Nesting preference of indigenous bees in the forest zone of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work was to identify the nesting orientation of hives in trees in the Zona da Mata Pernambucana, checking the height of the hive's entrance hole in relation to the ground and diameter of the trunk of the host trees. In its methodological aspect, through field research, we sought to identify the host trees for native bee nests, analyzing the height of the hive's entrance hole at ground level, the diameter of the tree trunk, the geographic coordinate and the magnetic orientation of the direction of the hive entrance holes. It was identified that 30% of indigenous bees in the forest zone have their nesting holes facing the Southwest (SO); 30% of the hives were found on cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale L.) and 25% on olive trees (Olea europaea L.) and 25% on pitangueiras (Eugenia uniflora L.); 20 (twenty) species of indigenous bees were found, of which 55% are of the Frieseomelitta dispar species; 55% nested in trees between 1.01-1.50 m high; 50% of the hives nested in trees with a trunk diameter between 0-0.50 cm. It is concluded that the majority of indigenous bees found in the Zona da Mata Pernambucana (ZMP) have their nesting holes facing the Southwest (SO), demonstrating a predominance of nesting for arboreal species for A. occidentale L. It was found that among in the meliponines of the ZMP there is a prevalence of F. dispar (55%); the meliponines found in the ZMP prefer to nest in arboreal hosts at a height between 1.01-1.50 m in relation to the ground; the trunk diameter of the most preferred trees for nesting meliponine species in the MPZ is up to 0.50 cm (50%) and 1.01-1.50 m (30%).