Analysis of effects of strobilurin fungicide pyraclostrobin in midgut of Africanized Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

Bees through pollination are essential in many agricultural crops and also in the maintenance and preservation of native vegetation. In Brazil, the managed specie Africanized Apis mellifera is the main pollinator of agricultural crops, while the native specie Melipona scutellaris is vital to flora biodiversity maintenance. Although, because the exacerbated increase of pesticides, associated with the fragmentation of their habitat, these two species present decline of their populations. The project aims are evaluate the biological effects of pyraclostrobin fungicide on A. mellifera and M. scutellaris, as well to to analyze the effects of this fungicide on mitochondrial and alcaline phosphatase enzyme activities ando n the morphology of the midgut of both species. In addition, the project aims to evaluate the difference in species sensitivity to pyraclostrobin and the distinct response of larvae and adults. The importance and relevance of the study will be given mainly that fungicides are increasingly present in agricultural fields and also in the lack of studies with ecotoxicology of stingless bees.The information generated by the project will help in the compression of the responses of larvaes and adults and support future monitoring programs of bees.