In vitro larval rearing protocol for the stingless bee species Melipona scutellaris for toxicological studies.

ABSTRACT: Brazil has the highest biodiversity of native stingless bees in the world. However, Brazilian regulations are based on protocols standardized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which uses Apis mellifera as a model organism. The safety of the use of an exotic species as a substitute for a native species is a problem that concerns members of the academy and the government agencies responsible for studies of this nature in the neotropical regions where there are occurrences of stingless bee species. Regarding the exposure of larvae to pesticides, several indicators suggest that the same rearing method for A. mellifera cannot be applied to stingless bees, mainly because of their different feeding systems. Thus, it is necessary to establish an in vitro rearing

SUBMITTER: Dorigo AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6426188 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature