Activity time of male Euglossina and preference for artificial fragrances in forest and dunes in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, Rio Tinto, Paraíba, Brazil

Euglossina bees form a group with about 200 species known, widespread in Neotropical Region. Males collect aromatic compounds on flowers and by using synthesized analogs it is possible to accomplish faunistic inventories and study several ecological aspects of these bees. In this work we studied the activity hours and the preference of aromatic compounds by Euglossina males in forest and dunes at Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, Rio Tinto, Paraíba State, between August 2002 and July 2004. Six artificial compounds were used as attractive: benzyl acetate, ionone beta, skatole, eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin. Nine species were sampled, being two of them exclusive of the forest. Euglossa cordata (L.) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier were the most abundant species as in the forest as on dunes. Males were more active between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. in both areas, with no variation throughout the year. Eucalyptol and eugenol attracted most number of species. E. cordata demonstrated preference by ionone beta and eucalyptol and E. nigrita by skatole and eucalyptol.     

Searching for Euglossa cyanochlora Moure, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), one of the rarest bees in the world

Euglossa cyanochlora Moure, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) is known from only two specimens and is considered as one of the rarest bees. An intensive search for this species in its expected area of occurrence in eastern Brazil was carried out during three consecutive summers and involved over 1,000?h of active sampling in 50 sites distributed among 20 forest remnants. Almost 15,000 orchid bee males were attracted to scent baits and collected, but only 24 of them belonged to E. cyanochlora. Some degree of mitochondrial gene (COI, cytB, and 16S) variation was observed in this species. Although no intra-specific variation was identified at the 16S locus, three and six haplotypes were characterized at the COI and cytB genes, respectively. Combined data from field work and molecular analysis suggest that the species southernmost distribution limit is close to its type locality, near Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal, in southern Bahia. The conservation status of E. cyanochlora is discussed and measures for its protection are here proposed.     

Revision of the orchid bee subgenus Euglossella (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Part I, The decorata species group

Euglossella, one of the most distinctive subgenera of orchid bees of the genus Euglossa, is composed of two characteristic assemblages of species, one of them comprising bees bearing the strongly metallic integument trademark of the genus (viridis species group), and the other consisting of bees with a brown integument shaded with metallic iridescence (decorata species group). Here we provide the first of two parts of a revision of Euglossella, providing diagnostic definitions for the subgenus, the decorata species group, and all the species included therein. Six species are included in the decorata group, one new: Euglossa (Euglossella) aurantia, sp. n.; Euglossa (Euglossella) apiformis Schrottky, resurrected status; Euglossa (Euglossella) decorata Smith, revised status; Euglossa (Euglossella) singularis Mocsáry, revised status; Euglossa (Euglossella) cosmodora Hinojosa-Díaz and Engel; and Euglossa (Euglossella) perpulchra Moure and Schlindwein. Euglossa meliponoides Ducke and Euglossa urarina Hinojosa-Díaz and Engel are newly synonymized under Euglossa decorata, Euglossa decorata ruficauda Cockerell is synonymized under Euglossa singularis, and a neotype is designated for Euglossa apiformis.     

贵州荔波发现弱须洞鳅

洞鳅属（Troglonectes Zhang, Zhao & Tang 2016）鱼类为中国特有的小型洞穴淡水鱼类,主要分布在贵州和广西喀斯特地区的地下河流中。2018至2019年在贵州省荔波县境内进行洞穴生物多样性调查时采集到4号洞鳅属标本,经过形态比较,与弱须洞鳅（Troglonectes barbatus）相似;基于线粒体16S rRNA和Cyt b重建的系统发育树及遗传距离分析显示,4号洞鳅属标本与来自模式产地的弱须洞鳅高度支持聚为一支;利用Kimura双参数模型计算基于16S rRNA和Cyt b的遗传距离,这些标本与弱须洞鳅之间的遗传距离分别为0.4%和0.2%,小于洞鳅属物种之间的遗传距离（16S rRNA遗传距离为2.4%,Cyt b遗传距离为6.1%）。本次研究使用16S rRNA和Cyt b分子标记研究洞鳅属部分物种的系统发育关系和遗传距离。综合形态和分子系统发育分析结果,确定采集自贵州省荔波县小七孔景区的4号标本为隶属于鲤形目条鳅科洞鳅属的弱须洞鳅,系贵州省洞穴鱼类新记录种。     

Composition and seasonality of Euglossina Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in forest and dune in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, PB

By using artificial fragrances as baits, we studied richness, composition, abundance and seasonality of Euglossina species in two areas (forest and dune) in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, State of Paraiba, Brazil, between August 2002 and July 2004. Bees were attracted with wads of absorbent paper containing each of the fragrances: benzyl acetate, ionone beta, skatole, eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin, and captured with insect net. We collected a total of 3,132 males of nine species of Euglossina. On both areas, Euglossa cordata (L.) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier were present throughout the year and were the most abundant species in the forest and the first one was the most abundant specie at the dune. Concerning to the composition, the Atlantic Rainforest areas in Paraíba State were more similar among themselves, the same occurring to the dune areas in Paraíba and Bahia States. In the forest, Euglossina species showed higher seasonality, being more abundant during the drier period, specially E. cordata. At the dune, species were homogeneously distributed in the dry and rainy periods.     

Euglossa williamsi, a new species of orchid bee from the Amazon Basin of Ecuador and Peru, with notes on its taxonomic association and biogeography (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Euglossa williamsisp. n. is here described from the lowland Amazonian region in Ecuador and Peru, and as part of a small species assemblage within Euglossa consisting of Euglossa dodsoni Moure and Euglossa obtusa Dressler. An identification key to the males of the group is provided plus detailed figures of the new species and representative illustrations for the others. A brief discussion of the taxonomic and biogeographical implications of the new species is provided. New records in Honduras and Nicaragua are provided for the related Euglossa dodsoni.     

尼罗鳄线粒体基因组全序列分析及鳄类系统发生关系的探讨

大多数脊椎动物的线粒体基因组（约16—18kb）的组成是相对较稳定的,但在不同类群中,线粒体基因组在基因结构和基因排列方式等方面均显示了极大的多样性,这种多样性可能反映了真核细胞不同的进化路线（Saccone et al．,1999）。就目前的研究而言,线粒体基因组是惟一一个能够从基因组水平上来分析动物系统发生的分子标记,可以从线粒体基因组序列信息、基因组成及基因排列方式等进行多方位的分子进化研究,因而线粒体基因组全序列将成为动物分子系统发生最有力的证据（Saccone et al．,1999）。     

Molecular phylogenetic relationship of Eplnephelus based on sequences of mtDNA Cty b

The mtDNA Cyt b gene was sequenced partially for Variola louti of Serranidae,Epinephelinae and seven endemic species of groupers-Epinephelus awoara,E.brunneus,E.coioides,E.longispinis,E.sexfasciatus,E.spilotoceps and E.tauvina in China.The seven endemic species and other seven foreign species of groupers--E,aeneus,E.caninus,E.drummondhayi,E,haifensis,E.labriformis,E.marginatus and E.multinotatus from the GenBank were combined and analysed as ingroup,while Variola louti was used as outgroup.We compared the 420 bp sequences of Cyt b among the 15 species and constructed two types of molecular phylogenetic trees with maximum parsimony method (MP)and neighbor-joining method (NJ) respectively.The results were as follows:(1) As to the base composition of mtDNA Cyt b sequence (402 bp) of 14 species of Epinepkelus,the content of (A + T) was 53.6%,higher than that of (G + C) (46.4%).The transition/transversion ratio was 4.78 with no mutation saturation.(2) The duster relationships between E.awoara and E.sexfasciatus,E.coioides and E.tauvina,E.longispinis and E.spilotoceps were consistent with phenotypes in taxonomy.(3) In the phylogenetic tree,the species in the Atlantic Ocean were associated closely with those in the Pacific Ocean,which suggested that the Cyt b sequences of Epinephelus were highly conserved.This may be attributed to the coordinate evolution.(4) In well-bred mating or heredity management,mating Epinephelus of the same branch should be avoided.It is likely to be an effective way to mate the species of the Atlantic Ocean with those of the Pacific Ocean to improve the inheritance species.     

Old Fragments of Forest Inside an Urban Area Are Able to Keep Orchid Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) Assemblages? The Case of a Brazilian Historical City

Retention of habitat fragments within the urban matrix can provide critical resources for the maintenance of regional biodiversity while still providing socio-economic value. Euglossini bees are important components in a community as they are important pollinators for economically valuable plants as well as hundreds of orchid species. However, some species are very sensitive to environmental impacts like urbanization. This study presents the role of antique urban fragments in a historical city in Brazil and compares it with a conservation area on the aspects of orchid bee assemblage, such as richness, composition, and abundance. Four fragments inside the city of Ouro Preto and three inside Parque Estadual do Itacolomi (PEIT) were sampled for Euglossini bees. Sorensen similarity index was used to compare community composition. The Mantel test was applied to verify the hypothesis that an urban center is a barrier for the mobility of the individuals. Fourteen Euglossini species from the region were registered. Close to 75% of the sampled bees were collected from the PEIT sampling areas. The fragments presented differences in Euglossini richness and abundance. A majority of the sampled fragments were dominated by the Eulaema cingulata Fabricius, Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, and Euglossa securigera Dressler species. We found differences on community composition between the fragments localized in PEIT and those located in the urban center. The data suggest that there is a possible flux of individuals between the sampled fragments. The various small forest fragments in Ouro Preto, primarily in backyards, may also serve as stepping stones between sampled fragments.     

Application of PCR ribotyping and tDNA-PCR for Klebsiella pneumoniae identification

PCR analysis of 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (PCR ribotyping) and tRNA intergenic spacer (tDNA-PCR) were evaluated for their effectiveness in identification of clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and differentiation with related species. For this purpose both methods were applied to forty-three clinical isolates biochemically identified as K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae isolated from patients clinical specimens attended at five hospitals in three Brazilian cities. References strains of K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae, K. oxytoca, K. planticola and Enterobacter aerogenes were also analyzed. Both PCR methods showed specific patterns for each species. A conserved PCR ribotype pattern was observed for all clinical K. pneumoniae isolates, while differing from other related analyzed species. tDNA-PCR revealed five distinct patterns among the K. pneumoniae clinical isolates studied, demonstrating a predominant group with 90.6% of isolates presenting the same pattern of K. pneumoniae type strain. Both PCR-based methods were not able to differentiate K. pneumoniae subspecies. On the basis of the results obtained, both methods were efficient to differentiate the Klebsiella species analyzed, as well as E. aerogenes. Meanwhile tDNA-PCR revealed different tRNA arrangements in K. pneumoniae, suggesting intra-species heterogeneity of their genome organization, the polymorphism of the intergenic spacers between 16S and 23S rRNA genes appears to be highly conserved whithin K. pneumoniae clinical isolates, showing that PCR ribotyping can be an useful tool for identification of K. pneumoniae isolates.     

The population genetics of two orchid bees suggests high dispersal,low diploid male production and only an effect of island isolation in lowering genetic diversity

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) are important pollinators of many plant families in Neotropical forests, habitats that have become increasingly degraded and fragmented by agricultural practices. To understand the extent to which loss of natural habitat and isolation has affected the genetic diversity and diploid male production (DMP) of two orchid bee species, Euglossa dilemma and Euglossa viridissima, we collected and genotyped 1686 males at five microsatellite loci and tested for differences in allelic richness, heterozygosity and DMP across three different types of land use (natural, agricultural and urban) and between mainland and island populations in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. We also investigated the impact of land use and geographic isolation on gene flow. Euglossa dilemma and E. viridissima seemed to be particularly resilient to loss of natural habitat; in locations with human impact, we did not find reduced genetic diversity, and populations generally showed very little population genetic structure. Only on islands did E. dilemma show significantly reduced genetic diversity. Even after accounting for putative null alleles, DMP was very low (0.2–1.3%) across all sampling sites, including on islands. We therefore suggest that DMP is an insensitive measure of inbreeding and population decline in our two study species.     

Genetic similarity among male bees of Euglossa truncata Rebêlo & Moure (Hymenoptera: Apidae) revealed by RAPD markers

The genetic RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers have been used successfully in taxonomical studies of several groups of organisms. In the present study these molecular markers were used to analyze the genetic similarity among eighteen males of Euglossa truncata Rebêlo & Moure exhibiting variations in two morphological characters (colour of the antennal scape and metaepisternal hairs) which are frequently used to identify this species of euglossine bee. The twelve primers used in the RAPD analysis amplified 127 loci, of which 40 (31.5%) were polymorphic, showing some variation among the individuals. The coefficients of genetic similarity among the individuals ranged from 0.79 to 0.95, indicating a rather high genetic similarity among the 18 male bees studied. No RAPD band was specific to any morphological character analyzed. The results indicate that all bees analyzed belong to the same species. The high genetic similarity among the eighteen euglossine males studied indicates that the variations observed in the morphological characters are not in disagreement with the identification of this species of Euglossina and these characters can vary among males of E. truncata.     

The pollination mechanism in the 'Pelexia alliance' (Orchidaceae: Spiranthinae)

The biological function of the wedge–like, dorsally adhesive viscidium of the neotropical orchid genera Cyclopogon, Pelexia and Sarcoglottis (grouped in the so-called 'Pelexia alliance') is elucidated by the study of the pollination biology of three species occurring in Sao Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. Cyclopogon congestus is pollinated by the bee, Pseudoaugochloropsis graminea (Halictidae), Pelexia oestrifera by workers of Bombus (Fervidobombus) atratus (Apidae) and Sarcoglottis fasciculata by males and females of Euglossa cordata (Apidae: Euglossini). These three species offer nectar as a reward and are self-compatible, though they need pollinators to set fruits. In spite of the difference in flower sizes and in their pollinators' taxonomic groups, the pollination mechanism is essentially the same for these species. The pollinarium adheres to the ventral surface of the bee labrum. The viscidium needs to be dorsally pressed in order to liberate a glue which fixes the pollinarium to a bee. Pollination is achieved by the interaction of the orchid column and the mouthparts of the bees. Fivation to the ventral surface of the labrum is advantageous for the orchid, since it is a difficult place for the bees to clean. Another advantage is that, since the labrum is articulated, when the bees fold and close their mouthparts, the pollinarium remains protected under the bee's head, thus reducing the risks of pollen loss. Since the wedge-like, dorsally adhesive viscidiurn is a characteristic feature of Cyclopogon, Pelexia and Sarcoglottis , it is suggested that some kind of phylogenetic constraint may exist, impeding the occurrence of pollinators other than bees in these orchid genera. All other flower-visiting animals lack the labrum-like structure needed to fix the pollinarium.     

入侵中国大陆的红火蚁的鉴定及发生为害调查

根据形态特征鉴定结果首次证实红火蚁SolenopsisinvictaBuren入侵中国大陆 ,并调查了广东省吴川市红火蚁发生为害情况。调查结果表明 ,发生区内部分地点红火蚁发生密度较高 ,主要发生于较稳定的生态环境中 ,如荒坡、草地、长满杂草的田埂等。红火蚁已对当地农业生产、人们的身体健康、日常生活等造成了不利影响。此外 ,Cytb基因序列分析结果表明 ,采自美国佛罗里达和广东吴川的红火蚁与采自广东 4个地方的热带火蚁S .geminata (Fabr.)两物种间有 61个变异位点 ,种内变异为 0。限制性酶切多态实验 (RFLP)的结果显示 ,BamHI酶在红火蚁的特异扩增片段中有一个识别位点 ,而在热带火蚁中无酶切位点 ;MspI酶在热带火蚁的扩增片段中也有一个识别位点 ,而在红火蚁中无识别位点。有酶切位点的扩增产物在酶切后分别获得近 2 0 0bp与 2 5 0bp的片段各一带。因此 ,用PCR RFLP的方法可以简单快速地鉴别红火蚁和热带火蚁。     

Edge effects on the orchid-bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a large remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil

Male orchid bees were sampled with chemical baits monthly from July 1999 to April 2000 at six sites situated at different distances from the forest edge (0 to 4,000 m) at Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The main goal of this study was to assess the abundance, richness, and the community structure of the orchid-bee fauna at different distances from the edge. In all, 1,183 males from 20 species were collected. Only minor and insignificant variation in richness and abundance were observed among the sites. Two dominant species, Euglossa analis Westwood (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), showed strongly opposing habitat associations: while males of the former were most collected in the interior of the forest, the latter was most found at or close to the edge. The responses of individual species, such as these, and not composite measures of richness and abundance, are more informative regarding forest integrity and edge effects.     

Identification of mosquito bloodmeals using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b gene sequences

Abstract.  Primer pairs were designed and protocols developed to selectively amplify segments of vertebrate mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b ) mtDNA from the bloodmeals of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). The protocols use two pairs of nested COI primers and one pair of Cyt b primers to amplify short segments of DNA. Resultant sequences are then compared with sequences in GenBank, using the BLAST function, for putative host identification. Vertebrate DNA was amplified from 88% of our sample of 162 wild-caught, blood-fed mosquitoes from Oregon, U.S.A. and GenBank BLAST searches putatively identified 98% of the amplified sequences, including one amphibian, seven mammalian and 14 avian species. Criteria and caveats for putative identification of bloodmeals are discussed.     

Pollination, Flower Longevity, and Reproductive Biology of Gongora quinquenervis Ruíz and Pavón (Orchidaceae) in an Atlantic Forest Fragment of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract: The pollinators, flower longevity, and reproductive success of Gongora quinquenervis were studied in Refúgio Ecológico Charles Darwin, a preserved fragment of Atlantic Forest in Pernambuco. G. quinquenervis is epiphytic, and its flowers have osmophores, glands that produce aromatic volatiles, that are collected by males of Euglossini (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Every flower of an inflorescence opened simultaneously, however, overlaps in floral phases between individuals were low. Pollinaria deposition on the stigma caused immediate wilting of the perianth, while pollinaria removal had no influence on flower longevity. The reproductive system experiments showed that the species is self-compatible. The characteristics of floral morphology and its highly specialized pollination mechanism are efficient in limiting autogamy and geitonogamy and favouring cross-pollination. Three species of Euglossa were found ( E. cordata, E. perpulchra and an undescribed species) visiting the flowers of G. quinquenervis. All these efficiently removed the pollinaria of the flowers, which adhered to the posterior margin of the scutellum. Even though there was a high pollinaria removal rate by pollinators, the reproductive success in the field was extraordinarily low. We suggest that low fruit set, despite high pollinator frequency, is a result of a combination of the particular phonological characteristics of G. quinquenervis, such as short flower longevity and low overlap of flowering phases between individuals, leading to the reduced population of this orchid in the degraded Atlantic Forest. Conservation measures are necessary to guarantee the survival of G. quinquenervis in the northern part of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.     

Solitary invasive orchid bee outperforms co-occurring native bees to promote fruit set of an invasive Solanum

Our understanding of the effects of introduced invasive pollinators on plants has been exclusively drawn from studies on introduced social bees. One might expect, however, that the impacts of introduced solitary bees, with much lower population densities and fewer foragers, would be small. Yet little is known about the potential effects of naturalized solitary bees on the environment. We took advantage of the recent naturalization of an orchid bee, Euglossa viridissima, in southern Florida to study the effects of this solitary bee on reproduction of Solanum torvum, an invasive shrub. Flowers of S. torvum require specialized buzz pollination. Through timed floral visitor watches and two pollination treatments (control and pollen supplementation) at three forest edge and three open area sites, we found that the fruit set of S. torvum was pollen limited at the open sites where the native bees dominate, but was not pollen limited at the forest sites where the invasive orchid bees dominate. The orchid bee’s pollination efficiency was nearly double that of the native halictid bees, and was also slightly higher than that of the native carpenter bee. Experiments using small and large mesh cages (to deny or allow E. viridissima access, respectively) at one forest site indicated that when the orchid bee was excluded, the flowers set one-quarter as many fruit as when the bee was allowed access. The orchid bee was the most important pollinator of the weed at the forest sites, which could pose additional challenges to the management of this weed in the fragmented, endangered tropical hardwood forests in the region. This specialized invasive mutualism may promote populations of both the orchid bee and this noxious weed. Invasive solitary bees, particularly species that are specialized pollinators, appear to have more importance than has previously been recognized. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Characterization of the orchid bee Euglossa viridissima (Apidae: Euglossini) and a novel cryptic sibling species,by morphological,chemical, and genetic characters

In orchid bees, males signal their availability as mates by fanning ‘perfumes’, i.e. blends of volatiles that are collected from environmental sources and stored in hind leg pouches. The chemical composition of such perfumes in males with either two or three mandibular teeth has previously led to the discovery of two sympatric, cryptic lineages within Euglossa viridissima Friese on the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. Here, we combine chemical, morphological, and genetic data for an integrated characterization of the two lineages. The lectotype of E. viridissima Friese in the Museum of Natural History in Vienna has two mandibular teeth, and the species name viridissima must thus be assigned to the predominantly bidentate lineage, whereas the completely tridentate lineage is described as a novel species, Euglossa dilemma sp. nov. Bembé & Eltz. Chemical profiling and microsatellite genotyping revealed that E. viridissima males can occasionally (～10% of individuals) express a third mandibular tooth, but this tooth is not positioned centrally on the mandible as in E. dilemma, but is displaced towards the tip. Thus, males of the two lineages can be unambiguously diagnosed by mandibular characters alone. Based on 889 bp of CO1 sequence data, we confirm that E. viridissima and E. dilemma constitute a monophyletic group within the genus Euglossa. However, CO1 alone failed to separate these two lineages due to the lack of parsimony‐informative sites. Both species occur in broad sympatry across Central America, but the orchid bees recently introduced to Florida have three mandibular teeth in males, i.e. belong to E. dilemma. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163 , 1064–1076.