ABSTRACT
MATIELLO, Cirlei Pereira Guss. M. Sc. Federal University of Viçosa, August, 2008. A
comparative study of antennal sensilla in bees. Adviser: José Eduardo Serrão. Co-
Advisers: Dejair Message,
José Cola Zanuncio and Lúcio Antonio de Oliveira Campos.
Sensilla are the basic structures of environmental cues perception, which play a role as
mechanoreceptor, chemoreceptor, thermoreceptor and hygroreceptor associated with
their morphology. Because bees have different sociability degree and foraging habits,
they are an interesting model in studies about sensilla types and distribution associated
with behavior. This work identified the types of sensilla in the antennae of bees species
with different sociability degree and foraging habits. The antennae of Apis mellifera,
Bombus atratus, Euglossa mandibularis, Friesella schrottkyi, Friseomelitta varia,
Friseomelitta xanthopleura, Megalopta insignia, Melipona seminigra, Melipona asilvai,
Melipona bicolor, Melipona crinita, Melipona flavolineata, Melitoma segmentaria,
Plebeian emerina, P. lucii, P. Remota, P. Wittmanni, Pseudaugochlropsi graminae,
Ptiloglossa sp., Oxaea flavescens, Scaura latitarsis, Scaura tenuis, Tetragona goettei,
Tetragonisca angustula, Thygater analis and Xylocopa frontalis were analyzed with
scanning electronic microscope. Sensilla trichodea are present in the scape, pedicel and
in all antennomers of the studied species, following by sensilla placodea, that are
present in all antennomers. Apis mellifera and Bombus atratus workers have higher
diversity and sensillum distribution in comparison with males. In Meliponini, species of
Melipona are representative of a homogeneous group for sensilla types and distribution.
Workers of nocturnal solitary bees have higher sensilla diversity and distribution in
comparison with diurnal and crepuscular solitary and eusocial bees. The types and
distribution of sensilla in the antennae of bees are associated with the sociability degree
and foraging habits.