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Morphometric and genetic analyses differentiate Mesoamerican populations of the endangered stingless bee Melipona beecheii (Hymenoptera: Meliponidae) and support their conservation as two separate units

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Abstract

Phenotypic and molecular differences were previously found in populations of the endangered stingless bee Melipona beecheii from two extremes of its geographic range. In this study we combine the use of morphometric and molecular tools, with the aim of investigating patterns of phenotypic and molecular variation in populations across Mesoamerica. Morphometric analyses showed that bees from Mexico have significantly smaller body size compared with populations from Central America, forming two separated groups. Bayesian analysis of the ITS1 spacer of the ribosomal gene also showed the existence of two clusters: one composed by the Mexican populations, and another in which the Central American ones assembled (Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica). The combined results confirm the presence of two taxonomic units: one distributed in southern Mexico (ranging from the Yucatan peninsula to the north of Guatemala), and a Central American unit found from the southern part of Guatemala down to Costa Rica. These units should be considered separately under conservation programs and therefore, human assisted colony exchange between them should be avoided.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Miguel Guzmán, Manuel Rincón, Fernando Ramírez, Marta Aguilar, Eunice Enríquez, Míriam Corrales and stingless bee keepers for providing the samples. Irene Muñoz Gabaldón and Carlos Ruiz Carreira for their help during the molecular analyses. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. This study was supported by projects MUTUAL “Mutualismos y abejas en paisajes tropicales: riesgos y rescate para la biodiversidad y la agricultura” (4293 “Fondo de Cooperación Internacional en Ciencia y Tecnología UE – Mexico” (FONCICYT) and “Conservación de las abejas sin aguijón de Mexico (Hymenoptera: Meliponini): identificación de especies crípticas e indicadores de diversidad genética” (SEP CONACYT 103341-Z).

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  1. Departamento de Apicultura, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Apdo Postal 4-116, 97100, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    William de J. May-Itzá & J. Javier G. Quezada-Euán

  2. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estación de Biología Chamela (Sede Colima), San Patricio, Jalisco, Mexico

    Ricardo Ayala

  3. Área de Biología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Pilar De La Rúa

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  1. William de J. May-Itzá
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  2. J. Javier G. Quezada-Euán
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  4. Pilar De La Rúa
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Correspondence to William de J. May-Itzá.

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de J. May-Itzá, W., Quezada-Euán, J.J.G., Ayala, R. et al. Morphometric and genetic analyses differentiate Mesoamerican populations of the endangered stingless bee Melipona beecheii (Hymenoptera: Meliponidae) and support their conservation as two separate units. J Insect Conserv 16, 723–731 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9457-4

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