New molecular evidence for fragmentation between two distant populations of the threatened stingless bee Melipona subnitida Ducke (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

For a snapshot assessment of the genetic diversity present within Melipona subnitida, an endemic stingless bee distributed in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil, populations separated by over 1,000 km distance were analyzed by ISSR genotyping. This is a prerequisite for the establishment of efficient management and conservation practices. From 21 ISSR primers tested, only nine revealed consistent and polymorphic bands (loci). PCR reactions resulted in 165 loci, of which 92 were polymorphic (57.5%). Both ΦST (ARLEQUIN) and θB (HICKORY) presented high values of similar magnitude (0.34, p<0.0001 and 0.33, p