Nesting ecology of the oil-collecting bee Centris (Melacentris) conspersa Mocsáry and its potential association with the cleptoparasite Cyphomelissa diabolica Friese (Apidae: Centridini, Ericrocidini)
| Autor: | Carlos Alberto Garófalo, Maria Juliana Ferreira-Caliman, José Carlos Serrano, João Maria Franco de Camargo, Léo Correia da Rocha-Filho |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
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| Zdroj: | Journal of Apicultural Research. 56:489-496 |
| ISSN: | 2078-6913 0021-8839 |
| Popis: | The genus Centris is by far the most diverse group of oil-collecting bees worldwide. In spite of its broad distributional range through Americas, data on the biology of several species remain unknown. We aimed to study the nesting ecology of Centris (Melacentris) conspersa in two islands in the Atlantic Forest domain, Southeastern Brazil. In both areas, nests were constructed in sloping, shaded areas of clayey soil. Two specimens emerged around one year after the brood cells were collected at the nesting site, indicating that this species is likely to be univoltine. Four females of the cuckoo bee Cyphomelissa diabolica were recorded flying over nest entrances of C. conspersa, what may be the first putative host record for this cleptoparasitic genus. Also, the mutillid Hoplomutilla spinosa was also registered at the nest aggregation. The pollen analysis of the residual content of 32 brood cells revealed a narrow spectrum of plants visited, with only six pollen types from five botanical families. Stigmaphyl... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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