Nest structure and communal nesting in Euglossa (Glossura) annectans Dressler (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini)

Garófalo, Carlos Alberto; Camillo, Evandro; Augusto, Solange Cristina; Jesus, Bartira Maria Vieira de; Serrano, José Carlos

doi:10.1590/S0101-81751998000300003

Abstract

Three nests of Euglossa (Glossura) annectans Dressier, 1982 were obtained from trap nests at Serra do Japi, Jundiai, São Paulo State, Brazil. The bees nested in bamboo cane (one nest) and in wooden-boxes (two nests). Solitary (two cases) and pleometrotic (one case) foundations were observed. Two nests were re-used once by two females working in each of them. Re-using females that shared the nests were of the same generation and each built, provisioned and oviposited in her own cells, characterizing a communal association. The brood development period was related to climatic conditions. Natural enemies included Anthrax oedipus oedipus Fabricius, 1805 (Bombyliidae), Coelioxys sp. (Megachilidae) and Melittobia sp. (Eulophidae).

Apidae; Euglossini; Euglossa annectans; nesting biology; nest re-use

Nest structure and communal nesting in Euglossa (Glossura) annectans Dressler (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini)

Carlos Alberto Garófalo; Evandro Camillo; Solange Cristina Augusto; Bartira Maria Vieira de Jesus; José Carlos Serrano

Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo. 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Three nests of Euglossa (Glossura) annectans Dressier, 1982 were obtained from trap nests at Serra do Japi, Jundiai, São Paulo State, Brazil. The bees nested in bamboo cane (one nest) and in wooden-boxes (two nests). Solitary (two cases) and pleometrotic (one case) foundations were observed. Two nests were re-used once by two females working in each of them. Re-using females that shared the nests were of the same generation and each built, provisioned and oviposited in her own cells, characterizing a communal association. The brood development period was related to climatic conditions. Natural enemies included Anthrax oedipus oedipus Fabricius, 1805 (Bombyliidae), Coelioxys sp. (Megachilidae) and Melittobia sp. (Eulophidae).

Key words: Apidae, Euglossini, Euglossa annectans, nesting biology, nest re-use.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We are grateful to Carlos J.E. Lamas (Museu Nacional, UFRJ), who kindly identified the

Anthrax,

Edilson S.R. da Silva, for technical help and Claudete Aguiar, Director of the Base de Estudos de Ecologia e Educação Ambiental, and Lauro de Carvalho, for providing excellent facilities for this study.

Recebido em 25.IV.1997; aceito em 13.VII.1998.

DRESSLER, R.L. 1982. Biology of the orchid bees (Euglossini). Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 13:373-394.
EBERHARD, W.G. 1988. Group nesting in two species of Euglossa bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 61:406-411.
GARÓFALO, C.A. 1985. Social structure of Euglossa cordata nests (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini). Entomol. Gener. 11:77-83.
______. 1992. Comportamento de nidificação e estrutura de ninhos de Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 52:187-198.
______. 1994. Biologia de nidificação dos Euglossinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Anais do Iº Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto, 1:17-26.
GARÓFALO, C.A.; E. CAMILLO; J.C. SERRANO & J.M.M. REBÊLO. 1993. Utilization of trap nests by Euglossini species (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 53:177-187.
KIMSEY, L.S. 1987. Generic relationships within the Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Syst. Ent. 12:63-72.
LEITÃO-FILHO, H.F. 1992. A flora arbórea da Serra do Japi, p. 40-63. In: L.P.C. MORELLATO (Ed.). História Natural da Serra do Japi: Ecologia e preservação de uma área florestal do Sudeste do Brasil. Campinas, Editora da Unicamp/Fapesp, 321p.
MICHENER, C.D. 1974. The Social Behavior of the Bees: A Comparative Study. Cambridge, Harvard Univ. Press, 404p.
PEREIRA-MARTINS, S.R. 1991. Biologia de Eulaema nigrita, 2. Atividades nidais. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, São Paulo, 37:237-243.
PEREIRA-MARTINS, S.R. & W.E. KERR. 1991. Biologia de Eulaema nigrita. 3. Inferências evolutivas. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, São Paulo, 37:245-250.
PINTO, H.S. 1992. Clima da Serra do Japi, p. 30-39. In: L.P.C. MORELLATO (Ed.). História Natural da Serra do Japi: Ecologia e preservação de uma área florestal do Sudeste do Brasil. Campinas, Editora da Unicamp/Fapesp, 321p.
RAMÍREZ-ARRIAGA, E.; J.I. CUADRIELLO-AGUILAR & E.M. HERNANDEZ. 1996. Nest structure and parasite of Euglossa atroveneta Dressler (Apidae: Bombinae: Euglossini) at Unión Juárez, Chiapas, México. Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 69:144-152.
ROBERTS, R.B. & C.H. DODSON. 1967. Nesting biology of two communal bees, Euglossa imperialis and Euglossa ignita (Hymenoptera: Apidae), including description of larvae. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 69:1007-1014.
ROUBIK, D.W. 1989. Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees. New York, Cambridge Univ. Press, 514p.
SANTOS, M.L. & CA. GARÓFALO. 1994. Nesting biology and nest re-use of Eulaema nigrita (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini). Ins. soc. 41:99-110.
YOUNG, A.M. 1985. Notes on the nest structure and emergence of Euglossa turbinifex Dressier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombinae: Euglossini) in Costa Rica. Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 58:538-543.
ZAR, J.H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall Inc., 2^nd ed., 718p.
ZUCCHI, R.; S.F. SAKAGAMI & J.M.F. CAMARGO. 1969. Biological observations on a neotropical parasocial bee, Eulaema nigrita, with a review on the biology of Euglossinae (Hymenoptera: Apidae). A comparative study. Jour. Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ., Zool., 17:271-380.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
10 July 2009
Date of issue
1998

History

Accepted
13 July 1998
Received
25 Apr 1997

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] DRESSLER, R.L. 1982. Biology of the orchid bees (Euglossini). Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 13:373-394.

[2] EBERHARD, W.G. 1988. Group nesting in two species of Euglossa bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 61:406-411.

[3] GARÓFALO, C.A. 1985. Social structure of Euglossa cordata nests (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini). Entomol. Gener. 11:77-83.

[4] ______. 1992. Comportamento de nidificação e estrutura de ninhos de Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 52:187-198.

[5] ______. 1994. Biologia de nidificação dos Euglossinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Anais do Iº Encontro sobre Abelhas, Ribeirão Preto, 1:17-26.

[6] GARÓFALO, C.A.; E. CAMILLO; J.C. SERRANO & J.M.M. REBÊLO. 1993. Utilization of trap nests by Euglossini species (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 53:177-187.

[7] KIMSEY, L.S. 1987. Generic relationships within the Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Syst. Ent. 12:63-72.

[8] LEITÃO-FILHO, H.F. 1992. A flora arbórea da Serra do Japi, p. 40-63. In: L.P.C. MORELLATO (Ed.). História Natural da Serra do Japi: Ecologia e preservação de uma área florestal do Sudeste do Brasil. Campinas, Editora da Unicamp/Fapesp, 321p.

[9] MICHENER, C.D. 1974. The Social Behavior of the Bees: A Comparative Study. Cambridge, Harvard Univ. Press, 404p.

[10] PEREIRA-MARTINS, S.R. 1991. Biologia de Eulaema nigrita, 2. Atividades nidais. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, São Paulo, 37:237-243.

[11] PEREIRA-MARTINS, S.R. & W.E. KERR. 1991. Biologia de Eulaema nigrita. 3. Inferências evolutivas. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, São Paulo, 37:245-250.

[12] PINTO, H.S. 1992. Clima da Serra do Japi, p. 30-39. In: L.P.C. MORELLATO (Ed.). História Natural da Serra do Japi: Ecologia e preservação de uma área florestal do Sudeste do Brasil. Campinas, Editora da Unicamp/Fapesp, 321p.

[13] RAMÍREZ-ARRIAGA, E.; J.I. CUADRIELLO-AGUILAR & E.M. HERNANDEZ. 1996. Nest structure and parasite of Euglossa atroveneta Dressler (Apidae: Bombinae: Euglossini) at Unión Juárez, Chiapas, México. Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 69:144-152.

[14] ROBERTS, R.B. & C.H. DODSON. 1967. Nesting biology of two communal bees, Euglossa imperialis and Euglossa ignita (Hymenoptera: Apidae), including description of larvae. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 69:1007-1014.

[15] ROUBIK, D.W. 1989. Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees. New York, Cambridge Univ. Press, 514p.

[16] SANTOS, M.L. & CA. GARÓFALO. 1994. Nesting biology and nest re-use of Eulaema nigrita (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini). Ins. soc. 41:99-110.

[17] YOUNG, A.M. 1985. Notes on the nest structure and emergence of Euglossa turbinifex Dressier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombinae: Euglossini) in Costa Rica. Jour. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 58:538-543.

[18] ZAR, J.H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall Inc., 2^nd ed., 718p.

[19] ZUCCHI, R.; S.F. SAKAGAMI & J.M.F. CAMARGO. 1969. Biological observations on a neotropical parasocial bee, Eulaema nigrita, with a review on the biology of Euglossinae (Hymenoptera: Apidae). A comparative study. Jour. Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ., Zool., 17:271-380.