Caracterização morfométrica das populações de Melípona subnitida Ducke, 1910 (Apidae, Meliponini) residentes no limite sul da área de sua distribuição natural

Abstract

The rearing of Melipona subnitida is an activity of economic and ecological importance for increasing the income of farmers and for pollination. Once the predatory extraction of nests and habitat loss are threatening populations of M. subnitida, knowledge about its population diversity is important for the development of management plans and conservation of this species. An efficient technique for determining the diverse population of insects is the geometric morphometrics. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the population structure of M. subnitida at the southern limit of its natural distribution area; and (ii) determining the effect of the nesting environment (box or tree trunk) on the morphology of the wings of M. subnitida. Adults of nine M. subnitida populations were collected from 63 colonies distributed in Northern Bahia, Alagoas and Chapada do Araripe, and Wasteland of Pernambuco, areas that constitute the southern limit of the natural distribution of this species. Anatomical landmarks located between the veins of forewings were used as a comparison parameter. The results revealed that the nine populations studied could be grouped into three main groups, with the geographical distance that separates different populations the main determining factor in the formation of these groups. In addition, there were significant differences in the geometric morphometric among individuals from boxes and tree trunks, revealing the nesting environment as a factor that increases the phenotypic plasticity of M. subnitida. These results will contribute to the formulation of management plans and conservation of M. subnitida at the southern limit of its natural distribution.