ATBC 2012
49th Annual Meeting Bonito-MS, Brasil
FS08.P.01
Large-scale pattern of interactions: the case of Centris and floral oil producing
plants in South America
Giannini TC1, Pinto C E2, Acosta A L1, Taniguchi M3, Saraiva A M4, Alves dos Santos
I1 - 1Universidade de São Paulo - Ecologia, 2Universidade de São Paulo - Faculdade de
Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, 3Embrapa Amazônia Oriental - Laboratório de
Entomologia, 4Universidade de São Paulo - Sistemas Digitais
Geographical distribution of species can be shaped by four main drivers: abiotic and
biotic features, dispersion capabilities and biogeography. These drivers are supposed to
influence the distribution of the organisms on different geographical scales: abiotic and
biogeographic features have a significant effect on the larger scale processes and biotic
features and dispersion, on smaller ones. To discuss the influence of biotic and abiotic
features, we analyzed the interactions of oil collecting Centris bee species and floral oil
producing plants and the abiotic features of their geographic distributional areas in
South America. These plants belong to different botanical families and present two
kinds of elaiophore (the oil gland): epithelial or trichomatic. We obtained a list of 37
Centris and 74 plant interacting species. Their occurrence areas were surveyed in
biodiversity data providers mainly and were climatically characterized using GIS tools.
We demonstrate that interactions between Centris bees and their oil resource plants
present a spatial organization in the South America. Interactions with Calceolariaceae
and Plantaginaceae species occur in the Andes and in the Southern and Northeastern
areas of Brazil, mostly. These areas presented significant lower rates of precipitation.
Interaction with Malpighiaceae, Krameriaceae and Orchidaceae occur in different
biomes, especially in the Tropical Savannas and Moist Forests. Besides, most of the
main interacting species of the major regions are phylogenetically related. Emphasis is
given to Paracentris subgenus that is closely related to the plant genera presenting
trichomatic elaiophores (Calceolaria species in the Andes and Angelonia in the
Brazilian Northeast). Our work contributes to the discussion about the features that
shape large-scale geographical distribution, emphasizing the role of interaction.
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