Tetrapedia diversipes in Restricted Areas in Bahia, Brazil (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Tetrapedia species are solitary bees which collect floral oils, being restricted to tropical regions of the Americas. Information on forms of nesting has been little researched in the literature, requiring studies on the diversity and variability of species to obtain better management and conservation strategies for their populations. Morphometry is a efficient technique and has been used to detect variation and for identification of species of bees in order to detect changes in quantitative traits within and among populations of bees. This study aimed to compare the variability of the population of Tetrapedia diversipes in artificial nests located in orchards and their surroundings (other fruit) of acerola in a restricted area of the Reconcavo region of Bahia, Brazil. Right wings were extracted from 155 individuals of the T. diversipes species, to perform the morphometric analysis. In conventional morphometry, 9 variables contributed significantly to the sexual dimorphism in the study areas (α = 0.05). The geometric morphometric analysis revealed low gene flow in populations of T. diversipes demonstrating loss of genetic diversity, requiring proper management of this bee for its conservation and maintenance of the associated flora