Ecological Interaction Among Stingless Bees, Ants, and the whitefly Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi)

Abstract

Abstract. Many organisms consume honeydew to meet their energy requirements. Some species of stingless bees also consume honeydew secreted by hemipterans. In this study we describe the ecological relationships among stingless bees, ants, and the whitefly [Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi)]. In order to do so, we made 30-min observations twice a day, carried out once a week for four weeks in the month of April 2009, in a cassava plantation (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Valença in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our results show no necessary dependence between the bees and A. aepim. The presence of ants help protect whiteflies from their natural enemies, A. aepim may be benefited by this interaction and thereby increase their evolutionary success.Keywords: Stingless bees; competition; commensal; honeydew; ecological interactions. Interação Ecológica entre Abelhas sem Ferrão, Formigas, e a Mosca BrancaAleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi)Resumo. Muitos organismos consomem honeydew para suprir suas necessidades energéticas. Algumas espécies de abelhas sem ferrão, também utilizam este recurso com esta finalidade. Com o intuito de descrever a relação ecológica entre abelhas sem ferrão, formigas e mosca branca [Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi)], fizemos 30 minutos de observação 2 vezes ao dia, uma vez por semana, durante quatro semanas no mês de abril de 2009, em plantação de mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz), em Valença estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Não foi observada uma dependência obrigatória entre abelhas sem ferrão e A. aipim, caracterizando esta relação como comensal. Como a presença de formigas ajuda a proteger os aleirodídeos de seus inimigos naturais, A. aepim pode estar sendo beneficiado por esta interação e com isso, aumentando seu sucesso evolutivo.

Whiteflies Provide Honeydew to Camponotus ants Without Receiving Reciprocal Favor

“…Other ants that have been documented to often tend woolly whitefly nymphs in the Neotropics are Camponotus spp. (Queiroz & Oliveira, 2001;Rodrigues & Cassino, 2011;Alves et al, 2015). However, it is still unknown whether ants in this genus alone can significantly disrupt woolly whitefly biological control by protecting them from natural enemies.…”

“…However, this has yet to be empirically investigated for our particular scenario. A study conducted by Alves et al (2015) reports that Camponotus ants were observed warding off stingless bees that would come to feed on the honeydew of the whiteflies Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi) attacking cassava plants. However, unlike in our study they did not quantify the biological control of whiteflies nor assessed the response of the ants to other natural enemies (e.g., predators).…”

Eating with the enemy? Mimic complex between a stingless bee and assassin bugs

“…), behaviours, and foraging habits (Roubik, 1989;Michener, 2007;Biesmeijer & Slaa, 2004). During resource collection multiple antagonistic or mutualistic interactions between stingless bees and plants, and between stingless bees and other insects have been observed (Howard, 1985;Almeida-Neto et al, 2003;Leonhardt & Blüthgen, 2009;Oda et al, 2009Oda et al, , 2014Gastauer et al, 2011;Barônio et al, 2012;Alves et al, 2015).…”