Fluctuating asymmetry in Apis mellifera(Hymenoptera: Apidae) as bioindicator of anthropogenic environments

The successful distribution of A. mellifera is due to their ability to adjust to seasonal variations, considerable control over their internal physical environment and exploration of different resources. This research aimed to verify the phenotypic plasticity in both size and shape of wings in A. mellifera using fluctuating asymmetry, based on geometric morphometrics from apiaries located in sites with high and low levels of anthropization. We sampled 16 locations throughout all five geographic regions of Brazil. At each site, samples were collected from 20 beehives installed in apiaries: 10 installed near high anthropogenic environments, and 10 in sites with low levels of human disturbance. A sample of 10 individuals was taken in each hive, totaling 200 per location, for a total of 1 600 individuals. We concluded that bee samples collected from colonies with higher levels of human disturbance had higher wing-shape asymmetry; the variation of fluctuating asymmetry in the wing shape of honeybees can be used as an indicator of the degree of environmental anthropization.Original Abstract: La distribucion exitosa de A. mellifera se debe a su capacidad para adaptarse a las variaciones estacionales, controlar considerablemente su ambiente fisico interno y por la exploracion de recursos. Sin embargo, sus poblaciones experimentan diferentes formas y niveles de presion ambiental. Esta investigacion evaluo colmenares, ubicadas en entornos con distintos niveles de antropizacion. Ambientes considerados altamente antropogenicos fueron escogidos: areas urbanas, agricolas con aplicaciones de insecticidas, y las industrias con grandes areas (regiones con altos indices de contaminacion). Por otra parte, los entornos considerados con bajos niveles de perturbacion humana fueron elegidos: areas de preservacion permanente de los bosques restantes (Mata Atlantica, Planalto, Cerrado), areas riberenas o reservas ecologicas. Se muestrearon 16 localidades que abarcan las cinco regiones del Brasil. Estamos utilizando la asimetria fluctuante desde el tamano y la forma del ala anterior por tecnicas de morfometria geometrica. En cada sitio, las muestras se obtuvieron de las 20 colmenas instaladas en los colmenares: 10 instalados cerca de entornos altamente antropogenicos (Cassilandia - MS, Fortaleza - CE, Maringa - PR, Aquidauana - MS, Rolim de Moura - RO, Riachuelo - SE, Ubirata - PR y Piracicaba - SP) y 10 en sitios de bajo nivel de perturbacion humana (Cassilandia - MS, ItapiunaCE,