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Comparação de tamanho entre a maior abelha do mundo (Megachille pluto), a abelha europeia (Apis mellifera) e a menor abelha do mundo (Leurotrigona sp.), uma abelha nativa do Brasil conhecida como lambe-olhos.

A importância das abelhas para a vida na terra e como o ser humano tem afetado a sobrevivência dela

As abelhas fazem mel sugando o néctar das flores e guardando em seu estômago. Quando voltam para a colmeia, passam o suco para outras abelhas. Essas abelhas mastigam e regurgitam o suco por um tempinho, e isso faz com que ele se transforme em mel, devido a ação das enzimas. Depois, o mel é colocado nos favos para que a água saia e o mel fique mais forte. Os favos são fechados para proteger o mel. As abelhas usam esse mel para comer quando está frio ou não tem muita comida.

As abelhas têm formas únicas de comunicação, usando feromônios para transmitir informações sobre sua identidade e tarefas. Além disso, elas dançam para indicar a localização de flores com néctar. Nas colmeias, a organização é precisa, com diferentes tipos de abelhas, como operárias, zangões e rainhas, cada uma com funções específicas. As abelhas coletam néctar das flores para fazer mel, que é transformado através de enzimas, armazenado nos favos e usado como alimento. Elas também picam para proteger a colmeia, mas isso resulta em sua morte, devido ao ferrão venenoso. Além disso, as abelhas são essenciais na polinização de plantas, desempenhando um papel crucial na reprodução de muitos tipo...

As abelhas se comunicam de formas interessantes. Elas usam cheiros especiais chamados feromônios, que são como bilhetes químicos, para coordenar suas tarefas. Esses cheiros dizem coisas como de onde são, que tipo de abelha são e se são machos ou fêmeas. Além disso, as abelhas também dançam para se comunicar. Por exemplo, elas podem dançar para mostrar onde tem flores com néctar, evitando que as outras abelhas desperdicem energia procurando. Nas colmeias, a organização é muito precisa. As abelhas têm diferentes tarefas, e suas aparências também são diferentes, principalmente entre machos e fêmeas. As abelhas operárias são fêmeas que não podem ter filhotes, e elas coletam néctar, alimenta...

Entrevista com meliponicultor. Exploramos a biologia das abelhas sem ferrão, como iniciar na meliponicultura, quais são os desafios e qual é a importância dessa atividade nos dias de hoje.

As abelhas fazem mel sugando o néctar das flores e guardando em seu estômago. Quando voltam para a colmeia, passam o suco para outras abelhas. Essas abelhas mastigam e regurgitam o suco por um tempinho, e isso faz com que ele se transforme em mel, devido a ação das enzimas. Depois, o mel é colocado nos favos para que a água saia e o mel fique mais forte. Os favos são fechados para proteger o mel. As abelhas usam esse mel para comer quando está frio ou não tem muita comida.

Breve exemplo ilustrativo de polinização por dois insetos distintos, com o intuito de utilização como material complementar, não sendo suficiente para explicação do conceito por si só.

ESTE EPISÓDIO DO PODCAST VOZES DA NATUREZA É VOLTADO PARA DIVULGAR CONHECIMENTO SOBRE O INCRIVEL MUNDO DOS INSETOS.

Physical appearance: 40 cm. The feet are red and webbed. The chest is brown, as well as the face that is a bit darker. There is a patch of iridescent feathers in the wings. When flying it shows a large white spot at the back of the wing. The male has a red beak and the female’s is blue. The Female also has white spots on the face. Distribution: From Venezuela to Argentina. Habitat: Wetlands, lakes, ponds and rivers even in polluted places. Diet: Feeds on seeds, leaves and small invertebrates. The hatchlings are goot at catching insects. Reproduction: Lays up to 14 bluish or greenish eggs. When the adult realizes the presence of a potential predator it distracts its attention...

Physical appearance: 36 cm. The legs are short and yellow. The body is predominantly grey, darker in the back. The top of the head is black. The immature is striated and brownish. Distribution: American Continent, Africa, Asia, Australia and islands in the Pacific. Habitat: Rivers, lakes and mangroves of different sizes. Diet: Aquatic insects, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Reproduction: The nest is a platform on the top of tall trees. Lays three eggs. Natural history: Solitary and migratory. There are saw-like structures inside the beak to help holding slippery food. May be eaten by carnivorous fish such as the trahiras (Hoplias sp.) when walking on flooded land....

Length: 20cm Identification: nightjars are always very difficult to identify as they are nocturnal birds, rarely seen during the day due to their camouflage. On the other hand there are few species inhabitting urban areas and among these the little nightjar is usually the smallest and with the lightest color pattern. Distribution: it is distributed through all the South American countries east to the Andes. Habitat: occurs in a wide range of ecosystems, but is specially common in forest edges surrounded by crops and wetlands. This nightjar spends the whole day quiet and very well camouflaged on the ground and thus is rarely seen at daylight. It only flies during the day ...

Physical appearance: 11 cm. The upper parts are dark and the inferior parts yellow. There is a white bar in the supercilium. The females are smaller than the males. The immature individuals have grey belly and do not have the bar above the eye. Distribution: From Mexico to Chile. Habitat: Inhabits various environments provided there is plenty of trees and flowers. Diet: Feeds mainly on nectar. Also eats insects. Visits hummingbird feeders. Reproduction: Builds two kinds of nest. A breeding one that is compact with thick walls and a resting nest made of leaves, grass and spider webs. Lays two or three white eggs. Only the female incubates. The male helps feeding the brood with i...

60cm Identification: there are four mostly white species of egrets in Brazil, the snowy egret can be told apart by its smaller size and also for having the tip of the beak black and for having dark legs with yellow feet. Laypeople usually think this species is a young great egret, however it is technically different enough to be place in another genus. It is bit more demanding than the great egret regarding its habitat necessities, as it does not occur in polluted waters and is more strongly associated to aquatic plants such as the water lily. Its reduced size allows this bird to walk over the aquatic plants without sinking. It feeds mainly on small fishes and tadpoles. The nest is ...

35cm Identification: when seen from below its body is basically white with the tip of the wings and a region around the eyes black. There is a gray area on the upper parts of the wings. Its color pattern reminds that of some seagulls. The name in Portuguese – Gavião Peneira – means hovering hawk and it is due to the behavior of hovering before diving onto the prey. It is certainly one of the most beautiful hawks found in urban areas. It flies over open areas, pastures, crops and even on the banks of polluted streams in search for rats. This kite feeds mainly on large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles and on small rodents and lizards. The nest, made of twigs, is built on iso...

19 cm. The Variegated Flycatcher is one of 3 widespread flycatchers that are streaked below. The Variegated is larger than the Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius), has a longer bill, more rufous on the tail and whiter edging to its wing feathers. On the other hand, it is smaller than the Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus) with darker upperparts and less well defined streaking below. Distribution: Throughout South America, mainly in the south. Habitat: Lives in forest borders and open areas provided there are tall trees in which it can perch. Diet: Flying insects, insects in the foliage and sometimes small fruits. Reproduction: The couple takes care of each other’s...

35cm Identification: the head is dark with a bege band on the eyebrows and another one on the neck. The throat is white, but unlike Falco rufigularis this ribbon is not extended up to the back of the neck. The chest is light brown with black dots, unlike Falco deiroleucus which presents this region orange. The belly is dark with white spots and there is a red patch near the tail. The tail is dark with three white bars. It is one of Brazilian commonest falcons since it inhabits open landscapes, included those disturbed by men. Feeds on small rodents and birds, reptiles and large insects. Like other falcons these are monogamous birds with fixed breeding grounds. The nest is built o...

15 cm. The body is white with a band around the eye, the wing and the tail black. Distribution: From Northeastern Brazil to São Paulo. It is currently spreading its distribution southwards. Habitat: Lives in riverbanks, muddy places near lakes and ponds. Diet: Feeds mainly on arthropods, sometimes small fruits. Reproduction: The male exhibits himself standing on the body and opening the tail and the wings. The nest is spherical with a lateral entrance. It is built on small trees above the water. The white eggs are incubated by the female. Natural history: Runs on the aquatic plants, catching insects among them. Attacks other birds that enter its territory. Some people and eve...

12,5 cm. The general color is green, but the male has a bright blue area in the wings and lower back. The female does not have this blue area and the belly is somewhat yellow. There may be mutations producing all yellow or blue individuals. The plumage of the immature individuals is not as bright as the adult’s. Distribution: Tropical South America. Habitat: Forest borders, gallery forests, parks, gardens and open areas. Diet: Feeds on fruits, seeds, buds and flowers. Reproduction: It is monogamous. The couple stays together for the rest of their lives. The nest is built inside a hole in a tree that may be an abandoned nest of hornero (Furnarius rufus) or an artificial nest box. ...

The general coloration is light brown, yellow in some parts. The wings are dark brown and there is a small black region behind the eye. The immature individuals have lighter shades of brown in the wings and the chest is streaked in white. Distribution: From southern Amazon to Rio Grande do Sul. Habitat: Open areas, cerrado, caatinga, farms and urban areas. Diet: Feeds on ticks, insects, carrion, small rodents, birds, snakes, lizards and even fishes. Reproduction: The nest is a platform built on the top of tall trees. Natural history: This hawk is associated with cattle because of its behavior of climbing on the back of the cattle in search for ticks and other ectoparasites. It ...