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Genetic variability and population structure in Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Bahia, Brazil, based on molecular markers

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Abstract

Melipona scutellaris is an important pollinator in natural and cultured areas from northeastern Brazil. Therefore, the goal of this work was to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of M. scutellaris within its Bahia range, relating putative geographical influences on population dynamics. A total of 111 colonies from 13 municipalities in Bahia from sea level up to 1,011 m of altitude were sampled. Five species-specific codominant (microsatellites) and ten dominant (ISSR) primers were amplified, yielding from 2 to 13 alleles and 94 bands, respectively. The mean genetic diversity (He) was 0.50 for microsatellites and 0.33 for ISSR markers. AMOVA revealed that most of genetic variation is found within localities (82.6 % for microsatellites and 73.6 % for ISSR), and UPGMA and Bayesian analysis revealed the formation of two genetic groups related to altitude. Therefore, conservation strategies should take altitude variation into consideration to assure the genetic integrity of M. scutellaris.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the financial support. We also thank Dr. Paulo Roberto Antunes de Mello Affonso for suggestions on the manuscript, and Dr. Leonardo Lopes Bhering, and Dr. Cosme Damião Cruz from Universidade Federal de Viçosa for statistical assistance using the software GENES.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Mara Garcia Tavares, Paulo Z. Passamani, Helder C. Resende & Lucio Antonio de O. Campos

  2. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Sudoeste da Bahia, 45200000, Jequié, Bahia, Brazil

    Bruno S. Almeida & Ana M. Waldschmidt

  3. Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, 70770000, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil

    Samuel R. Paiva

  4. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano, 4172000, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

    Rogério Marcos de O. Alves

Authors
  1. Mara Garcia Tavares
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  2. Bruno S. Almeida
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  3. Paulo Z. Passamani
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  4. Samuel R. Paiva
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  5. Helder C. Resende
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  6. Lucio Antonio de O. Campos
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  7. Rogério Marcos de O. Alves
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  8. Ana M. Waldschmidt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana M. Waldschmidt.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: Marina Meixner

Variabilité génétique et structure de la population de Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) de Bahia (Brésil), déterminées à l’aide de marqueurs moléculaires

Conservation des espèces / microsatellites / génétique des populations / abeille sans aiguillon / ISSR

Genetische Variabilität und Populationsstruktur, untersucht anhand molekularer Marker, von Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Bahia (Brasilien)

Naturschutz / ISSR / Mikrosatelliten / Populationsgenetik / stachellose Bienen

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Tavares, M.G., Almeida, B.S., Passamani, P.Z. et al. Genetic variability and population structure in Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Bahia, Brazil, based on molecular markers. Apidologie 44, 720–728 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0220-y

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