# Diversity of Orchid Bees in Mangroves Under Anthropogenic Pressure: A Study in Bay of Panamá and Bay of Chame

## TL;DR

This study examines how human activities affect orchid bee diversity in mangroves along Panama's coast, finding lower bee diversity in more urbanized areas.

## Contribution

The study provides baseline data on orchid bee assemblages in mangroves under varying anthropogenic pressures in Panama.

## Key findings

- Urbanized mangrove sites had lower species richness and were dominated by a few widespread orchid bee species.
- Community composition of orchid bees differed between sites with contrasting levels of human disturbance.
- Baseline data on orchid bee diversity in mangroves can support future conservation and monitoring efforts.

## Abstract

Mangrove forests in Panama support a wide range of organisms, including orchid bees, which are important pollinators in tropical ecosystems. However, many mangrove areas are increasingly exposed to human activities such as urban development, deforestation, and pollution. In this study, we compared orchid bee assemblages in two mangrove systems with contrasting levels of human disturbance: one located near Panama City and another in a less urbanized coastal area. Sampling of orchid bees was conducted during two independent periods between 2022 and 2023, covering different localities in Panama Bay and Chame Bay, using scent-baited traps, and differences in species richness, abundance, and community composition were documented. The more urbanized mangrove edge showed lower observed richness and a community dominated by a few widespread species, whereas the less disturbed site exhibited a more even assemblage. These results describe patterns in orchid bee communities under different anthropogenic contexts and provide baseline information to support future long-term monitoring and conservation efforts in tropical coastal mangroves.

Mangrove ecosystems along the Pacific coast of Panama are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic pressures such as urban expansion and deforestation. These habitats provide resources for orchid bees (tribe Euglossini), yet information on their assemblages in mangrove environments remains limited. In this study, we documented the diversity and composition of orchid bee communities in mangrove–forest edges from two coastal areas with contrasting levels of human disturbance: Panama Bay and Chame Bay. Orchid bee sampling was carried out during two independent periods: from April to July 2022 at three sites in Panama Bay, and from December 2022 to January 2023 at one site in Panama Bay and one site in Chame Bay, using McPhail traps baited with eucalyptus oil and distributed across multiple zones within each site. A total of 427 individuals representing 14 species and three genera were recorded. Observed species richness and abundance were lower at the more urbanized mangrove sites, where collections were dominated by a few widespread species, particularly Eulaema nigrita. Multivariate analyses revealed differences in community composition between sites. These patterns suggest associations between anthropogenic context and orchid bee assemblage structure in mangrove edges, although longer-term and multi-method studies are required to evaluate temporal consistency and underlying mechanisms. This study provides baseline information to support future monitoring of orchid bee communities in tropical coastal ecosystems.