Germplasm bank and conservation of native and Africanized bees

Authors

  • Byanca de Fátima Gomes Bezerra Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande
  • Júlio César Andrade de Espíndola Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Bruna Costa Furtado Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Enzo Gabriel F Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Luan Barbosa Claudino Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Sara Felícia Queiroz Lima Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Francisco de Assys Romero da Mota Sousa Professor of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Larissa Silva Nelo Oliveira Professor of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Nágela Maria Henrique Mascarenhas Professor of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Thyago Araújo Gurjão Professor of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Enzo Gabriel Farias do Nascimento Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG
  • Luan Barbosa Claudino Student of veterinary medicine at Faculdade Rebouças de Campina Grande-FRCG

Keywords:

abelhas; meliponini; preservação ambiental; biodiversidade

Abstract

The conservation of bees is essential for maintaining biodiversity and food security, as these insects play a central role in pollination. In Brazil, both native stingless bees (Meliponini) and Africanized bees (Apis mellifera) face threats from deforestation, intensive use of pesticides, and climate change. The objective is to discuss the importance of germplasm banks in the conservation of native and Africanized bees and their role in preserving genetic diversity and strengthening beekeeping and meliponiculture. Germplasm banks consist of genetic material storage systems. In the case of bees, these initiatives help prevent genetic erosion, enabling breeding programs and reintroducing genotypes that are resistant to disease and adapted to different environmental conditions. The conservation of native bees (Meloponini) ensures the maintenance of key species for tropical ecosystems, which are often endemic and highly specialized in pollinating native plants. In the case of Africanized bees, the germplasm bank enables both the selection of productive strains and the preservation of adaptive characteristics acquired through natural hybridization. Germplasm banks are a strategic tool for the conservation of native and Africanized bees, ensuring genetic diversity and promoting the sustainability of beekeeping and meliponiculture. The application of these techniques strengthens both environmental preservation and agricultural production, making it essential to invest in public policies and research aimed at their consolidation in Brazil.

References

IHU Unisinos. (2014, 30 de junho). O desafio de preservar as 'abelhas indígenas'. Disponível em: https://www.ihu.unisinos.br/categorias/170-noticias-2014/532752-o-desafio-de-preservar-as-abelhas-indigenas

Lume UFRGS. (2025). Criopreservação de sêmen de abelhas-sem-ferrão. Disponível em: https://lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/294872

Sci Advances. (s.d.). Na Bélgica, pesquisadores realizam inseminação de abelhas com sêmen congelado sem adição de antibióticos. Disponível em: https://sciadvances.com.br/n/inseminacao-abelhas-com-semen-congelado-sem-adicao-antibioticos/

Poisson. (s.d.). Uma abordagem sobre a avaliação e preservação do sêmen de zangões de abelhas melíferas (Apis mellifera L.). Disponível em: https://www.poisson.com.br/livros/Ciencias_Rurais/volume9/Ciencias_Rurais_vol9.pdf#page=68

CBRA. (2023). Biologia reprodutiva das abelhas africanizadas (Apis melífera) e biotecnologias aplicadas à sua conservação. Disponível em: http://www.cbra.org.br/portal/downloads/publicacoes/rbra/v47/n2/RB%201057%20Silva%20p.148-153.pdf

Published

2025-09-19

How to Cite

Bezerra, B. de F. G., Andrade de Espíndola, J. C., Costa Furtado, B., F, E. G., Barbosa Claudino, L., Felícia Queiroz Lima, S., … Barbosa Claudino, L. (2025). Germplasm bank and conservation of native and Africanized bees. Caderno Verde De Agroecologia E Desenvolvimento Sustentável, 14(3). Retrieved from https://www.gvaa.com.br/revista/index.php/CVADS/article/view/11618

Issue

Section

XV Festival do Mel de Sao Jose dos Cordeiros (18,19 e 20 de Setembro de 2025)

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