| Popis: |
Defence against predators is fundamental to increasing an organism’s fitness. My thesis explores this central theme in behavioural ecology using stingless bees as study organisms. The thesis contains a general introduction (Chapter 1), three data chapters (2-4) and a final discussion (5).\ud \ud Chapter 2 is a comparative study of aggression in nest defence among stingless bee species, and describes a new form of nest defence, suicidal biting, which is most prevalent in the genus Trigona.\ud \ud Chapter 3 describes a remarkable behaviour in Partamona helleri, which crashes head-first when entering its nest. An experiment suggests that this behaviour helps to avoid predation at the nest entrance.\ud \ud Chapter 4 studies nest defence in the hovering guards of Tetragonisca angustula, and demonstrates that through coordinated vigilance, a group level behaviour rarely observed in animals, the ability of the group to detect predators is enhanced. |
