Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil
Tropical dry forests are increasingly threatened by human activities. In Northeast Brazil, the Caatinga, an area of tropical dry forests surrounded by wetlands, is considered globally unique among these habitats. In this region, the stingless bee Plebeia flavocincta is found in a variety of environm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.1057624/full |
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| author | Ulysses Madureira Maia Ulysses Madureira Maia José Eustáquio dos Santos Júnior Michele Molina Michele Molina Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira Airton Torres Carvalho Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca Guilherme Oliveira Guilherme Oliveira Tereza Cristina Giannini Tereza Cristina Giannini |
| author_facet | Ulysses Madureira Maia Ulysses Madureira Maia José Eustáquio dos Santos Júnior Michele Molina Michele Molina Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira Airton Torres Carvalho Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca Guilherme Oliveira Guilherme Oliveira Tereza Cristina Giannini Tereza Cristina Giannini |
| author_sort | Ulysses Madureira Maia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tropical dry forests are increasingly threatened by human activities. In Northeast Brazil, the Caatinga, an area of tropical dry forests surrounded by wetlands, is considered globally unique among these habitats. In this region, the stingless bee Plebeia flavocincta is found in a variety of environmental, ecological, and demographic conditions. We aimed to characterize P. flavocincta populations within its natural range through wing geometric morphometrics and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analyses. The characterization of population variability can clarify whether the species is morphologically and genetically diverse and whether populations are morphologically and genetically structured. We analyzed 673 samples by wing morphometry and 75 by cytochrome-b assays. Our results revealed P. flavocincta is genetically and morphologically diverse and populations are morphologically and genetically structured. Despite the differentiation between the two most morphologically distant populations, we verified a large overlap of morphological variation between all populations. The genetic analysis showed that the haplotypes were geographically structured into six clusters, four of which were located in coastal areas, and the remaining two in the drier inland region. The characterization of P. flavocincta populations is an important step toward decision-making in programs for the protection, management, and sustainable use of this stingless bee in local breeding efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:43:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e8b79cd4a0a413bb173238d25ba0b0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:43:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e8b79cd4a0a413bb173238d25ba0b0c2022-12-22T04:36:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2022-11-011010.3389/fevo.2022.10576241057624Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast BrazilUlysses Madureira Maia0Ulysses Madureira Maia1José Eustáquio dos Santos Júnior2Michele Molina3Michele Molina4Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira5Airton Torres Carvalho6Leonardo de Sousa Miranda7Leonardo de Sousa Miranda8Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca9Guilherme Oliveira10Guilherme Oliveira11Tereza Cristina Giannini12Tereza Cristina Giannini13Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, BrazilInstituto de Genética e Bologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, BrazilDepartamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, BrazilInstituto de Genética e Bologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, BrazilDepartamento de Ciência Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, BrazilLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United KingdomInstituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, BrazilDepartamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, BrazilInstituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, BrazilTropical dry forests are increasingly threatened by human activities. In Northeast Brazil, the Caatinga, an area of tropical dry forests surrounded by wetlands, is considered globally unique among these habitats. In this region, the stingless bee Plebeia flavocincta is found in a variety of environmental, ecological, and demographic conditions. We aimed to characterize P. flavocincta populations within its natural range through wing geometric morphometrics and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analyses. The characterization of population variability can clarify whether the species is morphologically and genetically diverse and whether populations are morphologically and genetically structured. We analyzed 673 samples by wing morphometry and 75 by cytochrome-b assays. Our results revealed P. flavocincta is genetically and morphologically diverse and populations are morphologically and genetically structured. Despite the differentiation between the two most morphologically distant populations, we verified a large overlap of morphological variation between all populations. The genetic analysis showed that the haplotypes were geographically structured into six clusters, four of which were located in coastal areas, and the remaining two in the drier inland region. The characterization of P. flavocincta populations is an important step toward decision-making in programs for the protection, management, and sustainable use of this stingless bee in local breeding efforts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.1057624/fulldry forestCaatingastingless beegeometric morphometrymitochondrial DNApopulation variability |
| spellingShingle | Ulysses Madureira Maia Ulysses Madureira Maia José Eustáquio dos Santos Júnior Michele Molina Michele Molina Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira Airton Torres Carvalho Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Leonardo de Sousa Miranda Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca Guilherme Oliveira Guilherme Oliveira Tereza Cristina Giannini Tereza Cristina Giannini Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution dry forest Caatinga stingless bee geometric morphometry mitochondrial DNA population variability |
| title | Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil |
| title_full | Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil |
| title_short | Evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of Plebeia flavocincta (Apidae: Meliponini) populations in Northeast Brazil |
| title_sort | evidence for morphological and genetic structuring of plebeia flavocincta apidae meliponini populations in northeast brazil |
| topic | dry forest Caatinga stingless bee geometric morphometry mitochondrial DNA population variability |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.1057624/full |
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