Climatic Factors and the Extranidal Activities of the Native Bee Plebeia catamarcensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Gabriely Notário de Araújo; Diego Mendonça Vicente; Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti; Michele Castro de Paula-Silva; Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior; William Fernando Antonialli-Junior

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12423

Authors

Gabriely Notário de Araújo Programa de Pós-graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados & Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6575-4705
Diego Mendonça Vicente Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8700-1747
Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4264-0703
Michele Castro de Paula-Silva Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5229-6136
Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7906-9737
William Fernando Antonialli-Junior Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados & Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Dourados-MS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7977-9827

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12423

Keywords:

seasonality, nectar, temperature, relative humidity, Meliponini

Abstract

Stingless bees collect a variety of resources, mostly from plants, for nest construction, hydration, and the feeding of immatures and adults. They also commonly dispose of waste from their colonies. These activities are directly influenced by abiotic factors, which can determine different foraging patterns. Given the current climate change, understanding how physical climatic factors affect bee behavior is extremely relevant. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how physical climatic factors influence the foraging patterns of the native bee species, Plebeia catamarcensis (Holmberg). To achieve this, eight colonies were monitored three times a month from August 2022 to April 2024, with observations conducted from 6:00 to 18:00. The number of foragers entering and leaving the nest was recorded, and the types collected were identified, as well as the conditions of temperature, relative humidity, and light. Temperature and light intensity showed a significant positive correlation with the species’ extranidal activity, indicating increased resource collection as these variables rise. Conversely, a negative correlation was observed between relative humidity and activity: as relative humidity increased, activity decreased. The results confirm the hypotheses: the behavior of P. catamarcensis foragers is modulated by climatic factors, and a combination of factors acting in concert likely determines the pattern and timing of different extranidal activities.

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