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Stingless bees, Melipona fasciculata, as efficient pollinators of eggplant (Solanum melongena) in greenhouses

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Abstract

Detailed studies of the behavior of pollinators allow insights into pollination mechanisms and may indicate which pollinators are more efficient for a particular plant species. Our aim was to evaluate if Melipona fasciculata is an efficient pollinator of eggplant (Solanum melongena L., Solanaceae) in greenhouses. We analyzed (1) the colony foraging pattern of M. fasciculata in greenhouses, (2) the behavior of bees during the visits to flowers, and (3) fruit set and fruit quality after different pollination treatments (hand pollination: autogamy, geitonogamy, xenogamy; bee pollination). Our results show that M. fasciculata is an efficient pollinator of eggplants and, consequently, may be a viable alternative to bumblebees in Brazil.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Paulo Eugenio Alves Macedo de Oliveira for permission to use of his laboratory at Federal University of Uberlândia. We also thank “Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo” (FAPESP) for funding (process number: 2007/03864-5 and 2004/15801-0).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900—Bloco 2, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Patrícia Nunes-Silva, Cláudia Inês da Silva & Yara Sbrolin Roldão

  2. Departamento de Ciências Animais, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil

    Michael Hrncir & Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca

Authors
  1. Patrícia Nunes-Silva
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  2. Michael Hrncir
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  3. Cláudia Inês da Silva
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  4. Yara Sbrolin Roldão
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  5. Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca
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Correspondence to Patrícia Nunes-Silva.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: Klaus Hartfelder

Les abeilles sans aiguillon, Melipona fasciculata, pollinisent efficacement les cultures d’aubergine (Solanum melongena) sous serre

Melipona fasciculata / aubergine / culture sous serre / Brésil / pollinisation

Die Stachellose Biene Melipona fasciculata ist ein effizienter Bestäuber von Auberginen (Solanum melongena) in Gewächshäusern

Melipona fasciculata / Stachellose Biene / Aubergine / Solanum melongena / Bestäubung

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Nunes-Silva, P., Hrncir, M., da Silva, C.I. et al. Stingless bees, Melipona fasciculata, as efficient pollinators of eggplant (Solanum melongena) in greenhouses. Apidologie 44, 537–546 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0204-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0204-y

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