APIDAE ›› Apinae ›› Meliponini ›› Melipona ›› Melipona (Eomelipona)

Melipona (Eomelipona) bicolor Lepeletier, 1836

Remarks

Melipona bicolor Lepeletier is here considered as polytypic with two subspecies: bicolor bicolor and bicolor schencki Gribodo, however the differentiation in the color pattern of hairs can be related with recent factors, such as climate / altitude, as recorded by Schwarz (1932: 425), Nogueira-Neto (1970: 315 - Itatiaia, RJ, 2400-2500 mts.) and Moure (1975: 620 - Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira). The melanic form - Melipona bicolor schencki from southern Brazil, can be found in high and cold areas of southeastern Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro)

Distribution

Neotropical Region: Argentina (Misiones), Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo [Domingos Martins, Santa Teresa], Minas Gerais [Caeté, Cataguases, Passa Quatro, Ponte Nova, Viçosa], Paraná [Boa Vista Da Aparecida, Curitiba, Lapa, Piraquara], Rio Grande do Sul [Barão De Cotegipe, Cambará Do Sul, Canela, Osório, Riozinho, Rolante, São Francisco De Paula, São Leopoldo, Vacaria], Rio de Janeiro [Duque De Caxias, Macaé, Petrópolis, Rio De Janeiro, Teresópolis], Santa Catarina [Blumenau, Campo Alegre, São Bento Do Sul], São Paulo [Bauru, Caieiras, Cunha, Guarujá, Jundiaí, Pirapora Do Bom Jesus, Santos, Ubatuba]), Paraguay (Alto Paraná)

References

Franco, A.M., Goldenberg, R. & Varassin, I.G. (2011). Pollinator guild organization and its consequences for reproduction in three synchronopatric species of Tibouchina (Melastomataceae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 55 (3): 381-388 [384] (Distribution record)
Gonçalves, R.B. & Brandão, C.R.F. (2008). Diversity of bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest. Biota Neotropica 8 (4): 51-61 [54] (Distribution record)
Nunes-Silva, P., Piot, N., Meeus, I., Blochtein, B. & Smagghe, G. (2016). Absence of Leishmaniinae and Nosematidae in stingless bees. Sci. Rep. 6 (32547): 1-5 [3] (Distribution record)
Rodrigues, C.S., Ferasso, D.C., Mossi, A.J. & Coelho, G.C. (2020). Pollen resources partitioning of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the southern Atlantic forest. Acta Sci. Biol. Sci. 42 (1(e48714)): 1-9 [2] (Distribution record)
Rosi-Denadai, C.A., Araújo, P.C.S., Campos, L.A.O., Cosme Jr., L. & Guedes, R.N.C. (2020). Buzz pollination in Neotropical bees: genus-dependent frequencies and lack of optimal frequency for pollen release. Insect Sci. 27: 133-142 [137] (Distribution record)
Werneck, H.A. & Faria-Mucci, G.M. (2014). Abelhas sem Ferrão (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) da Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa, Cataguases-MG, Brasil. EntomoBrasilis 7 (2): 164-166 [165] (Distribution record)
Wyatt, G.E & Sazima, M. (2011). Pollination and reproductive biology of thirteen species of Begonia in the Serra do Mar State Park, São Paulo, Brazil. J. Pollinat. Ecol. 6 (14): 95-107 [102] (Distribution record)

Online since: 23 Jul 2008
Last update : 17 Jul 2023

Available SubSpecies

Melipona (Eomelipona) bicolor bicolor Lepeletier, 1836
Melipona (Eomelipona) bicolor schencki Gribodo, 1893