Interações entre ácaros e abelhas sem ferrão: diversidade e descrições de novas espécies

Abstract

Most of mites associated with bees are mutualistic and/or commensal, acting as saprophagous or predator in nests. The aim of this study was analyze the mite community associated with stingless bees in Brazil. The study was conducted in seven counties: Bom Princípio, Ijuí, Panambi, Porto Alegre, Rolante, Santa Maria e Venâncio Aires. In each locality, we evaluate colonies of Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata Lepeletier, Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier) e Tetragonisca fiebrigi (Schwarz), totalizing 21 samples of each species, except for S. bipunctata, which we obtain just 16 colonies. The procedure of sampling with 70% alcohol-soaked brush included 1) inlet tube, 2) internal wall of the colonies, and 3) pots of honey. Additionally, was collected for laboratory exam 4) cerumen wrapper, 5) pollen, 6) brood cells and 7) adult bees. We estimate the total of mite species not observed from the Chao equation. We perform the Hill’s diversity profile, to broadly evaluate the mite diversity in the colonies. To test the dissimilarity in composition we used Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling and Permanova and perform SIMPER analysis to evaluate which species contributed to the dissimilarity in species composition. The interactions between mites and their respective host bees was analyzed using ecological network analysis. Of the 1.458 mites collected, the highest abundance was recorded in M. quadrifasciata (938), followed by S. bipunctata (408) and T. fiebrigi (112). We found 18 species/morphospecies of colony-associated mites (Chao = 22 ± 5), with five new species. The most abundant species were Hypoaspis alfabetica Berlese (773), Melissotydeus bipunctata Da-Costa et al. (363) e Lorryia meliponarum Da-Costa et al. (127). Hill's diversity profile indicated that mite species diversity (richness, q = 0) is higher in M. quadrifasciata than in S. bipunctata and T. fiebrigi. The composition of mites species differs in the bees species analyzed (stress = 0.0011; Permanova, F (2,87) = 14.65; R2=0.25; p < 0.001). The interaction network showed specificity and some species of mites among the three species of stingless bees. The five new species of mites belongs to family Iolinidae (Proctotydaeus (Neotydeolus) sp. nova, Proctotydaeus (Oriolella) sp. nova 1 and Proctotydaeus (Oriolella) sp. nova 2) and two from Tydeidae (Lorryia meliponarum Da-Costa et al. 2019 and Melissotydeus bipunctata Da-Costa et al. 2019). The study evidence that stingless bees harbor a high diversity of mites and that the composition of the acarine community differs among each species of host bee.