首页   按字顺浏览 期刊浏览 卷期浏览 Guarding specialisation in pre-reproductive colonies of the allodapine beeExoneura bico...
Guarding specialisation in pre-reproductive colonies of the allodapine beeExoneura bicolor

 

作者: K. Hogendoorn,   M.P. Schwarz,  

 

期刊: Ethology Ecology & Evolution  (Taylor Available online 1998)
卷期: Volume 10, issue 1  

页码: 67-77

 

ISSN:0394-9370

 

年代: 1998

 

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1998.9522872

 

出版商: Taylor & Francis Group

 

关键词: Hymenoptera;sociality;dominance hierarchy;ovarian inhibition

 

数据来源: Taylor

 

摘要:

The allodapine beeExoneura bicolorconstructs linear nests in pithy centres of dead plant material. Brood is reared progressively. During winter, nests usually contain one mated female with large ovaries and several subordinate females with small ovaries. The dominant female pheromonally inhibits ovarian enlargement of subordinate females. During the foraging season, dominant females guard the nest, while subordinate females undertake the more risk prone foraging activities. During winter, virtually no foraging occurs. Therefore, guarding might be the most dangerous activity during winter. In this paper we investigate whether the position of females in the nest during winter is related to dominance. Females did not change relative position frequently and the position of females decreased near monotonically with ovary size, with the dominant female closest to the nest entrance. It is concluded that: (1) dominant females do not move about in the nest to ensure spread of their pheromones among nestmates, or to behaviourally inhibit ovarian enlargement of subordinates; (2) dominant females do not force subordinates to guard the nest. Because the guard is probably the female that is most subject to predation during winter, guarding by the dominant should have some payoffs. Potential benefits are: (a) contamination of incoming air with volatile pheromones; (b) preventing intruders from entering the nest; (c) controlling nestmates leaving and entering the nest. The latter may enable females to control food that is brought back into the nest, and to prevent mating by subordinate females. Our results indicate that social structure within these nests is influenced by the linear structure of the nest burrows.

 

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