Sains Malaysiana 50(10)(2021): 2859-2867

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5010-01

 

Effect of Larval Food Amount on in vitro Rearing of Indo-Malayan Stingless Bee Queen, Heterotrigona itama (Hymenoptera: Apidae; Meliponini)

(Kesan Jumlah Makanan Larva Ternakan in vitro Ratu Kelulut Indo-Malaya, Heterotrigona itama (Hymenoptera: Apidae; Meliponini))

 

NURUL IZDIHAR RAZALI¹, SHAMSUL BAHRI ABD RAZAK², FATIMAH HASHIM¹, NURUL WAHIDA OTHMAN³ & WAHIZATUL AFZAN AZMI^1,4*

 

¹Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

 

²Faculty of Fishery and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

 

³Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

⁴Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainability Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

 

Received: 17 August 2020/Accepted: 22 February 2021

 

ABSTRACT

The demand for stingless bee colonies in Malaysia has considerably increased due to the rapid advance of meliponiculture in using the stingless bees as agricultural pollinators, as well as the commercialization of stingless bee products (i.e. honey, bee bread and propolis). Thus, in vitro queen rearing for a large scale and rapid colony multiplication must be developed in order to fulfil the public requirements in a short period. Little is known about the in vitro rearing of native stingless bee queen, Heterotrigona itama. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the amount of larval food required by H. itama queen by comparing three different amounts of larval food, viz., 100 µL, 120 µL and 150 µL. All treatments were controlled under 100% relative humidity for the first 6 days, and 75% relative humidity for the rest of larval development until queen adult emergence, under 30 °C incubator temperature. The results showed that larvae of H. itama treated with the highest amount of larval food (150 µL) led to 78% of the queen’s emergence, whereas larvae treated with 120 µL and 100 µL of larval food resulted in 40% and 0% of queen emergence. The dynamic survival curve showed that most of the larvae died before the pupation phase and reached constant stability afterward. The queen’s body and abdominal length were significantly greater than wild workers. Microscopy analysis showed that in vitro queen had well-developed reproductive system with a huge ovary and spermatheca, whereas wild worker had much smaller ovary without spermatheca. Outcomes from this study could help increase the number of colonies on a large scale, allowing for their use both ecologically and economically, and contribute to conservation efforts in native species of stingless bees.

 

Keywords: Heterotrigona itama; Indo-Malayan stingless bee; in vitro rearing; larval food; queen

 

ABSTRAK

Permintaan untuk koloni kelulut di Malaysia meningkat dengan ketara disebabkan oleh perkembangan pesat meliponikultur yang menggunakan kelulut sebagai pendebunga pertanian dan pengkomersilan produk kelulut (i.e. madu, debunga lebah, propolis). Oleh itu, pembiakbakaan ratuin vitro dalam skala besar dan penggandaan koloni secara cepat perlu dilaksanakan untuk memenuhi permintaan awam dalam jangka masa yang pendek. Walau bagaimanapun, pengetahuan pembiakbakaan ratu kelulutHeterotrigona itama secarain vitro, masih tidak banyak diketahui. Oleh itu, dalam kajian ini, kami mengkaji jumlah makanan larva yang diperlukan oleh larva ratu kelulutH. itama dengan membandingkan tiga jenis jumlah makanan larva iaitu 100 µL, 120 µL dan 150 µL. Ketiga-tiga rawatan dikawal di bawah kelembapan relatif 100 % untuk 6 hari pertama dan 75 % kelembapan relatif bagi keseluruhan pembesaran larva sehingga menjadi ratu dewasa dengan suhu 30°C di dalam inkubator. Keputusan menunjukkan larva H. itama yang diberi dengan kuantiti makanan yang tertinggi (150 µL) menyumbang kepada 78% penghasilan ratu, manakala larva yang dirawat dengan 120 µL dan 100 µL makanan larva menghasilkan 40% dan 0% ratu. Cerun kelangsungan hidup menunjukkan kebanyakan larva mati sebelum fasa pupa dan seterusnya mampu mencapai kestabilan malar. Badan dan panjang abdomen ratu adalah lebih besar secara signifikan berbanding pekerja liar. Analisis mikroskopi ratuin vitro menunjukkan ratu mempunyai sistem pembiakan yang lengkap dengan ovari yang besar berserta spermateka, manakala pekerja liar mempunyai ovari yang lebih kecil tanpa spermateka. Hasil daripada kajian ini dapat membantu untuk meningkatkan bilangan koloni berskala besar, supaya ia boleh dimanfaatkan untuk keperluan ekologi dan ekonomi, serta menyumbang kepada usaha pemeliharaan spesies kelulut asli.

 

Kata kunci: Heterotrigona itama; kelulut Indo-Malaya; makanan larva; pembelaanin vitro; ratu

 

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*Corresponding author; email: wahizatul@umt.edu.my