title: Two common species dominate the species-rich Euglossine bee fauna of an Atlantic Rainforest remnant in Pernambuco, Brazil.
abstract: Nowadays, the northern part of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil is largely destroyed and forest remnants rarely exceed 100 ha. In a 118 ha forest fragment within a state nature reserve of Pernambuco (Reserva Ecológica Gurjaú), we surveyed the orchid bee fauna (Apidae, Euglossini) using eight different scent baits to attract males. Once a month during one year, the bees were actively collected with entomological nets, from November 2002 to October 2003 by two collectors. We collected 2,908 orchid bee males belonging to 23 species, one of the highest richness values of the Northern Atlantic Rainforest. Bees of only two species, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), which occurred throughout the year, accounted for three quarter of the collected individuals. Both species are typical for open or disturbed areas. Rainforest remnants like those of Gurjaú within the predominant sugar cane monocultures in the coastal plains of the northern Atlantic Rainforest play an important role in orchid bee conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlindwein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D008297:Male; D065947:Rainforest