Determinación de la preferencia de sustrato de nidificación de Xylocopa spp. bajo condiciones controladas

Abstract

Ecuador is the second largest producer and exporter of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. Flavicarpa Deg) in the world, however, their production levels are low, 8 t/ha/year, much lower than the 14 t/ha/year of Brazil and the 15 t/ha/year of Colombia, one of the determining factors for the low production is poor pollination, due to the lack of pollinators, such as passion fruit carpenter bee (Xylocopa spp.); this fact is derived from several factors such as the indiscriminate deforestation of natural areas, which reduces the availability of nesting substrates of carpenter beepassion, which reduces the resources for their subsistence and procreation. This study aimed to evaluate the nesting substrate preference of Xylocopa spp. nnder roof in trap nests, consisting of trunks of two plant species, laurel [Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav) Oken.] and cacao (Theobroma cacao L); and bamboo stems (Phyllostachys spp); as well as to explore the feasibility of moving active nests for possible use in passion fruit pollination programs. The results showed that the abandonment of nests, when transferred from one place to another, at a distance of 600 m, is not significant; the period between september and december is an auspicious period for nesting; the substrates of greater nesting were bamboo and laurel [Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav) Oken.]. The verification of the viability of the nest transfer and the nesting potential of laurel and bamboo is an important step in the beginning of the studies that must be carried out for the use of Xylocopa spp. in pollination programs