Monitoramento de abelhas e vespas sociais em áreas com diferentes estágios de regeneração no município de Coronel Pacheco-MG

Abstract

Social insects of the order Hymenoptera (ants, wasps, and bees) stand out for their substantial contribution to ecosystem services, playing essential roles in crop pollination, forest conservation, environmental quality bioindication, and biological control in regenerative agriculture. However, declines in their populations and in the benefits provided by these insects have been reported in several regions worldwide, with the deforestation of native forests representing one of the main threats. Among the aforementioned Hymenoptera groups, bees (Anthophila) are particularly important as essential pollinators and also constitute one of the key groups of bioindicators of habitat quality. Therefore, the present study was conducted in areas representing different stages of vegetation succession, classified as open fields, woodlands, understory areas, and forest fragment edges at early and intermediate stages of forest recovery, using bees as bioindicators of the quality of local regeneration. Historically, the study area was used for coffee monoculture during the 1950s. After its acquisition by the Brazilian federal government and subsequent establishment as an Embrapa experimental farm, the area began to be used mainly as pasture for cattle raising during the 1970s. The survey was conducted from July 2024 to June 2025. Bee fauna was monitored using passive sampling methods, including Malaise traps and scent-baited traps, as well as active sampling with entomological nets to capture bees while foraging on flowers. The scent baits were prepared using 70% ethanol and the following attractants: eucalyptol, vanilla, eugenol, methyl salicylate, and beta-ionone. A total of 41 bee species representing different levels of social organization and nine species of social wasps were identified in the sampling area. These insects have the potential to provide ecosystem services of considerable importance for the restoration of areas at different stages of disturbance. In studies of ecological succession and the restoration of degraded areas, insects are recognized as essential components for ecosystem maintenance due to their high diversity, sensitivity to environmental disturbances, and important ecological functions.