COMUNIDADE E REDES DE INTERAÇÕES ENTRE ABELHAS (HYMENOPTERA: APOIDEA) E FLORES DE Ludwigia sericea (CAMBESSIDES) H. HARA E Ludwigia peruviana (L.) H. HARA (ONAGRACEAE)

Abstract

Pollination is an essential process for the maintenance of biodiversity and essential for the propagation of many species. Among the various pollinators, bees are noted for their high number of species and individuals and the diversity of plants pollinated, and this interaction, the result of a long process coevolutive. Identification of floral resources used by bees is one of the most important steps for the preparation of management plans and conservation of the species involved. Given the importance of bees to the maintenance of plant species in ecosystems, this study aimed to investigate which species of bees visiting the flowers of Ludwigia peruviana and Ludwigia sericea in an area in Parque Municipal das Araucárias, lowland of Guarapuava-PR. The capture of bees was december/2011 to april/2012 from 09h to 16h. Of 908 bees captured, 837 were collected in L. sericea and 71 in L. peruviana, a total of 24 species and five families with great variation in the number of individuals: Apidae (N=666), Halictidae (N=113), Colletidae (N=47), Megachilidae (N=20) and Andrenidae (N=6). Apis mellifera was the most abundant species for the two species of Ludwigia (N=317 for L. sericea and N=28 for L. peruviana), followed by Augochlora amphitrite (N=105), Bombus pauloensis (N=93) in L. sericea, Melissoptila marinonni (N=14), Tetraglossula amphitrite (N=7). By analyzing the pollen load of 15 of these bees, it was established that in addition to pollen L. sericea and L. peruviana, bees showed up to 47 more potential pollinating plant species. Ludwigia sericea was visited by 15 species of bees while L. peruviana for only 10, with 9 species in common. The interaction networks of both species nested-asymmetric pattern and the value of the specialization index low (indicating a few interactions regarding possible connections). Polygonum punctatum, Cinnamomum amoenum and Styrax leprosum also showed a high number of visiting bees (12, 11 and ten species, respectively). Among all the connections presented in L. sericea and L. peruviana, these were more superiorly and exploited by Apis mellifera and L. sericea has been heavily exploited by the species Augochlora (Augochlora) amphitrite and Trigona spinipes. The degree of dependence between species, 12 species of bees rely exclusively on pollen from L. sericea. The Ludwigia species may have shown the number of generalist bees visitors, but this relationship changes when we consider the preferences of the species of bee pollen, these can be considered or not effective pollinators.