Pattern of the daily flight activity in two colonies of Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Lepeletier, 1836) (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in different conditions in the Brazilian semiarid region

Wagner Pereira Silva; Miriam Gimenes

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v61i4.547-553

Authors

Wagner Pereira Silva Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
Miriam Gimenes Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v61i4.547-553

Keywords:

Stingless bees, Daily flight activity, Meliponini, Biological rhythm

Abstract

The flight activities of Meliponini (stingless bees) are associated with a series of behaviors in particular in the collection of pollen, nectar, resin and clay during the day, which can be influenced by factors that are extrinsic (abiotic) or intrinsic (internal conditions of the colony, morphology and physiology of the individuals). This study has as a goal to analyze the pattern of the daily flight activity of Nannotrigona testaceicornis and the influence of climatic factors (temperature, relative humidity and light intensity) upon these activities in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil. The study was conducted every two months between October 2010 and October 2011 during three consecutive days in two colonies (one managed and the other unmanaged). The managed colony was more active than the unmanaged one in all the months. Nevertheless, both colonies showed regularity as to the correlation of times of their first activities and also as to the preferential time for the most part of the activities that were analyzed, which occurred generally in the morning. This daily pattern of activity of both colonies was probably influenced by the temperature and light intensity; that is, these activities should happen when these two factors are optimal for the flight.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Wagner Pereira Silva, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

Departamento de Biologia

Miriam Gimenes, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

Departamento de Biologia

References

Almeida, G.F. (2004). Estudo de componentes rítmicos detectados na colônia de Frieseomelitta varia (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). MSc Dissertation. Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.

Batschelet, E. (1980). Circular Statistics in Biology. London: Academic Press, 371p.

Bellusci, S. & Marques, M.D. (2001). Circadian activity rhythm of the foragers of a eusocial bee (Scaptotrigona aff. depilis, Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) outside the nest. Biol. Rhythm Res., 32: 117-124.

Bloch, G. (2008). Socially mediated plasticity in the circadian clock of social insects. In: J. Gadau & J. Fewell (Eds.), Organization of Insect Societies-From Genomes to Socio-Complexity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 640p.

Corbet, S.A., Fussell, M., Ake, R., Fraser, A., Gunson, C., Savage, A. & Smith, K. (1993). Temperature and pollination activity of social bees. Ecol. Entomol., 18: 17-30.

Dunlap, J.C., Loros, J.J. & Decoursey, P.J. (2004). Chronobiology: biological timekeeping. Sunderlands, Massachusetts: Inc. Publishers, Sinauer Associates.

Ferreira-Junior, N.T., Blochtein, B. & Moraes, J.F. de. (2010). Seasonal flight and resource collection patterns of colonies of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor schencki Gribodo (Apidae, Meliponini) in na Araucaria Forest area in southern Brazil. Rev. Bras. Entomol., 54: 630-636.

Gimenes, M., Benedito-Silva, A.A. & Marques, M.D. (1993). Chronobiologic aspects of a coadaptive process: the interaction of Ludwigia elegans flowers and its more frequent bee visitors. Chronobiol. Int., 10: 20 -30.

Gimenes, M., Benedito-Silva, A.A. & Marques, M.D. (1996). Circadian rhythms of pollen and nectar collection by bees on the flowers of Ludwigia elegans (Onagraceae). Biol. Rhythm Res., 27: 281-290.

Gouw, M.S., Gimenes, M. (2013). Differences of the Daily Flight Activity Rhythm in two Neotropical Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Sociobiology, 60: 183-189.

Guibu, L. S. & Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1984). Atividade externa de Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae). Cie. Cult. 36: 623.

Heard, T.A. & J. K. Hendrikz, J.K. (1993). Factors influencing flight activity of colonies of the stingless bee Trigona carbonaria (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Aust. Jour. Zool. 41: 343-353.

Hilário, S.D., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. & Kleinert, A.M.P. (2000). Flight activity and colony strength in the stingless bee Melipona bicolor bicolor (Apidae, Meliponinae). Rev. Brasil. Biol., 60: 299−306.

Hilário, S.D., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. & Kleinert, A.M.P. (2001). Responses to climatic factors by foragers of Plebeia pugnax Moure (In Litt.) (Apidae, Meliponinae). Rev. Brasil. Biol., 61: 191-196.

Hilário, S.D., Ribeiro, M.F. & Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (2007). Impacto da precipitação pluviométrica sobre a atividade de voo de Plebeia remota (Holmberg, 1903) (Apidae, Meliponini). Biota Neotrop., 7: 135-143.

Iwama, S. (1977). A influência dos fatores climáticos na atividade externa de Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae, Meliponinae). Bol. Zool. Univ. S. Paulo, 2: 189-201.

Kleinert-Giovannini, A. (1982). The influence of climatic factors on flight activity of Plebeia emerina Friese (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) in winter. Rev. Bras. Entomol., 26:1-13.

Kleinert-Giovannini, A. & Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (1986). Flight activity and responses to climatic conditions of two subspecies of Melipona marginata Lepeletier (Apidae, Meliponinae). J. Apic. Res., 25: 3-8.

Lutz, F.E. (1931). Light as a factor in controlling the start of daily activity of a wren and stingless bees. The American Museum of Natural History, 468: 1-4.

Moore, D. (2001). Honey bee circadian clocks: behavioral control from individual workers to whole-colony rhytms. J. Insect. Physiol., 47: 843-857.

Moure J.S., Urban D. & Melo G.A.R. (2012). Catalogue of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the Neotropical Region - online version. http://www.moure.cria.org.br/catalogue. (accessed date: 25 June, 2012).

Nunes-Silva, P., Hilário, S.D., Santos Filho, P.S. & Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. (2010). Foraging activity in Plebeia remota, a stingless bees specie, is Influenced by the reproductive state of a colony. Psyche, 2010, Article ID 241204, doi:10.1155/2010/2412041-16.

Queiroz, L.P., França, F., Giulietti, A.M., Melo, E., Gonçalves, C.N., Funch, L.S., Harley, R.M., Funch, R.R. & Silva, T.R.S. (2005). Caatinga. In: F.A. Juncá, L.S. Funch & W. Rocha. (Eds.). Biodiversidade e conservação da Chapada Diamantina (pp. 95-120). Brasília: Ministério do Meio Ambiente.

Rodrigues, M., Santana, W.C., Freitas, G.S., Soares A.E.E. (2007). Flight activity of Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) at the São Paulo University campus in Ribeirão Preto. Biosci. J., 23: 118-124.

Roubik, D.W. (1989). Ecology and natural history of tropical bees. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 514p.

Saunders, D.S. (2002). Insect Clocks. Elsevier Science, 576 p.

SEI. (2011). Superintendência de Estudos Econômicos e Socias da Bahia. Estatística dos municípios baianos. Salvador, 434 p.

Souza, B.A., Carvalho, C.A.L. & Alves, R.M.O. (2006). Flight activity of Melipona asilvai Moure (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Braz. J. Biol., 66: 731-737.

Teixeira, L.V. & Campos, F.N.M. (2005). Início da atividade de vôo em abelhas sem ferrão (Hymenoptera, Apidae): influência do tamanho da abelha e da temperatura ambiente. Rev. Bras. Zoociênc., 7: 195-202.