Estudo dos parâmetros biométricos de Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) em diferentes estações do ano no brejo paraibano

Abstract

Brazil is very rich on its biodiversity, bees are an example of this, being possible to find several species from the north to the south of the country. These insects play a key role in pollination of plant species, and consequently in food production. Because they have the potential to produce honey, the meliponineous, known as stingless bees, are rationally created in boxes standardized for each genus by farmers, the activity is called Meliponiculture. The study of its biometric and productive parameters becomes essential to improve the techniques of the activity, thus bringing benefits to bees and honeycombs. The aim of this research was to select the hives with the best biometric parameters for the insertion of queens into recipient hives. The study was carried out at the Apiculture and Meliponiculture Research Center at the Center of Agricultural Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba from December 2013 to July 2014. Seventeen hives of Melipona scutellaris Latreille, nested in standard boxes, were evaluated in the city (Coordinates: 6o58'12 "south latitude and 35o42'15" longitude west, average annual temperatures around 26oC-18oC, with annual rainfall of 800 to 1600mm). The parameters measured for each hive were number of offspring (NC), number of combs (NF), mean honeycomb diameter (DM), honeycomb height (HF), breeding cell height (HC) and population size POP). For the statistical analysis of the data, the completely randomized design (DIC) was applied, with the Tukey averages test at 5% of probability, by the statistical program THE SAS SYSTEM. There was a significant difference for the NC parameters (number of pups), NC (number of combs), DM (mean diameter of brood discs), CH (comb height) and POP (population estimate) between seasons HC parameter (height of rearing cell) was the only one that showed no statistical difference. Comparing the population estimate during the seasons, per hive, it was verified that no statistical difference occurred in 11 hives, while in the remaining 6 there was a significant difference, justifying, therefore, the non-use of these for the process of genetic improvement by the method of insertion of queen. Among the 11 hives that did not present a significant difference, the selected ones for the process of insertion of queens were 1, 2, and 7.