Melipona capixaba
| Melipona capixaba | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Melipona capixaba photographed by Josemar de Carvalho Ramos | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Tribe: | Meliponini |
| Genus: | Melipona |
| Species: | M. capixaba |
| Binomial name | |
| Melipona capixaba (Moure & Camargo, 1994). | |
 | |
| Geographical distribuition of Melipona capixaba hives (black spots) in the Espírito Santo State, Brazil, by Josemar de Carvalho Ramos. | |
The bee specie Melipona capixaba, popularly known as uruçu negra (black uruçu), is a specie of eusocial stingless bees of the order Hymenoptera and the genus Melipona. It is endemic in the mountainous region of the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil, and it is included since 2003 in the list of threatened species of Ministry of the Environment in Brazil, the only eusocial insect in this list.[1]"
The common name uruçu comes from Tupi "eiru su", which in the indigenous language means "big bee".
Due to the endemism and small population size, this species discovered in 1994 is now considered “vulnerable to extinction”.[2] Despite its cological importance as pollinator few studies have examined the ecology and biology of this bee.[3]
This bee is responsible for pollinating orchids in its occurrence region.[3] In the region it is considered as a symbol specie and has been used to raise awareness about the environmental impacts caused by deforestation.
Given its endemism, local adaptation and low number of natural colonies, efforts for the conservation of Melipona capixaba should focus on preservation and increasing the number of colonies in the wild, so that M. capixaba can support constant captures and the effects of habitat deforestation in Espírito Santo State.[2]
This movies show some hives of Melipona capixaba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDiZpGR9bw; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDAmAYWwtIc; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpX5Ij7WVdE
References
- ↑ Ramos, Josemar de Carvalho. Estrutura genética de Melipona capixaba Moure e Camargo, 1994 (Hymenoptera: Apidae): UFV, Viçosa - 2009.
- 1 2 Nogueira, Juliano · Ramos, Josemar de Carvalho · Benevenuto, Juliana · Fernandes-Salomão, Tânia Maria · Resende, Helder Canto · Campos, Lucio Antonio de Oliveira Campos · Tavares, Mara Garcia. Conservation study of an endangered stingless bee (Melipona capixaba—Hymenoptera: Apidae) with restricted distribution in Brazil. Journal of Insect Conservation 18(3):317-326 · May 2014.
- 1 2 Helder C. Resende; Fábio de BarrosI; Lúcio A.O. Campos; Tânia M. Fernandes-Salomão. Visitation of orchid by Melipona capixaba Moure & Camargo (Hymenoptera: Apidae), bee threatened with extinction. Neotrop. entomol. vol.37 no.5 Londrina Sept./Oct. 2008.