Food Niche Overlap Among Neotropical Carpenter Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini) in an Agricultural System

Authors

  • Danielle Mendes Carvalho Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
  • Candida Maria Lima Aguiar Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
  • Gilberto Marcos Mendonça Santos Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v60i3.283-288

Keywords:

carpenter bees, plant network, trophic niches, temporal activity

Abstract

In the present study, we used niche overlap analysis and a network approach to investigate the use of floral resources by carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). We assessed the frequency of visit to different plant species and the activity time of carpenter bees in an agricultural system. Six species of carpenter bees were collected visiting flowers. Among the 48 interactions that were theoretically possible in the interaction network, only 19 were recorded (Connectance = 39.58%). The temporal overlap between pairs of species measured by the Shannon index (0 to 0.648) was lower than dietary overlap (0 to 0.967). The network analysis also showed that bees separated their niches more strongly in the temporal dimension (E = 0.72, P < 0.001) than in the dietary dimension (E = 0.55, P < 0.001). The levels of dietary and temporal overlap were strongly correlated with each other, as well as the time of highest frequency of visit coincided with the time of availability of resources by the most important plants (Moringa oleifera, Passiflora edulis, and Solanum palinacanthum). The correlation between dietary and temporal overlap is biologically explained by the presence of plants that structure the system by exerting a strong influence not only on the plant choice by foraging bees, but also on the time of resource collection.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Gilberto Marcos Mendonça Santos, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

Dr. Gilberto Marcos de Mendonça Santos was educated at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil, and PhD degrees at the Universidade de São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto, Brazil), the latter under the direction of Professor Nivar Gobbi, one of the leading world experts on social biology of wasps.  Presently, Dr. Santos is professor of Ecology and Advanced Studies of ecology at Feira de Santana State University. During his teaching career he taught General Entomology, Biogeography  and Social Insects´s Biology. Dr. Gilberto M M Santos is Associated Editor of journal Sociobiology and Adjunt Editor of Journal Magistra. How do ecosystems work, and why is biodiversity important for ecosystem functioning? These are the core questions behind of Dr. Santos´s research. Currently the studies of Dr. Gilberto M M Santos show special interest in complex systems and their use for understanding biological networks (bee-plants foodweba, bee-parasit network and biological invasions). Since 2010 is the Coordinator of the postgraduate course in zoology from Feira de Santana State University

References

Aguiar, C.M.L. (2003). Utilização de recursos florais por abelhas (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) em uma área de Caatinga (Itatim, Bahia, Brasil). Rev. Bras. Zool., 20: 457-467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81752003000300015

Aguiar, C.M.L., Santos, G.M.M., Martins, C.F. & Presley, S.J. (2013). Trophic niche breadth and niche overlap in a guild of flower-visiting bees in a Brazilian dry forest. Apidologie, 44: 153-162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0167-4

Andena, S. R., Santos, E.F. & Noll, F.B. (2012). Taxonomic diversity, niche width and similarity in the use of plant resources by bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) in a cerrado area. J. Nat. Hist., 46: 1663-1687. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2012.681317

Araújo, M.S., Guimarães Jr., P.R., Svanbäck, R., Pinheiro, A., Guimarães, P., Reis, S.F. & Bolnick, D.I. (2008). Network analysis reveals contrasting effects of intraspecific competition on individual vs. population diets. Ecology, 89: 1981-1993. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/07-0630.1

Begon, M., Townsend, C.R. & Harper, J.L. (2006). Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. Oxford: Blackwell.

Benevides, C.R., Gaglianone, M.C. & Hoffmann, M. (2009). Visitantes florais do maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg. Passifloraceae) em áreas de cultivo com diferentes proximidades a fragmentos florestais na região Norte Fluminense, RJ. Rev. Bras. Entomol., 53: 415-421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262009000300016

Benevides, C.R., Evans, D.M. & Gaglianone, M.C. (2013). Pollinators of Passifloraceae and the structure of their network in a fragmented lowland Atlantic forest. Sociobiology, 60: 297-307. doi: 10.13102/sociobiology.v60i3.297-307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v60i3.295-305

Blüthgen, N., Menzel, F. & Blüthgen, N. (2006). Measuring specialization in species interaction networks. BMC Ecol., 6: 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6785-6-9

Blüthgen, N. & Klein, A.M. (2011). Functional complementarity and specialisation: why biodiversity is important in plant-pollinator interactions. Basic Appl. Ecol., 12: 282-291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2010.11.001

Carvalho, A.M.C. & Oliveira, P.E.A.M. (2010). Estrutura da guilda de abelhas visitantes de Matayba guianensis Aubl. (Sapindaceae) em vegetação do cerrado. Oecologia Australis, 14: 40-66. doi:10.4257/oeco.2010.1401.02. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4257/oeco.2010.1401.02

Carvalho, C.A.L. de, Marques, O.M., Vidal, C.A. & Neves, A.M.S. (2001). Comportamento forrageiro de abelhas (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) em flores de Solanum palinacanthum Dunal (Solanaceae). Rev. Bras. Zool., 3: 35-44.

Dormann, C.F., Fründ, J., Blüthgen, N. & Gruber, B. (2009). Indices, graphs and null models: analyzing bipartite ecological networks. Open Ecol. J., 2: 7-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1874213000902010007

Figueiredo, N.; Gimenes, M.; Miranda, M.D. & Oliveira-Rebouças, P. (2013). Xylocopa Bees in Tropical Coastal Sand Dunes: Use of Resources and Their Floral Syndromes. Neotrop. Entomol., 42: 252-257. doi 10.1007/s13744-013-0121-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-013-0121-9

Goulson, D. & Darvill, B. (2004). Niche overlap and diet breadth in bumblebees; are rare species more specialized in their choice of flowers? Apidologie, 35: 55-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2003062

Hoehn, P., Tscharntke, T., Tylianakis, J.M. & Steffan-Dewenter, I. (2008). Functional group diversity of bee pollinators increases crop yield. Proc. R. Soc. B, 275: 2283-2291. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0405 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0405

Hogendoorn, K., Steen, Z. & Schwarz, M.P. (2000). Native Australian carpenter bees as a potential alternative to introducing bumble bees for tomato pollination in greenhouses. J. Apicult. Res, 39: 67-74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2000.11101023

Jyothi, P.V., Atluri, J.B. & Reddi, C.S. (1990). Pollination ecology of Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae). Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant Sci.). 100: 33-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053466

Keasar, T. (2010). Large Carpenter Bees as Agricultural Pollinators. Psyche, 2010: 1-7, Article ID 927463, doi:10.1155/2010/927463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/927463

Kronfeld-Schor, N. & Dayan, T. (2003). Partitioning of time as an ecological resource. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 34: 153-181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.34.011802.132435

MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente. (2009). Secretaria Estadual de Meio Ambiente Programa Nacional de capacitação de gestores ambientais – PNC. Gestão Ambiental Compartilhada – GAC. Plano Municipal de Meio Ambiente de Feira de Santana. Brasil. Feira de Santana.

Murray, K.G. (2000). The importance of different bird species as seed dispersers. In: N.M. Nadkarni & N.T. Wheelwright (Eds.), Monteverde: ecology and conservation of a tropical cloud forest (pp. 245-302), Oxford University Press.

Sadeh, A., Shmida, A. & Keasar, T. (2007). The carpenter bee Xylocopa pubescens as an agricultural pollinator in greenhouses. Apidologie, 38: 508-517. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2007036

Santos, G.M.M., Aguiar, C.M.L. & Mello, M.A.R. (2010). Flower-visiting guild associated with the Caatinga flora: trophic interaction networks formed by social bees and social wasps with plants. Apidologie, 41: 466-475. doi:10.1051/apido/2009081. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2009081

Santos, G.M.M., Carvalho, C.A.L., Aguiar, C.M.L., Macêdo, L.S.S. & Melo, M.A.R. (2013). Overlap in trophic and temporal niches in the flower-visiting bee guild (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of a tropical dry Forest. Apidologie, 44: 64-74. doi:10.1007/s13592-012-0155-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0155-8

Schoener, T.W. (1986). Resource partitioning. In: J. Kikkawa & D.J. Anderson (Eds.) Community ecology - pattern and process (pp. 91-126). London: Blackwell Scientific

Silva C.I. (2009). Distribuição espaço-temporal de recursos florais utilizados por espécies de Xylocopa (Hymenoptera, Apidae) e interação com plantas do cerrado sentido restrito no triângulo mineiro. Tese de Doutorado, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Brasil.

Siqueira K.M.M., Kiill, L.H.P., Martins C.F., Lemos, I.B., Monteiro, S.P., Feitoza, E.A. (2009). Ecologia da polinização do maracujá-amarelo, na região do Vale do Submédio São Francisco. Rev. Bras. Frutic., 31: 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-29452009000100003

Stone, G.N., Gilbert, F., Willmer, P., Potts, S., Semida, F., Zalat, S. (1999). Windows of opportunity and temporal structuring of foraging activity in a desert solitary bee. Ecol. Entomol., 24: 208-221. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2311.1999.00181.x

Varassin, I.G., Ximenes, B.M.S., Moreira, P.A., Zanon, M.M.F., Elbl, P., Löwenberg-Neto, P., & Melo, G.A.R. (2012). Produção de néctar e visitas por abelhas em duas espécies cultivadas de Passiflora L. (Passifloraceae). Acta Bot. Brasilica, 26: 251-255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-33062012000100024

Yamamoto, M., Silva, C.I., Augusto, S.C., Barbosa, A.A.A. & Oliveira, P.E. (2012). The role of bee diversity in pollination and fruit set of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa, Passifloraceae) crop in Central Brazil. Apidologie, 43: 515-526, doi: 10.1007/s13592-012-0120-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0120-6

Downloads

Published

2013-11-06

How to Cite

Carvalho, D. M., Aguiar, C. M. L., & Santos, G. M. M. (2013). Food Niche Overlap Among Neotropical Carpenter Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini) in an Agricultural System. Sociobiology, 60(3), 283–288. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v60i3.283-288

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 3 (2013)

Section

Research Article - Bees

License

Sociobiology is a diamond open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

 

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

 

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

 

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>