Genetic and morphological approach of corbicular area in Tetragonisca angustula (Hymenoptera: Apidae) stingless bee

Abstract

The Tetragonisca angustula is a corbiculate bee, extremely social, stinglessand well distributed in Brazilian territory. This bee has an important role for the ecosystem by polinizing and for economic through the production of honey. The T. angustula bees are grouped in the tribe Meliponini and belong to family Apidae, divided in the subfamily Xylocopinae and the corbiculates bee. The corbicula (pollen basket) is located in the third pair of legs and is the structure that holds and carries pollen and propolis to the hive. The propoliswill be used for nest defense, and the pollen to feed the larvae. In phenotypic researches and estimates of genetic parameters studying the corbicula of Apis melífera L. bees, is verified a significant phenotypic relationship between the size of corbicula and the honey production. Minding these works, we propose the hypothesis that the corbicular area of T. angustula have a higher proportion of the additive genetic variance in comparison with the phenotypic variance total observed. Understanding and interpreting the estimates of genetic parameters of corbicular area and morphometry of this bee contributes, along with other studies, to detailed analyzes on the biology and physiology of these bees.