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Vibrational signals of African stingless bees

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Abstract

Many bee species produce thoracic vibrations in various contexts. Among the social stingless bees (Meliponini) pulsed thoracic vibrations are used to communicate with nestmates. To date all studies on stingless bee vibrational communication have been conducted in the Neotropics. We, therefore, focused on six African stingless bee species of five genera: Meliponula, Hypotrigona, Liotrigona, Dactylurina, Plebeina. We analysed the signals’ temporal patterns. Vibrational signals appear to play a role in the recruitment of stingless bees. The degree of signal variation in the studied species was much lower than the variation in the signals of Neotropical stingless bees. Furthermore, the inter-signal variation of the temporal patterns exceeded intra-signal variation. This might reveal that the bees are able to modulate the temporal patterns and the signals potential communicative value. Furthermore, foraging activity correlates with pulse production in H. gribodoi and M. bocandei, supporting the hypothesis that the vibrational signals are used in the context of foraging and recruitment.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Baldwyn Torto and Bridget Bobadoye from icipe for providing access to P. hildebrandti colonies. We wish to thank Sina Weier and Valerie Linden for their warm hospitality at the Goro Research Camp. Many thanks to Andrew P Mwasi for field assistance. We thank the European Union (DCI-FOOD-2011/023-520) for funding of the project “African reference laboratory (with satellite stations) for the management of pollinator bee diseases and pests for food security” in which context the work in Kenya was made possible. Last but not least we wish to thank Michael Hrncir and Connal Eardley and two anonymous reviewers for very valuable comments on the manuscript. The study was financially supported by a scholarship and travel grants from the Deutsche Studienstiftung to KK and a Feodor-Lynen Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to FAH. This work complies with the current laws of South Africa and Kenya where the experiments were carried out. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    K. Krausa, F. A. Hager & W. H. Kirchner

  2. Taita Taveta University, PO Box 635-80300, Voi, Kenya

    K. Krausa & F. A. Hager

  3. African Bee Health Project, icipe-African Insect Science for Food and Health, PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    N. Kiatoko

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  1. K. Krausa
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  2. F. A. Hager
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Correspondence to K. Krausa.

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Krausa, K., Hager, F.A., Kiatoko, N. et al. Vibrational signals of African stingless bees. Insect. Soc. 64, 415–424 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-017-0564-9

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