Pub Date : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7340
Lubiane Guimarães Cestaro, F. A. Pinto, É. Teixeira, M. Martins, M. L. T. M. F. Alves, D. Message
The mite Varroa destructor is one of the most studied parasites in apiculture, and its genotype variation is a key factor for the severity of infestation in bee colonies. Here we report the genetic and reproductive profile of mites from 14 Brazilian states with different geographic and climatic conditions. We performed PCR to amplify a fragment of the COI gene and differentiate the haplotypes using restriction enzymes. The K haplotype was widely prevalent in the studied sites, while the J haplotype was found only in four municipalities. We also observed both haplotypes (J and K) coexisting in the same colony, a fact unprecedented in Brazil. Infestation levels were low (0.33 to 15.3%). The reproductive potential showed wide variation (0 to 1.5), indicating that even with the massive presence of K haplotype, environmental and biotic factors related to Africanized honeybees may be responsible for maintaining the mite under low levels in Brazil.
{"title":"Varroa destructor in Africanized honey bees in Brazil: genetic and reproductive profile","authors":"Lubiane Guimarães Cestaro, F. A. Pinto, É. Teixeira, M. Martins, M. L. T. M. F. Alves, D. Message","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7340","url":null,"abstract":"The mite Varroa destructor is one of the most studied parasites in apiculture, and its genotype variation is a key factor for the severity of infestation in bee colonies. Here we report the genetic and reproductive profile of mites from 14 Brazilian states with different geographic and climatic conditions. We performed PCR to amplify a fragment of the COI gene and differentiate the haplotypes using restriction enzymes. The K haplotype was widely prevalent in the studied sites, while the J haplotype was found only in four municipalities. We also observed both haplotypes (J and K) coexisting in the same colony, a fact unprecedented in Brazil. Infestation levels were low (0.33 to 15.3%). The reproductive potential showed wide variation (0 to 1.5), indicating that even with the massive presence of K haplotype, environmental and biotic factors related to Africanized honeybees may be responsible for maintaining the mite under low levels in Brazil.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46175700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7678
G. C. Jacques, S. C. C. Francisco, L. C. P. Silveira
The social wasps of the order Hymenoptera, family Vespidae and subfamily Polistinae, perform important ecological functions such as pollination and predation, including pest insects, and can be an important resource in biological control. Some species of parasitoids attack nests of social wasps causing mortality in the early stages of development, thus impairing the biological control exercised by these insects. This study aimed to verify the occurrence and identify parasitoids in nests of Polistes versicolor Olivier, 1971, at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais (IFMG) - Campus Bambuí, Brazil. In total, 14 nests of P. versicolor were collected. The parasitism rate was 28.57%, and parasitoids were recorded in four of the 14 nests collected. The presence of parasitized nests may be due to the absence of a protective envelope, typical of the nest of P. versicolor. The emerged parasitoid belongs to the species Elasmus polistis Burks, 1971 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a species identified in nests of social wasps only in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. To the best our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the occurrence of E. polistis parasitizing social wasps in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil.
膜翅目、蜂科、蜂亚科的寄生蜂具有传粉、捕食等重要生态功能，是防治害虫的重要资源。某些种类的拟寄生蜂攻击群居黄蜂的巢穴，在黄蜂发育的早期阶段造成死亡，从而削弱了这些昆虫的生物控制作用。本研究旨在验证巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州联邦教育学院Ciência e tecologia de Minas Gerais (IFMG) - Campus Bambuí 1971年的Polistes versicolololivier巢穴中寄生性昆虫的发生和鉴定。共采集到14个花斑蝶巢。寄生率为28.57%，14个巢中有4个巢中有寄生蜂。被寄生的巢的存在可能是由于缺乏保护外壳，这是典型的花斑蝶巢。新发现的寄生蜂属依拉木蜂，1971(膜翅目:蜂科)，该种仅在巴西南部大德州里约热内卢的群居黄蜂巢中发现。据我们所知，这是第一次在巴西东南部的米纳斯吉拉斯州发现寄生于群居黄蜂的E. polistis的研究。
{"title":"First record of Elasmus polistis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoid of Polistes versicolor (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), in Minas Gerais, Brazil","authors":"G. C. Jacques, S. C. C. Francisco, L. C. P. Silveira","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7678","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7678","url":null,"abstract":"The social wasps of the order Hymenoptera, family Vespidae and subfamily Polistinae, perform important ecological functions such as pollination and predation, including pest insects, and can be an important resource in biological control. Some species of parasitoids attack nests of social wasps causing mortality in the early stages of development, thus impairing the biological control exercised by these insects. This study aimed to verify the occurrence and identify parasitoids in nests of Polistes versicolor Olivier, 1971, at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais (IFMG) - Campus Bambuí, Brazil. In total, 14 nests of P. versicolor were collected. The parasitism rate was 28.57%, and parasitoids were recorded in four of the 14 nests collected. The presence of parasitized nests may be due to the absence of a protective envelope, typical of the nest of P. versicolor. The emerged parasitoid belongs to the species Elasmus polistis Burks, 1971 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a species identified in nests of social wasps only in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. To the best our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the occurrence of E. polistis parasitizing social wasps in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45786483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7202
A. Udayakumar, T. M. Shivalingaswamy
Solitary bees of the family Megachilidae are the key pollinators of pigeon pea. Artificial trap nests were used to study nesting parameters, such as occupancy rate, nest establishment time, and building pattern during the vegetative and flowering stages of the Cajanus cajan (Fabaceae). The installed traps were occupied by three different leafcutter bees (Megachile lanata, M. laticeps, M. disjuncta) and one parasitic bee Coelioxys sp. Bees occupied the nest tubes for 16.01 ± 2.82 and 10.23 ± 2.30 days in the vegetative and flowering stages. We recorded 38.33 and 72.50% trap occupancy rates during crop vegetative and flowering stages, respectively. The percent parasitization by Melittobia sp was significantly higher during the vegetative stage (53.67%). Brood cells were parasitized by Coelioxys sp (6.67%) during the flowering stage. Many female bees tend to occupy trap nests with active nest construction during the flowering stage (7.21 ± 2.28 bees). In contrast, male bees merely took shelter inside the traps during the vegetative stage. Thus, it is concluded that female bees possess more wing wear during the vegetative stage of the crop when compared to the flowering stage. We also observed a significant increase in the percent pod set, the number of seeds per pod, and 100 seed weight in the experimental plot compared to the control plot, proving the importance of leafcutter bees for the pollination of Cajanus cajan crop. The present study results confirmed the role of artificial trap nests in providing habitats for the solitary leafcutter bees, thereby increasing their activity and nest abundance, which favors the pollination and better yield in pigeon pea.
大蜂科的独居蜜蜂是鸽豆的主要传粉者。采用人工陷阱筑巢法，研究了豆科Cajanus cajan (Fabaceae)植物营养期和花期的筑巢率、筑巢时间和筑巢模式等参数。3种切叶蜂(Megachile lanata, M. laticeps, M. disjuncta)和1种寄生蜂Coelioxys sp.占据了所设置的诱捕器，在营养期和开花期，蜜蜂占据了16.01±2.82天和10.23±2.30 d。在作物营养期和开花期捕获率分别为38.33%和72.50%。寄生蜂寄生率在营养期显著高于寄生蜂(53.67%)。在花期，幼巢细胞被Coelioxys sp寄生(6.67%)。雌蜂在花期(7.21±2.28只)倾向于占据陷阱巢，筑巢活跃。相比之下，雄蜂只是在营养阶段躲在陷阱里。由此得出结论，雌蜂在作物的营养阶段比开花阶段具有更多的翅膀磨损。与对照区相比，试验区的豆荚结实率、每荚种子数和百粒重均有显著提高，证明了切叶蜂对菜豆传粉的重要性。本研究结果证实了人工陷阱巢为孤切叶蜂提供栖息地的作用，从而增加了孤切叶蜂的活动和巢的丰度，有利于鸽豆的授粉和产量的提高。
{"title":"Leafcutter Bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) as Pollinators of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp., Fabaceae): Artificial Trap Nests as a strategy for their conservation","authors":"A. Udayakumar, T. M. Shivalingaswamy","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7202","url":null,"abstract":"Solitary bees of the family Megachilidae are the key pollinators of pigeon pea. Artificial trap nests were used to study nesting parameters, such as occupancy rate, nest establishment time, and building pattern during the vegetative and flowering stages of the Cajanus cajan (Fabaceae). The installed traps were occupied by three different leafcutter bees (Megachile lanata, M. laticeps, M. disjuncta) and one parasitic bee Coelioxys sp. Bees occupied the nest tubes for 16.01 ± 2.82 and 10.23 ± 2.30 days in the vegetative and flowering stages. We recorded 38.33 and 72.50% trap occupancy rates during crop vegetative and flowering stages, respectively. The percent parasitization by Melittobia sp was significantly higher during the vegetative stage (53.67%). Brood cells were parasitized by Coelioxys sp (6.67%) during the flowering stage. Many female bees tend to occupy trap nests with active nest construction during the flowering stage (7.21 ± 2.28 bees). In contrast, male bees merely took shelter inside the traps during the vegetative stage. Thus, it is concluded that female bees possess more wing wear during the vegetative stage of the crop when compared to the flowering stage. We also observed a significant increase in the percent pod set, the number of seeds per pod, and 100 seed weight in the experimental plot compared to the control plot, proving the importance of leafcutter bees for the pollination of Cajanus cajan crop. The present study results confirmed the role of artificial trap nests in providing habitats for the solitary leafcutter bees, thereby increasing their activity and nest abundance, which favors the pollination and better yield in pigeon pea.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43655661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-22DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7715
R. Jeanne
The review gives the reader an idea of the kinds of questions I like to ask on social wasps' biology, behavior, and evolution and how I came to answer some of them. Many of those remain only partially answered, others completely unanswered. I call attention to some of these. Many of those remain only partially answered, others completely unanswered. I call attention to some of these. Because this is more of a memoir than a topical review, I will limit citations largely to my own work and that of my students, with reference to other works where relevant; other sources will be found cited in our papers.
{"title":"My Life as a Curious Naturalist","authors":"R. Jeanne","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7715","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7715","url":null,"abstract":"The review gives the reader an idea of the kinds of questions I like to ask on social wasps' biology, behavior, and evolution and how I came to answer some of them. Many of those remain only partially answered, others completely unanswered. I call attention to some of these. Many of those remain only partially answered, others completely unanswered. I call attention to some of these. Because this is more of a memoir than a topical review, I will limit citations largely to my own work and that of my students, with reference to other works where relevant; other sources will be found cited in our papers.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46609286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-04DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7360
Jonata Rodrigo Cavassola Da Silva, D. M. D. S. Mouga, Enderlei Dec
Island biotic communities tend to be less diverse than mainland communities. This work aimed to describe the bee community of Ilha Grande, Babitonga Bay, Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its interactions with floral resources. Entomological net-sweeps were used to collect bees in flight or on flowering plants for 7 hours a day, monthly, for two years. A total of 785 specimens were sampled in the field, belonging to 50 species or morphotypes with four indeterminate individuals. The most representative subfamilies were Apinae (58.59%), Halictinae (40.43%), Colletinae (0.8%) and Megachilinae (0.1%), while the most abundant species were Apis mellifera (305 individuals), Dialictus sp. 1 (182) and Dialictus sp. 2 (32). The presence of Apis mellifera decreased diversity throughout the year. Relative abundance and richness of Halictinae were greater on the island on mainland. Richness of Apinae was lower on the island than that on the mainland due to the absence of Meliponina. A total of 55 botanical species were identified in association with bees, with Schinus terebinthifolius (105 visits) being the most visited. Interaction network metrics indicate an asymmetric, nested, and poorly specialized network. The results corroborate the Theory of Island Biogeography and demonstrate little interference/favoring of some taxa as well as the absence of others.
{"title":"The bee community (Hymenoptera, Apidae) of Ilha Grande, Babitonga bay, Santa Catarina State, Brazil: structure, insularity and interaction network","authors":"Jonata Rodrigo Cavassola Da Silva, D. M. D. S. Mouga, Enderlei Dec","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.7360","url":null,"abstract":"Island biotic communities tend to be less diverse than mainland communities. This work aimed to describe the bee community of Ilha Grande, Babitonga Bay, Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its interactions with floral resources. Entomological net-sweeps were used to collect bees in flight or on flowering plants for 7 hours a day, monthly, for two years. A total of 785 specimens were sampled in the field, belonging to 50 species or morphotypes with four indeterminate individuals. The most representative subfamilies were Apinae (58.59%), Halictinae (40.43%), Colletinae (0.8%) and Megachilinae (0.1%), while the most abundant species were Apis mellifera (305 individuals), Dialictus sp. 1 (182) and Dialictus sp. 2 (32). The presence of Apis mellifera decreased diversity throughout the year. Relative abundance and richness of Halictinae were greater on the island on mainland. Richness of Apinae was lower on the island than that on the mainland due to the absence of Meliponina. A total of 55 botanical species were identified in association with bees, with Schinus terebinthifolius (105 visits) being the most visited. Interaction network metrics indicate an asymmetric, nested, and poorly specialized network. The results corroborate the Theory of Island Biogeography and demonstrate little interference/favoring of some taxa as well as the absence of others.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47150793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-08DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.6247
Zakaria Barabag, W. Jaitrong
Dolichoderus Lund, 1831 is one of the large ant genera in the world and belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae. Currently, 130 species and 19 subspecies are known in this genus. A new species of the Dolichoderus thoracicus species group, Dolichoderus bakhtiari sp. nov., is here described based on the worker caste. The type series of the new species were collected from the shrub tree in hill evergreen forest (ca. 800 m a.s.l.). A list of the species and subspecies of the Dolichoderus thoracicus species group is provided.
Dolichoderus Lund，1831是世界上大型蚂蚁属之一，属于Dolichoderinae亚科。目前，该属已知有130种和19个亚种。根据工人种姓，本文描述了刺突多丽现代虫物种群的一个新种，即巴赫蒂亚里多丽现代菌。新物种的模式系列是从山地常绿林（约800 m a.s.l.）的灌木树上采集的。提供了刺突刺突刺群的物种和亚种列表。
{"title":"A New Species of the Ant Genus Dolichoderus Lund, 1831 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Thailand","authors":"Zakaria Barabag, W. Jaitrong","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.6247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i1.6247","url":null,"abstract":"Dolichoderus Lund, 1831 is one of the large ant genera in the world and belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae. Currently, 130 species and 19 subspecies are known in this genus. A new species of the Dolichoderus thoracicus species group, Dolichoderus bakhtiari sp. nov., is here described based on the worker caste. The type series of the new species were collected from the shrub tree in hill evergreen forest (ca. 800 m a.s.l.). A list of the species and subspecies of the Dolichoderus thoracicus species group is provided. ","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44308936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-23DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7286
A. Véle, J. Dobrosavljević
Red wood ants (the Formica rufa group) are important predators which affect animal communities in their territory. Therefore, they are useful in forest protection. On the other hand, they also prey on beneficial organisms. We have asked whether Formica rufa L. affects the abundance of the parasitic flies Ernestia rudis (Fallén). Ten anthills situated in about 40-year- old pine plantations were used for the study. The presence of E. rudis cocoons was assessed in eight soil samples excavated in the surrounding of each nest at a distance of 2–17 m. Our results show a considerably lower abundance of E. rudis only to 4.5 m from the nests. The occurrence of Formica rufa ants therefore had no significant effect on the beneficial E. rudis population in plantation forests, where ants populations are low.
{"title":"Formica rufa ants have a limited effect on the abundance of the parasitic fly Ernestia rudis in Scots pine plantations","authors":"A. Véle, J. Dobrosavljević","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7286","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7286","url":null,"abstract":"Red wood ants (the Formica rufa group) are important predators which affect animal communities in their territory. Therefore, they are useful in forest protection. On the other hand, they also prey on beneficial organisms. We have asked whether Formica rufa L. affects the abundance of the parasitic flies Ernestia rudis (Fallén). Ten anthills situated in about 40-year- old pine plantations were used for the study. The presence of E. rudis cocoons was assessed in eight soil samples excavated in the surrounding of each nest at a distance of 2–17 m. Our results show a considerably lower abundance of E. rudis only to 4.5 m from the nests. The occurrence of Formica rufa ants therefore had no significant effect on the beneficial E. rudis population in plantation forests, where ants populations are low.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44602368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-23DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7261
E. Schifani, A. Scupola, M. Menchetti, E. Bazzato, X. Espadaler
Hypoponera abeillei is the sole member of the otherwise exclusively Afrotropical abeillei group to occur in the West-Palearctic and since its first description on the basis of two Corsican workers in 1881, it remained little-known. Workers of this species are thought to entirely lack eyes, a rare trait among ants of the region, yet their lifestyle remains undocumented. On the other hand, the male caste has been described from 4 Tunisian specimens in 1921, and queens remained so far undescribed. We present an updated description of the male caste based on 45 specimens and a first description of the queen caste based on 14 specimens. The H. abeillei material we examined comes from Italy, Spain and Malta (mostly originating from coastal localities), and comprises 11 inedit distribution records, including the first findings in the islands of Mallorca, Malta and Sardinia. Moreover, we provide a first phenological overview of the species’ nuptial flights. Our data show that H. abeillei sexuals flight during the summer, mostly in August, and demonstrate that they can easily be distinguished from all the other Hypoponera species inhabiting the Mediterranean region based on their morphology. The remarkable diversity of Mediterranean Hypoponera males and queens suggest that sexuals may have a role in future attempts to understand relationships within this genus, yet the number of species in which sexual castes are documented is still extremely reduced.
{"title":"Morphology and phenology of sexuals and new distribution data on the blind Mediterranean ant Hypoponera abeillei (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)","authors":"E. Schifani, A. Scupola, M. Menchetti, E. Bazzato, X. Espadaler","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7261","url":null,"abstract":"Hypoponera abeillei is the sole member of the otherwise exclusively Afrotropical abeillei group to occur in the West-Palearctic and since its first description on the basis of two Corsican workers in 1881, it remained little-known. Workers of this species are thought to entirely lack eyes, a rare trait among ants of the region, yet their lifestyle remains undocumented. On the other hand, the male caste has been described from 4 Tunisian specimens in 1921, and queens remained so far undescribed. We present an updated description of the male caste based on 45 specimens and a first description of the queen caste based on 14 specimens. The H. abeillei material we examined comes from Italy, Spain and Malta (mostly originating from coastal localities), and comprises 11 inedit distribution records, including the first findings in the islands of Mallorca, Malta and Sardinia. Moreover, we provide a first phenological overview of the species’ nuptial flights. Our data show that H. abeillei sexuals flight during the summer, mostly in August, and demonstrate that they can easily be distinguished from all the other Hypoponera species inhabiting the Mediterranean region based on their morphology. The remarkable diversity of Mediterranean Hypoponera males and queens suggest that sexuals may have a role in future attempts to understand relationships within this genus, yet the number of species in which sexual castes are documented is still extremely reduced.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41966761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-23DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7204
Jonata Savio A Sangma, S. B. Prasad
Weaver ants are known for their unique nest-building skills using leaves and larval-silk as a binding agent. The weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina are present in large numbers in the Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. Ri-Bhoi district is a hot and humid place with 22 -30°C. This is the first study from this region to examine the nesting behavior along with the population of these ants from here. It was noted that they build nests in different types of trees but it is more abundant in needlewood trees (Schima wallichi) locally known as ‘diengngan.’ From the central trunk of the S. wallichi tree, the nearest distance of the nest is about 0.7 m and the farthest up to 3.4 m. The nests of O. smaragdina are somewhat round-oval and use leaves of different sizes ranging from 8-32 cm2. The nests are made at a height ranging from 4-25 m and their average nest size is about 9,483 cm3. They utilize about twenty leaves with a specific number of chambers to keep their broods, the queen, and food. The number of worker ants, pupae, and larvae are variable in different nests because of nest size, location/height of the nests, and the trees. When the nest population increases, they locate a new spot and build a satellite nest where they get the right amount of sunlight and shelter from predators and adverse environmental factors. These weaver ants are also used as medicine, food and fish bait by the indigenous people in Meghalaya.
{"title":"Population and Nesting Behaviour of Weaver Ants, Oecophylla smaragdina from Meghalaya, India","authors":"Jonata Savio A Sangma, S. B. Prasad","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7204","url":null,"abstract":"Weaver ants are known for their unique nest-building skills using leaves and larval-silk as a binding agent. The weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina are present in large numbers in the Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. Ri-Bhoi district is a hot and humid place with 22 -30°C. This is the first study from this region to examine the nesting behavior along with the population of these ants from here. It was noted that they build nests in different types of trees but it is more abundant in needlewood trees (Schima wallichi) locally known as ‘diengngan.’ From the central trunk of the S. wallichi tree, the nearest distance of the nest is about 0.7 m and the farthest up to 3.4 m. The nests of O. smaragdina are somewhat round-oval and use leaves of different sizes ranging from 8-32 cm2. The nests are made at a height ranging from 4-25 m and their average nest size is about 9,483 cm3. They utilize about twenty leaves with a specific number of chambers to keep their broods, the queen, and food. The number of worker ants, pupae, and larvae are variable in different nests because of nest size, location/height of the nests, and the trees. When the nest population increases, they locate a new spot and build a satellite nest where they get the right amount of sunlight and shelter from predators and adverse environmental factors. These weaver ants are also used as medicine, food and fish bait by the indigenous people in Meghalaya.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49539312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-17DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7259
R. R. Nogueira, D. F. B. Santos, E. Calixto, H. Torezan‐Silingardi, K. Del‐Claro
The mutualism of ants and extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing plants is known to reduce rates of herbivory. However, ants may have negative impacts on other mutualisms such as pollination, constituting an indirect cost of a facultative mutualism. For instance, when foraging on or close to reproductive plant parts ants might attack pollinators or inhibit their visits. We tested the hypothesis that ants on EFN-bearing plants may negatively influence pollinator behavior, ultimately reducing plant fitness (fruit set). The study was done in a reserve at Brazilian savannah using the EFN-bearing plant Banisteriopsis malifolia (Malpighiaceae). The experimental manipulation was carried out with four groups: control (free visitation of ants), without ants (ant-free branches), artificial ants (isolated branches with artificial ants on flowers) and plastic circles (isolated branches with plastic circles on flowers). We made observations on flower visitors and their interactions, and measured fruit formation as a proxy for plant fitness. Our results showed that pollinators hesitated to visit flowers with artificial ants, negatively affecting pollination, but did not hesitate to visit flowers with plastic circles, suggesting that they recognize the specific morphology of the ants. Pollinators spent more time per flower on the ant-free branches, and the fruiting rate was lower in the group with artificial ants. Our results confirm an indirect cost in this facultative mutualism, where the balance between these negative and positive effects of ants on EFN-bearing plants are not well known.
{"title":"Negative effects of ant-plant interaction on pollination: costs of a mutualism","authors":"R. R. Nogueira, D. F. B. Santos, E. Calixto, H. Torezan‐Silingardi, K. Del‐Claro","doi":"10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7259","url":null,"abstract":"The mutualism of ants and extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing plants is known to reduce rates of herbivory. However, ants may have negative impacts on other mutualisms such as pollination, constituting an indirect cost of a facultative mutualism. For instance, when foraging on or close to reproductive plant parts ants might attack pollinators or inhibit their visits. We tested the hypothesis that ants on EFN-bearing plants may negatively influence pollinator behavior, ultimately reducing plant fitness (fruit set). The study was done in a reserve at Brazilian savannah using the EFN-bearing plant Banisteriopsis malifolia (Malpighiaceae). The experimental manipulation was carried out with four groups: control (free visitation of ants), without ants (ant-free branches), artificial ants (isolated branches with artificial ants on flowers) and plastic circles (isolated branches with plastic circles on flowers). We made observations on flower visitors and their interactions, and measured fruit formation as a proxy for plant fitness. Our results showed that pollinators hesitated to visit flowers with artificial ants, negatively affecting pollination, but did not hesitate to visit flowers with plastic circles, suggesting that they recognize the specific morphology of the ants. Pollinators spent more time per flower on the ant-free branches, and the fruiting rate was lower in the group with artificial ants. Our results confirm an indirect cost in this facultative mutualism, where the balance between these negative and positive effects of ants on EFN-bearing plants are not well known.","PeriodicalId":21971,"journal":{"name":"Sociobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45880802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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