Issue |
Apidologie
Volume 34, Number 2, March-April 2003
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Page(s) | 161 - 170 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2003008 |
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2003008
Patterns of male production in the stingless bee Melipona favosa (Apidae, Meliponini)
Tong X. Chinhinsta, b, Gijs B.J. Grobc, Francis J.A.J. Meeuwsena and Marinus J. Sommeijeraa Department of Social Insects, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.086, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands
b National Bee Research and Development Centre, Langha, Dongda, Hanoi, Vietnam
c Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University, PO Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
(Received 4 April 2002; revised 3 August 2002; accepted 17 September 2002)
Abstract
In many stingless bee species, laying workers oviposit trophic eggs that serve
as a component of the queen's diet. Workers of some species also lay reproductive
worker eggs that give rise to males. Male-producing workers can occur in queenright
colonies. We studied male production by workers of Melipona favosa. In six colonies
monitored under field conditions, we observed that males emerged during distinct
"Male Emerging Periods". Subsequently, we studied the laying of male eggs in laboratory
observation hives with the use of video. We found that laying workers oviposited
reproductive eggs in distinct "Reproductive Laying Worker Periods" and that this was
followed by the clumped mergence of males afterwards. Behaviours of laying workers
and of the ovipositing queen are preliminarily described.
Key words: Melipona / laying worker / male production / reproductive eggs / trophic eggs
Correspondence and reprints: Tong X. Chinh
e-mail: T.X.Chinh@bio.uu.nl
© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2003