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Searching for Euglossa cyanochlora Moure, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), one of the rarest bees in the world

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Abstract

Euglossa cyanochlora Moure, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) is known from only two specimens and is considered as one of the rarest bees. An intensive search for this species in its expected area of occurrence in eastern Brazil was carried out during three consecutive summers and involved over 1,000 h of active sampling in 50 sites distributed among 20 forest remnants. Almost 15,000 orchid bee males were attracted to scent baits and collected, but only 24 of them belonged to E. cyanochlora. Some degree of mitochondrial gene (COI, cytB, and 16S) variation was observed in this species. Although no intra-specific variation was identified at the 16S locus, three and six haplotypes were characterized at the COI and cytB genes, respectively. Combined data from field work and molecular analysis suggest that the species southernmost distribution limit is close to its type locality, near Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal, in southern Bahia. The conservation status of E. cyanochlora is discussed and measures for its protection are here proposed.

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Acknowledgments

The Brazilian government, through the Ministry of Environment, provided the permissions to carry out this study and collect the sampled bees through licences #18138-1, #18797-1, #19100-1, #19101-1, #19136-1, #19136-2, #19976-1. Jorge Nascimento (Julião) (ICMBio, Brasília), was very helpful to solve all problems concerning the above licences. The following people (institutions in parentheses) were kind enough to facilitate the access of the first author to all sampled areas: Eurípedes Pontes Júnior, Vicente Faria and Carlão (Parque Nacional do Descobrimento, Prado, Bahia), Magda Barros (Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal, Porto Seguro, Bahia), Zezito Ferreira Santos (Funai—Itamaraju), Cacique Oziel Braga (Aldeia Pé do Monte, Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal), Loredano Aleixo and João Tavares de Oliveira (Dão) (RPPN Duas Barras, Minas Gerais), José Roberto Santos (Fazenda Flor do Monte, Itamaraju, Bahia), Guido Caliman and João Ademir Caliman (Fazenda Guaíra, Prado, Bahia), Paulo César Cruz and Saturnino Neto F. Sousa (REBIO Una, Una, Bahia), Tiago Castro Silva and Tiago Leão (REBIO Mata Escura, Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais), Renato de Jesus, Ana Carolina Srbek de Araújo and José Simplício dos Santos (Reserva Natural Vale, Linhares, Espírito Santo), Olândia F. Lopes and Lígia Gallozzi M. Andrade (RPPN Estação Veracel, Santa Cruz Cabrália, Bahia), Raquel Mendes Miguel and Luiz Fernando Brutto (Parque Nacional do Pau Brasil, Porto Seguro, Bahia), Nelma Mendonça and Jailton Fernandes (ESEC Murici, Murici, Alagoas), Eliton Lima and Valdir Santos (REBIO Sooretama, Sooretama, Espírito Santo), Kevin Flesher and Juliana Laufer (Reserva Ecológica Michelin, Igrapiúna, Bahia), Alberto F. Klotz and Alfredo (FLONA Rio Preto, Conceição da Barra, Espírito Santo), Vitor R. Becker and Clemira O. Souza (RPPN Serra Bonita, Camacan, Bahia), Marcelo Barreto and Mônica Ramos (Parque Estadual da Serra do Conduru, Uruçuca, Bahia), Lígia M. Coser (REBIO Córrego Grande, Conceição da Barra, Espírito Santo), José Maria A. Poubel (REBIO Córrego do Veado, Espírito Santo, Bahia). FAPEMIG (process #00299/2008, from November, 2008 to October, 2009) and CNPq (process #151621/2009–8, from February to September, 2010) granted post-doc fellowships to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Caixa Postal 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30161-970, Brazil

    André Nemésio & Fernando A. Silveira

  2. Laboratório de Genética Evolutiva de Himenópteros, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-900, Brazil

    André Nemésio, Natália de C. M. Cerântola & Marco A. Del Lama

  3. Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Rua Ceará, S/N, Campus Umuarama, Umuarama, Uberlândia, MG, 38400-902, Brazil

    André Nemésio & Heraldo L. Vasconcelos

  4. Unidade de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, BR-153, nª3105, Anápolis, GO, 75132-903, Brazil

    João Carlos Nabout

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  1. André Nemésio
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Nemésio, A., Cerântola, N.C.M., Vasconcelos, H.L. et al. Searching for Euglossa cyanochlora Moure, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), one of the rarest bees in the world. J Insect Conserv 16, 745–755 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9459-2

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