Papers by Roberta Nocelli
The publication of the proposed EFSA risk assessment guidance document of plant protection produc... more The publication of the proposed EFSA risk assessment guidance document of plant protection products for pollinators highlighted that there are no study designs for non-Apis pollinators available. As a result the risk assessment of non-apis pollinators uses Apis pollinator data with so-called assessment factors to compensate for the lack of knowledge on other species. To fill part of this knowlegde gap an acute oral test for solitary bees was developed within the ICPPR non-apis group. Ringtests have been conducted in 2018 to validate and improve the suggested protocol. And in 2019 a standardized protocol has been tested by all participants once more. The tests have been performed with Osmia bicornis, Osmia cornuta, Osmia lignaria and Osmia cornifrons. A summary of the ringtest results of both years will be given and further recommendations will be presented.
s: Oral Presentation Julius-Kühn-Archiv, 465, 2020 47 equipped and all involved are being trained... more s: Oral Presentation Julius-Kühn-Archiv, 465, 2020 47 equipped and all involved are being trained to begin the first round of testing from September 2019. The Brazilian experience will be presented during the 13th SETAC Latin America for the exchange of experiences and discussion of more species-oriented methods from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, with the aim of creating a network aimed at protecting local species. 2.4 Standardization of an in vitro rearing method for the stingless bee species Scaptotrigona postica larvae and its application for determining the toxicity of dimethoate on the larval phase Annelise Rosa-Fontana1*, Adna Dorigo1, Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira2, Roberta C. F. Nocelli3, Osmar Malaspina1 1State University of São Paulo, 24A Avenue 1515, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil 2Technological Institute of Vale – Boaventura da Silva St, 955, Belém, PA, Brazil 3Federal University of São Carlos, Anhanguera Road Km 174, Araras, SP, Brazil E-mail contac...
Currently, in Brazil, the risk assessment schemes for bees are developed using the Apis mellifera... more Currently, in Brazil, the risk assessment schemes for bees are developed using the Apis mellifera model species. However, there are doubts about how comprehensive this model is for Brazilian species. Brazil has a bee biodiversity estimated at more than 2,000 species with the most different levels of organization and behavior. These different behaviors also represent different exposure routes that are not present when the analyzes are performed with the model species. The materials used for the construction and nesting are quite varied. They build their nests in several substrates, such as subterranean cavities, tree trunks, branches of living trees, rock crevices, brick walls, or occasionally in active colonies of other social insects like active or abandoned termite nests, arboreal ant nests, subterranean chambers abandoned by ants, active bird nests, or empty nests attached to branches. For social bees, the architecture of the nest entrance is species-specific and it is also very ...
The Neotropical region to which Brazil belongs, has a great and rich diversity of natives bees, u... more The Neotropical region to which Brazil belongs, has a great and rich diversity of natives bees, up to a total of 3.000 species including the allochtone genus Apis that by natural crossing among European and African races produced a hybrid called Africanized honeybee. In this way, beekeeping enjoys a spectacular moment with good production mainly of honey and propolis from Apis mellifera, causing Brazil to be recognized around the world as a country with great potential. Brazilian bee losses nevertheless remain a question, compared with countries of the northern hemisphere where several reports show that the vanishing of honeybees is associated with diseases caused by Varroa, Nosema, virus or pesticides. We can suggest different issues in the Brazilian situation that are directly influencing the honeybee population. Given the extension of the territory and rich flora, all possible food resources and nest sites for the good development of bees may be considered present. However, we ve...
Neotropical Entomology, 2006
Julius-Kühn-Archiv, 2018
See summary of progress of the Non-Apis group on page 8 Thomas Steeger: Working Groups of the ICP... more See summary of progress of the Non-Apis group on page 8 Thomas Steeger: Working Groups of the ICP-PR Bee Protection Group – Developments and Progress
Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry
Sociobiology
Due to the current practice of intensive pesticide use in Brazil on crops with flowers that are a... more Due to the current practice of intensive pesticide use in Brazil on crops with flowers that are attractive to bees, biological information about Brazilian native bees is required in order for public authorities that are responsible for environmental safety to use them for calculations of risk assessments. Thus, the present study aimed to obtain biological data on stingless bees: Melipona scutellaris, Scaptotrigiona postica and Tetragonisca angustula. The food consumed by larvae and by adults and the mass of forager workers were obtained. The results provide essential inputs for the risk assessment of stingless bee exposure to pesticides., combined with information about the concentrations of these substances in crops with flowers that are attractive to bees, may be used in risk calculations.
Grana
Honey and bee bread samples from storage pots of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides were collec... more Honey and bee bread samples from storage pots of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides were collected monthly from April 2015 to May 2016 in the Mogi Guaçu Biological Reserve (22º 10ʹ S, 47º 11ʹ W). The flora in the site is characteristic of the Atlantic Forest with preserved areas of savanna-like vegetation surrounded by commercial forests, orchards and various crops of exotic and native plants. Samples were analysed with the use of melissopalynological methodology and 46 pollen types from 38 genera and 30 families were identified in 25 honey samples. Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Sapindaceae showed the greatest pollen richness in honey. Predominant nectariferous pollen types were Anadenanthera, Cordia, Eucalyptus, Mimosa scabrella, Schefflera, Sida, Serjania and Vernonia. Twenty-eight types of pollen from 21 genera and 19 families were identified in 22 bee bread samples. Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae showed the highest pollen richness. Anadenanthera, Cecropia, Eucalyptus, Melastomataceae, Mimosa scabrella, Mimosa verrucosa and Myrcia were the most frequent polliniferous pollen types. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that honey and pollen samples formed two main groups of similarity, mainly due to Eucalyptus’ nectar and pollen of Melastomataceae, respectively. Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides collected nectar and pollen from the preserved areas as well as in the secondary and ‘ruderal’ vegetation and in cultivated forests/fields, suggesting their importance as pollinators both of native flora and exotic species. The use of trophic resources of plants grown with pesticides is a concern for the conservation of these species of bee and should be better studied.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
PLOS ONE
Brazil has the highest biodiversity of native stingless bees in the world. However, Brazilian reg... more Brazil has the highest biodiversity of native stingless bees in the world. However, Brazilian regulations are based on protocols standardized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which uses Apis mellifera as a model organism. The safety of the use of an exotic species as a substitute for a native species is a problem that concerns members of the academy and the government agencies responsible for studies of this nature in the neotropical regions where there are occurrences of stingless bee species. Regarding the exposure of larvae to pesticides, several indicators suggest that the same rearing method for A. mellifera cannot be applied to stingless bees, mainly because of their different feeding systems. Thus, it is necessary to establish an in vitro rearing method for native social bees. We developed a larval rearing method for the stingless bee species Melipona scutellaris and evaluated parameters such as the defecation rate, pupation, emergence, mortality and morphometry of the newly emerged workers. The control was represented by the morphometry of individuals that emerged from natural combs (in vivo). In addition, we determined the average lethal concentration (LC 50) of the insecticide dimethoate, the standard active ingredient used for the validation of toxicity tests. Procedures conducted prior to the in vitro bioassays allowed us to obtain the actual dimensions of the rearing cells for making acrylic plates for use in establishing how much each larva consumes during its development, that is, determining how much larval food should be placed in every artificial cell. Tests performed with M. scutellaris indicated an average of 80.2% emergence of individuals relative to the larvae, 92.61% relative to the pupae and a mean of 7.42% larval mortality. The mean of the intertegular distance, head width and wing asymmetry parameters were not significantly different between individuals from the in vitro and in vivo rearing methods. The LC 50 value determined was 27.48 ng dimethoate / μL diet. The method described for M. scutellaris showed development rates above OECD standards, which requires at least 75% emergence, and produced newly emerged workers with similar dimensions to those produced under natural conditions; thus these results enable their use as a
Grana
To describe the trophic resources used by Scaptotrigona postica, honey and bee bread samples were... more To describe the trophic resources used by Scaptotrigona postica, honey and bee bread samples were taken monthly from May 2015 to December 2016 at two different localities. Fontes do Ipiranga State Park (PEFI), an urban remnant of the Atlantic Forest, and the Mogi Guaçu Biological Reserve (RBMG), in the Cerrado. Two colonies were kept in each site. Samples were analysed with the melissopalynological method in order to calculate the relative frequencies. Principal component analysis was used to compare the similarity between the samples and to examine the influence of quantitative and qualitative data on the ordination of the pollen types. Similarity tests were performed to compare the pollen spectra of the bee bread and honey samples between the study sites and seasons. Hence, 69 and 61 pollen types were identified in 33 honey and 29 bee bread samples. The main families in honey were Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae; in bee bread Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Sapindaceae were the main families for both localities, followed by Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae at the RBMG. The results showed that the species maintains its floral preferences regardless of the biome in which it occurs. Also, demonstrates that the bees make use of nectariferous and polliniferous sources available in the preserved areas as well as in its surroundings. There is a risk of pesticides
Revista Cincia, Tecnologia & Ambiente
The proboscis extension reflex (PER) applied to restrained individuals is an important method to ... more The proboscis extension reflex (PER) applied to restrained individuals is an important method to assess the sucrose responsiveness under laboratory conditions. Several authors have used the PER bioassay to assess behavioral effects of pesticides. A lot of them reported the difficult to use this method with non-Apis bees showing that this basic technique cannot be applied for all bees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sucrose responsiveness of two brazilian stingless bees, Melipona scutellaris and Scaptotrigona postica using two different protocols: the traditional one and the new one where bees have free movements. In both cases, the bees were anesthetized (freezing) and inserted into plastic tubes with the tip cut out. After a starvation period were offered an increasing concentration of sucrose-water solution (w/v). Between the solutions, were offered water. With the traditional method, the sucrose responsiveness were observed only in M. scutellaris bees (12.5% of tested bees) in just one sucrose concentration (75%). Using the methodology with free movements, both species showed sucrose responsiveness in all concentrations (25%, 50% and 75%) tested. The number of M. scutellaris bees that had sucrose response ranged from 53.7% to 76.2% depending on the sucrose concentration. And the number of S. postica ranged from 54% to 79%. These results showed that using the methodology with free movements the sucrose responsiveness can be assessment non-Apis bees.
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Papers by Roberta Nocelli