Menezes C, Hrncir M, Kerr W E
Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
Genet Mol Res. 2009 May 12;8(2):507-14.
We describe a case of a spontaneously established mixed colony of two species of stingless bees. The host colony of Scaptotrigona depilis, an aggressive bee that forms large colonies, was invaded by workers of Nannotrigona testaceicornis, a smaller bee that forms small colonies. The host colony and the invading species colony were maintained in next boxes about 1.5 m apart. The N. testaceicornis colony had been recently divided. Observations were made daily for 10 min, and every two weeks the colony was opened for observations within the nest. Initially the host colony bees repulsed the invading species, but as their numbers built up, they were no longer able to defend the entrance. An estimated 60-90 N. testaceicornis workers lived integrated into the colony of S. depilis for 58 days. During this period, they reconstructed and maintained the entrance tube, changing it to an entrance typical of N. testaceicornis. They also collected food and building material for the host colony. Nannotrigona testaceicornis tolerated transit of S. depilis through the entrance, but did not allow the host species to remain within the tube, though the attacks never resulted in bee mortality. Aggression was limited to biting the wings; when the bees fell to the ground they immediately separated and flew back. There have been very few reports of spontaneously occurring mixed stingless bee colonies. It is difficult to determine what caused the association that we found; probably workers of N. testaceicornis got lost when we split their colony, and then they invaded the colony of S. depilis.
我们描述了一个由两种无刺蜂自发形成的混合群体的案例。形成大群体的具有攻击性的德氏无刺蜂(Scaptotrigona depilis)的宿主群体,被形成小群体的较小的黄角无刺蜂(Nannotrigona testaceicornis)的工蜂入侵。宿主群体和入侵物种群体被安置在相距约1.5米的相邻蜂箱中。黄角无刺蜂群体最近刚分蜂。每天进行10分钟的观察,每两周打开蜂箱对蜂巢内部进行观察。最初,宿主群体的蜜蜂排斥入侵物种,但随着入侵物种数量的增加,宿主群体的蜜蜂不再能够保卫入口。估计有60 - 90只黄角无刺蜂的工蜂融入德氏无刺蜂群体中生活了58天。在此期间,它们重建并维护入口通道,将其改变为黄角无刺蜂特有的入口。它们还为宿主群体采集食物和建筑材料。黄角无刺蜂容忍德氏无刺蜂通过入口,但不允许宿主物种留在通道内,不过这些攻击从未导致蜜蜂死亡。攻击仅限于咬翅膀;当蜜蜂掉到地上时,它们会立即分开并飞回。自发形成的无刺蜂混合群体的报道非常少。很难确定导致我们所发现的这种关联的原因;可能是黄角无刺蜂的工蜂在分蜂时迷路了,然后它们入侵了德氏无刺蜂的群体。