Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniela Zarate, Brandon Mukogawa, Joshua Kohn, James C. C. Nieh
Summary: Nest defense in honey bees is influenced by social, environmental, and genetic factors. Africanized honey bees are more defensive than European honey bees. This study investigated the defensiveness of scutellata-hybrid and European honey bees in Southern California. Defensiveness increased in the scutellata-hybrid colonies as the season progressed, while defensiveness in managed colonies did not increase. The defensiveness of scutellata-hybrids in this study was lower than previously reported in Brazil and Mexico, potentially due to their lower proportion of scutellata ancestry.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Entomology
Maggie Shanahan, Marla Spivak
Summary: Bees, ants, and other insects harvest antimicrobial resins from plants for various purposes such as nest construction and defense. Stingless bees rely on resin to build nest structures, repel predators, kill invaders, and influence their physical properties and microbial communities. Resin use is crucial for stingless bee colony function and conservation.
Article
Biology
Christoph Gruter, Maria Sol Balbuena, Lohan Valadares
Summary: Stingless bees are diverse and ecologically important pollinators in the tropics. The division of labour in these bees has been studied in only about 3% of the described species. The available data suggest that while there are similarities, there are also striking differences in division of labour compared to other social bees. Worker age and morphological variation, such as body size and brain structure, play important roles in determining worker tasks. Studying stingless bees can help confirm general patterns of division of labour and uncover novel mechanisms in eusocial bees.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Entomology
David W. Roubik
Summary: Stingless bees are perennial honey-making insects that have a long evolutionary history in tropical forests. They have diverse ecological adaptations, excel in nesting site selection and mutualisms with other organisms, and display opportunistic behaviors. However, the expansion of human activities and exploitation pose challenges to their survival and reproduction.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Yufeng Qu, Xinxin Wen, Yuxin Wei, Zhengwei Wang
Summary: More than 550 stingless bee species have been found in tropical and subtropical areas, and they inhabit various types of nests. Stingless bee species in southwest China nest in bamboo and exhibit preferences for entrance size and internode volume. The study suggests that bamboo can be used as trap nests for stingless bees, and the preference for different characteristics of bamboo internodes indicates various colony sizes of stingless bee species.
Article
Entomology
Gisele Amaro Teixeira, Riudo de Paiva Ferreira, Denilce Meneses Lopes
Summary: This study characterized the karyotype of five Trigona species using classical and molecular cytogenetics, aiming to understand the karyotype evolution in Trigona and investigate the phylogenetic signal of the analyzed cytogenetic markers. The results showed interspecific variations in the karyotype and heterochromatin distribution among Trigona species. The presence of specific cytogenetic traits, such as microsatellite distribution and rDNA gene pairs, reflected the phylogeny and separated the species into two clades.
Article
Entomology
Ieng Hou Lau, James P. Hereward, Tobias J. Smith, Tim A. Heard, Gimme H. Walter
Summary: The research reveals that two species of stingless bees engage in extreme inter-colony fights, potentially leading to one species taking over the nest of the other. The attacks between colonies are not for resource robbing, but for the goal of nest takeover.
Article
Entomology
Amenay Assefa Kidane, Fisseha Mengstie Tegegne, Ayco Jerome Michel Tack
Summary: The study documented the indigenous knowledge of ground-nesting stingless bees in the Sheka community in southwestern Ethiopia, showing a tradition passed down through generations. Honey collectors used various methods to locate underground nests and utilized collected honey for home consumption, disease treatment, and income generation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TROPICAL INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Tiara Sayusti, Rika Raffiudin, Sih Kahono, Teguh Nagir
Summary: This study examined the morphology, nest structure, and molecular characteristics of five endemic stingless bee species in South and West Sulawesi. Variations in nest entrance and brood cell arrangements were observed, and the COI gene sequence was found to be effective in distinguishing the species, especially within the genus Tetragonula.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Francisca H. I. D. Segers, Christoph Gruter, Cristiano Menezes, Sidnei Mateus, Francis L. W. Ratnieks
Summary: Stingless bees exhibit great diversity in behavior, ecology, nest architecture, colony size, and worker morphology. This study found that nest-entrance architecture is correlated with important foraging and defense traits. Species with smaller eyes tend to build larger entrances, resulting in faster landing approaches and fewer landing errors by foragers. Additionally, mass-recruiting species have significantly larger entrance holes compared to species with solitary foraging strategies.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Christopher Alphonce Mduda, Juma Mahmud Hussein, Masoud Hadi Muruke
Summary: This study assessed the traditional knowledge and utilization of stingless bees in Tanzania. Six species of stingless bees were found to be utilized, with M. ferruginea being the most widespread. Stingless bee honey is primarily used as medicine for various health issues. However, the overexploitation of natural nests poses a threat to the sustainability of stingless bee populations and their habitats.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TROPICAL INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Marcos M. De Souza, Norma Barbado, Jose Adolfo M. De Almeida, Gabriel Teofilo-Guedes, Jose C. Zanuncio
Summary: This study focuses on nesting and colony defense by two species of Neotropical social wasps, Metapolybia cingulata and Metapolybia docilis. The researchers made field observations and collected information on nesting behavior, emphasizing the importance of nest camouflage as a defense strategy for these wasps.
Article
Entomology
Zewdu Ararso Hora, Alemayehu Gela Bayeta, Taye Negera
Summary: Information on nesting habitats and nest characteristics is scarce for Ethiopian stingless bees. This study found 49 natural nests of two stingless bee species, with different nest characteristics between species but similar within each. These characteristics are important for species management and conservation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TROPICAL INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Marilena Marconi, Alessandro Modesti, Carlos Daniel Vecco Giove, Emiliano Mancini, Andrea Di Giulio
Summary: This article describes the first record of myrmecophily in stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon region, as well as provides insights into the nest architecture, building materials, and behavioral defense observations.
FRAGMENTA ENTOMOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Religion
Fakhri Haghani
Summary: The post-war cinema in Iran was expected to represent Islamic, ethical, and symbolic values idealized by the government. While war films during this period focused exclusively on men on the front lines, certain filmmakers turned to social cinema to address the gender dynamics of self-sacrifice and bring attention to the struggles within the country.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND POPULAR CULTURE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Tianfei Peng, Jeferson Pedrosa, Jaqueline Eterna Batista, Fabio S. Nascimento, Christoph Grueter
Summary: The tropical stingless bees have evolved complex communication systems to recruit nestmates to food locations, with some species able to accurately communicate location but not distance. Recent research indicates that Plebeia droryana can recruit nestmates to specific food sources, but without using social cues from conspecifics. The potential mechanism for this recruitment behavior remains unknown and requires further study.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
S. M. Glaser, R. M. Feitosa, A. Koch, N. Goss, F. S. do Nascimento, C. Grueter
Summary: Tropical ants face intense intra- and interspecific competition for food sources, with recruitment communication helping colonies monopolize and exploit resources successfully. Mass-recruiting competitors are often successful in displacing focal colonies, but when foragers are able to recruit nestmates, they have a higher probability of retaining access to food sources. Competition is more intense after sunset, but an increase in activity post-sunset allows focal colonies to exploit food sources more successfully.
Article
Zoology
Cintia Akemi Oi, Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Ian Stevens, Helena Mendes Ferreira, Fabio Santos Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Alessandro Cini
Summary: The study demonstrates that reproduction and the production of certain cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) cues in social insects, specifically primitively eusocial wasps, are under joint juvenile hormone (JH) control, with ovary development influencing CHC profiles. Pleiotropic links between reproduction and CHC cues production have likely been key for the evolution of fertility and queen signals in more advanced eusocial insects.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Andre Rodrigues de Souza, Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Nathan Rodrigues Batista, William Fernando Antonialli Junior, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Males of the neotropical paper wasp Polistes versicolor show no significant preference between mating with future queens and workers, possibly due to reduced differences in direct reproductive potential between castes and high costs associated with caste discrimination.
Article
Entomology
R. C. da Silva, R. L. Brown, F. S. do Nascimento, T. Wenseelers, C. A. Oi
Summary: The complex communication system used by social insects, particularly through cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), plays a crucial role in their success on Earth. CHCs are primarily used to distinguish nestmates and transmit queen pheromones. Differences in CHC composition between castes and sexes help individuals recognize and discriminate caste and sex within the colony.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felipe Chagas Rocha Almeida, Diego Martins Magalhaes, Arodi Prado Favaris, Jonathan Rodriguez, Kamila Emmanuella Xavier Azevedo, Jose Mauricio Simoes Bento, Denise Araujo Alves
Summary: Pathogenic fungi may impact bee behavior and chemicals, allowing guard bees to detect pathogen-exposed bees and prevent them from entering the hive. This provides important insights into how bee colonies respond to potential infectious threats.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Helena Mendes Ferreira, Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: This study investigates the effects of juvenile hormone on reproduction in two primitive eusocial wasp species and its regulation of reproductive traits and chemical cues. The results show that hormone treatments significantly affect egg laying and the production of specific chemical signals.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
L. Valadares, F. S. Nascimento, N. Chaline
Summary: The study found that minor leafcutting ants exhibit the most aggressive response against non-nestmate ants. The division of labor in leafcutting ants is based on body size differences, and the nest serves as a strong social contextual stimulus for minors, possibly leading to their increased aggression towards foreign ants.
Article
Entomology
Marcela de Matos Barbosa, Rodolfo Jaffe, Carolina S. Carvalho, Eder C. M. Lanes, Alessandro Alves-Pereira, Maria Zucchi, Alberto S. Correa, Milton C. Ribeiro, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, Denise A. Alves
Summary: Tropical landscapes are changing rapidly due to deforestation and agricultural expansion, which leads to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. Understanding how these changes affect the genetic diversity and gene flow of native pollinators is crucial for their survival and pollination services. This study investigated the influence of landscape features on genetic diversity and gene flow in Tetragonisca angustula, one of the most widespread species of stingless bees in the Neotropical region. The results showed that forest cover had a negative impact on heterozygosity at a 500-m scale, while inbreeding and gene flow were not affected by landscape features. Gene flow was mainly determined by geographic distance, indicating that T. angustula can disperse across different landscapes, including human-altered ones.
Article
Microbiology
Mariana O. G. Leite, Denise A. Alves, Antoine Lecocq, Jose Bruno Malaquias, Italo Delalibera, Annette B. Jensen
Summary: The use of fungal-based biopesticides is considered a low-risk control strategy to reduce pest damage and protect crop quality. However, a risk assessment is still needed for mycopesticides as pests and beneficial insects coexist in the same agroecosystem where this strategy is used.
Review
Entomology
F. G. B. Bueno, C. F. dos Santos, A. Otesbelgue, C. Menezes, J. van Veen, B. Blochtein, R. Gloag, T. Heard, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, D. A. Alves
Summary: Queens are crucial for the colonies of stingless bees, maintaining cohesion and ensuring the survival of matriarchal societies. However, there is still much to learn about their life cycles compared to their worker daughters.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Chemical compounds, particularly hydrocarbons, play a crucial role in the recognition processes of social insects. In this study, we investigated the ability of females in the wasp species Mischocyttarus cerberus to discriminate between their own eggs and those of other species. By experimentally collecting eggs and offering them to different nests, we found that M. cerberus females can accurately discriminate eggs according to their origin. This discrimination skill is likely important for avoiding parasitism and maintaining the social integrity of the colony.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are crucial for chemical communication in social insects, such as wasps. This study found caste-specific differences in CHCs, egg surface, and Dufour's gland composition among four wasp species. The presence of specific hydrocarbons in queen-laid eggs and Dufour's gland suggests their role as putative fertility signals regulating reproductive labor division.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Denise A. Alves, Ebi A. George, Rajbir Kaur, Axel Brockmann, Michael Hrncir, Christoph Gruter
Summary: Communication is essential in animal societies, including eusocial bees, to tackle challenges and exploit resources efficiently. Various factors, such as social biology, ecological conditions, and anthropogenic activities, influence the communication strategies of bees. The impact of human activities on bees, such as habitat conversion and agrochemical use, highlights the need to study how bees adapt their foraging and communication strategies to these changes. This represents a new frontier in bee behavioral and conservation research.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Joao Marcelo Robazzi Bignelli Valente Aguiar, Cintia Akemi Oi, Jaqueline Eterna Batista, Martin Gurfa, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Despite their role as pollinators and predators, the cognitive capacities of wasps, such as learning and memory, have been largely unexplored. In this study, we used Pavlovian conditioning to show that the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus efficiently learns and remembers odor-sugar associations. However, differences in learning ability were observed between male and female wasps, possibly due to their different lifestyles. These findings highlight the importance of socioecological constraints on wasp cognition and provide a basis for further mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes.