Estimating colonies of Plebeia droryana (Friese, 1900) (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): adults, brood and nest structure

Roldão-Sbordoni, Yara Sbrolin; Nascimento, Fábio Santos do; Mateus, Sidnei

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v65i2.2345

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…The colony size of the three tested species differs and ranges from several thousand individuals (20.000-80.000) in a single colony of A. mellifera to several hundred (up to 1000) in M. subnitida (Wilson, 1971;Michener, 1974). For P. flavocincta, colony size has not been determined yet, but in other Plebeia species, colony size has been shown to range from 2.000 to 3.000 individuals (Roldão-Sbordoni et al, 2018).…”

Section: Study Site and Bee Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Study of Food Source Selection in Stingless Bees and Honeybees: Scent Marks, Location, or Color

et al. 2020

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In social bees, the choice of food sources is based on several factors, including scent marks, color, and location of flowers. Here, we used similar setups, in which two stingless bee species, Melipona subnitida and Plebeia flavocincta, and the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, were tested regarding the importance of chemical cues, color cues, and location-dependent cues for foraging behavior. It was determined whether workers chose food sources according to (1) scent marks deposited by conspecifics, (2) the color hue of a food source, (3) the trained location or the proximity of a food source to the hive. All three species preferred the scent-marked over an unmarked feeder that was presented simultaneously, but M. subnitida showed a weaker preference compared to the other species. When trained to blue feeders all three bee species preferred blue, but A. mellifera showed the strongest fidelity. The training to yellow feeders led to less distinct color choices. Only workers of M. subnitida mostly orientated at the training position and the close proximity to the nest. Whether the distance of a feeding site influenced the choice was dependent on the tested parameter (color or scent marks) and the species. Workers of M. subnitida preferably visited the feeder closer to the nest during the scent mark trials, but choose randomly when tested for color learning. Worker honeybees preferred the closer feeding site if trained to yellow, but not if trained to blue, and preferred the more distant feeder during the scent mark trials. Workers of P. flavocincta preferred the closer feeder if trained to blue or yellow, and preferred the more distant feeder during the scent mark trials. The disparity among the species corresponds to differences in body size. Smaller bees are known for reduced visual capabilities and might rely less on visual parameters of the target such as color hue, saturation, or brightness but use scent cues instead. Moreover, the dim-light conditions in forest habitats might reduce the reliability of visual orientation as compared to olfactory orientation. Honeybees showed the most pronounced orientation at floral color cues.

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Section: Study Site and Bee Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Study of Food Source Selection in Stingless Bees and Honeybees: Scent Marks, Location, or Color

et al. 2020

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Stingless Bees: An Overview

Grüter

2020

Fascinating Life Sciences

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A Spinosad-Based Formulation Reduces the Survival and Alters the Behavior of the Stingless Bee Plebeia lucii

2020

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The decline in bee populations worldwide has been associated with the use of pesticides in crop systems where these insects forage. The use of biopesticides, like spinosad, is preferred as an alternative method to control pests, because it is considered safer to non-target insects. In this study, we evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects of the spinosadbased formulation Tracer® on foragers of the stingless bee Plebeia lucii Moure (Apidae: Meliponini). Groups of bees were fed a pure diet (negative control) or a diet at different concentrations of spinosad. Positive control groups consisted of bees orally exposed to a diet with the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. Next, flight behavior, body mass, and respiration rate were evaluated in surviving bees. The results showed that bees´survival was reduced by all concentrations of spinosad, when compared with the negative control. Bee locomotion-walking and flight-was reduced in accordance with the increase in spinosad concentrations; however, body mass and respiration rate were not altered. Our results show that the use of Tracer® in ecosystems visited by P. lucii can reduce forager bee survival and reduce their locomotion, generating a negative impact on pollination services provided by these bees.

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Estimating colonies of Plebeia droryana (Friese, 1900) (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): adults, brood and nest structure

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

A Comparative Study of Food Source Selection in Stingless Bees and Honeybees: Scent Marks, Location, or Color

A Comparative Study of Food Source Selection in Stingless Bees and Honeybees: Scent Marks, Location, or Color

Stingless Bees: An Overview

A Spinosad-Based Formulation Reduces the Survival and Alters the Behavior of the Stingless Bee Plebeia lucii

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