity and return time of the Melipona quadrifasciata species (mandaçaia) in an anthropized environment, equipped with RFID electronic tags, with the purpose of addressing three main questions: What is the capacity and return time of Melipona quadrifasciata individuals in an anthropized environment? Can land coverage and use patterns influence the capacity and return time of bees? Are the capacity and return time of bees influenced by the climate? For this, a total of 240 bees will be collected from three colonies already established in an anthropized environment, considering four release moments throughout the year (60 bees for each moment). The collected bees will be tagged and released at six distance thresholds (0.25 km; 0.5 km; 1.0 km; 1.5 km; 2.0 km up to 2.5 km) in a region that will be mapped, and its land coverage and use classes will be quantified for each distance. The coordinates of the release locations will be predefined for a distribution in relation to the land coverage and use characteristics of the experimental unit, with 10 bees released for each distance. Data regarding the return of bees to the colony will be collected through an RFID system, recording date and time, minute, and second data. Meteorological parameters will be obtained with the help of a weather station installed in the experiment area. The data will be analyzed through statistical tests to understand and determine if there is a difference in capacity and return time to the colony. Additionally, statistical analyses based on generalized linear models will be conducted to identify patterns of capacity and return time to the colony in relation to meteorological parameters, as well as for the data on land coverage and use classes obtained in each release region.