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Differential environmental effects on caste allocation in two Amazonian Melipona bees

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Abstract

In Melipona bees, gyne proportion is exceptionally high in relation to other genera of eusocial bees. However, hypotheses on caste determination in this genus predict gyne proportions above those usually observed. This may be because gyne production is limited by environmental conditions. Our aim was to investigate the influence of environmental factors on caste allocation in two species in the genus Melipona. Monthly caste production was monitored for almost 2 years. In Melipona interrupta, gyne proportion was negatively correlated to cumulative rainfall. However, in Melipona seminigra, caste allocation did not depend on environmental factors. Comparison among these and other congeneric species suggests that this variation reflects the diversity of food sources. Thus, although the mechanism of caste determination may be common to Melipona spp., caste allocation across species responds differently to environmental constraints.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the anonymous referees for providing useful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. We also thank the sponsoring agencies FAPEAM and CNPq for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, 69080-971, Amazonas, Brasil

    Diana Vieira Brito, Raquel Amazonas da Silva Nunes, Pedro Aurélio Costa Lima Pequeno & Gislene Almeida Carvalho-Zilse

  2. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. General Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, Manaus, 69077-000, Amazonas, Brasil

    Carlos Gustavo Nunes-Silva

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  1. Diana Vieira Brito
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  2. Raquel Amazonas da Silva Nunes
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  3. Pedro Aurélio Costa Lima Pequeno
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  4. Carlos Gustavo Nunes-Silva
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  5. Gislene Almeida Carvalho-Zilse
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Correspondence to Diana Vieira Brito.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: James Nieh

Effets variables des facteurs environnementaux sur la répartition des castes chez deux espèces de Melipona amazoniennes

Espèce eusociale / approvisionnement / Meliponini / reine / abeille sans aiguillon / facteur environnemental

Unterschiede in der Auswirkung von Umweltfaktoren auf die Kastenproportionen bei zwei im Amazonasgebiet vorkommenden Meliponen

eusoziale Insekten / Futtersammeln / Meliponini / Königinnen / Stachellose Bienen

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Brito, D.V., da Silva Nunes, R.A., Pequeno, P.A.C.L. et al. Differential environmental effects on caste allocation in two Amazonian Melipona bees. Apidologie 44, 666–672 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0215-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0215-8

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