Nannotrigona testaceicornis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nannotrigona testaceicornis | |
|---|---|
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| N. testaceicornis at their hive entrance | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Nannotrigona |
| Species: | N. testaceicornis |
| Binomial name | |
| Nannotrigona testaceicornis le Peletier, 1836 | |
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| Range of N. testaceicornis[1] | |
Nannotrigona testaceicornis is a eusocial stingless bee species of the order Hymenoptera and the genus Nannotrigona. Its local common name is abelhas iraí. This species has a large geographic distribution and occupies different biomes, including urban areas, around Neotropical America. The bees of this species nest in trees or artificial cavities because of this broad distribution.[1] N. testaceicornis is important for agriculture because it will pollinate a vast number of plant species year round.[2]
Nannotrigona testaceicornis is a member of the family Apidae of eusocial bees within the order Hymenoptera. The subfamily Meliponini is commonly referred to as "stingless bees." The genus Nannotrigonna has about nine known species and ranges from Sonora, Chihuahua, and San Luis Potosí, Mexico, to Santa Catarina, Brazil, and Paraguay.[3]
Description
Nannotrigona testaceicornis bees are black and generally have grey hairs with a coarse and wrinkled thorax. Along with the rest of the genus Nannotrigonis, they are about 3 to 5 millimeters long. There is much variation within the species genotype, leading to variation in the venation of the wings. Colonies consist of about 2000 to 3000 individuals. Nests are made in tree cavities or in artificial sites, and the brood cells are in combs. The nest entrances are rather large for such small bees and are usually lined by workers looking outward. These openings are in contrast to the entrances of many other small Meliponini which are so small that one or a few workers can block them.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Nannotrigona testaceicornis is a neotropical eusocial bee that has a large geographic distribution, primarily throughout Brazil.[1] It can occupy various different biomes, including urban areas. Due to this variability, different genomes can occur within the species according to the conditions of the biome. This can be seen mostly in the N. testaceicornis patterns of wing venation.[1] Because of their occupation of urban areas, N. testaceicornis can live in self-made and artificial hives. Most stingless bees construct their nests in pre-existing cavities using several types of materials. N. testaceicornis often use artificial cavities from human constructions to build their nests. The constant presence of N. testaceicornis in the human environment promotes competition for nesting places, leading to intensified aggressive interactions between colonies within the species.[4]
Colony cycle
Caste determination in stingless bees is more variable than in honey bees. In Melipona, queens may be reared in both royal cells and small cells. Ones reared in small cells are smaller than normal queens, since they emerge from brood cells in which normally only workers and males are reared. Just like normal queens, miniature queens can successfully mate and head colonies. Queens and workers are produced in identically sized cells, and are typically produced in great excess of colony needs.
Nannotrigona testaceicornis have low investments in queens similar to those of species that rear their queens only in royal cells. The production of miniature queens can be explained by the caste conflict hypothesis. It assumes that selfish females reared in normal-sized cells become queens, instead of workers, because they have direct benefits in reproduction. If the mated queen dies during reproductive diapause, there are new queens in the nest available to be selected by workers. The selected miniature queen can mate and replace the dead one, assuring the future of the colony.[5]
Abdominal extracts
Abdominal extracts are differentiated between males and workers, but both come from the Dufour's gland, which is a large, wide, pear-shaped sac. The main chemical component of workers' abdominal extract is geranylgeranyl acetate while the extract from males' abdomens is (Z)-9-nonacosene. Experiments have shown that (S)-(+)-2-heptanol and (S)-(+)-2heptanol/(S)-(+)-2-nonanol (1:1) attract N. testaceicornis workers. However, males do not respond to these chemicals, implying that these compounds do not function as alarm or recruitment pheromones.[6]