Departamento de Apicultura Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carr., Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Campus de Ingenierías y Ciencias Exactas, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 16;12(1):2621. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06683-w.
Stingless bees are the largest group of eusocial pollinators with diverse natural histories, including obligate cleptobionts (genus Lestrimelitta) that completely abandoned flower visitation to rely on other stingless bees for food and nest materials. Species of Lestrimeliita are thought to specialize upon different host species, and deception through chemical similarity has been proposed as a mechanism to explain this phenomenon. In the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Scaptotrigona pectoralis is a species chemically distinct from, and not preferred as a host by, locally widespread Lestrimeliita niitkib; witnessing attacks on S. pectoralis colonies offered the opportunity to test the sensory deception hypothesis to cletoparasitism. Analysis of cuticular profiles revealed that the Lestrimelitta attacking S. pectoralis differed significantly in odour bouquet to L. niitkib and, in contrast, it resembled that of S. pectoralis. Further analyses, including morphometrics, mtDNA barcoding, and the examination of taxonomic features, confirmed the existence of two sympatric Lestrimelitta species. The results give support to the hypothesis of chemical deception as a cleptobiotic strategy in Lestrimelitta sp. This is the first evidence that sympatric cleptobionts of the same genus select hosts in accordance with species-specific cuticular profiles, with possible consequences for ecological adaptation and the evolution of these remarkable organisms and the community of stingless bee hosts.
无刺蜜蜂是最大的群居授粉昆虫群之一，具有多样化的自然历史，包括完全放弃访花以依赖其他无刺蜜蜂获取食物和巢材的专性寄生蜂（属名 Lestrimelitta）。Lestrimeliita 物种被认为专门针对不同的宿主物种，而通过化学相似性进行的欺骗被认为是解释这种现象的一种机制。在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛，Scaptotrigona pectoralis 是一种与当地广泛分布的 Lestrimeliita niitkib 在化学上不同且不被作为宿主的物种；观察到对 S. pectoralis 群体的攻击为测试寄生蜂的感官欺骗假说提供了机会。表皮轮廓分析表明，攻击 S. pectoralis 的 Lestrimelitta 在气味组合上与 L. niitkib 有显著差异，而与 S. pectoralis 相似。进一步的分析，包括形态测量学、mtDNA 条形码和分类特征的检查，证实了两种共生 Lestrimelitta 物种的存在。研究结果支持了化学欺骗作为 Lestrimelitta sp. 寄生蜂的寄生策略的假说。这是第一个证据表明，同属的共生寄生蜂根据特定于物种的表皮轮廓选择宿主，这可能对这些非凡生物和无刺蜜蜂宿主群落的生态适应和进化产生影响。
