Caracterização morfológica do cérebro e do intestino médio das abelhas Xylocopa suspecta e Xylocopa frontalis

Abstract

Non-social bees are important pollinators of natural and cultivated vegetation, such as the parasocial bees of the genus Xylocopa, which are essential for pollinating large flowers, such as yellow passion fruit, or flowers with poricidal anthers, such as tomatoes. However, the presence of these bees in agricultural crops exposes them to pesticides. Therefore, to expand knowledge about non-social native brazilian species, the objective of this thesis was to use bees Xylocopa frontalis and Xylocopa suspecta for morphological analyses of the brain and midgut. To this end, histological characterization of the main brain structures of the species X. frontalis and X. suspecta and estimation of the volume of the neuropils of the pedunculate bodies of X. frontalis bees were performed. The structures studied (mushroom bodies, optic lobes, and antennal lobes) were similar to those previously reported for other social bee species, except that the neuropil volumes of the mushroom bodies were larger than those reported for large bees. Characterization of the midguts of both bee species revealed that the cell types are similar to those observed in other bees and other organisms of the class Insecta; however, the cellular organization is unique, and this is the first report of this morphology.