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

Mangrove ecosystems near Panama City are under increasing pressure from human activities such as urban expansion and deforestation. These habitats are crucial for pollinators like orchid bees (tribe Euglossini), yet little is known about how these bees respond to such environmental stressors. In this study, we investigated the diversity and composition of orchid bee communities in mangrove forests from two coastal are-as in Panama with contrasting levels of human disturbance: Panama Bay and Chame Bay. Over six months, we used McPhail traps baited with eucalyptus oil to sample bees across multiple zones within each site. We recorded a total of 427 individuals across 14 species from three genera. Species richness and abundance were notably lower in the more urbanized mangroves, with Eulaema nigrita dominating most collections. Statis-tical analyses (GLMM, PERMANOVA, PCoA) confirmed significant differences in community structure between sites. These findings suggest that anthropogenic pres-sures may reduce pollinator diversity in mangrove forests, with potential implications for plant reproduction and ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight the im-portance of preserving and restoring mangrove habitats to support orchid bee popula-tions and maintain biodiversity in tropical coastal ecosystems.