Male Euglossinae bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) daily activity in a semi-deciduous forest fragment in Northern Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

Euglossinae bee fauna daily activity was studied in a semideciduous forest in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. Male euglossine bees, attracted by chemical baits, were sampled twice a month for one year, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Over this period, 434 males from 9 Euglossinae species were collected. Eufriesea violacea visited the baits earlier than the other species, showing an activity peak between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The other species visited the baits more often between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. A significant difference in daily activity was observed comparing the warm-wet months with the cold-dry months. During warm-wet season, males were collected during all sampling periods, but the higher bait visitation frequency occurred from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. During cold-dry season, the higher frequency was from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and no visitation was done between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Temperature during cold-dry season directly influenced the bee's activity.