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Stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) adjust brood production rather than foraging activity in response to changes in pollen stores

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Abstract

Highly eusocial bees (honey bees and stingless bees) sustain their colonies through periods of resource scarcity by food stored within the nest. The protein supply necessary for successful brood production is ensured through adjustments of the colonies’ pollen foraging according to the availability of this resource in the environment. In honey bees Apis mellifera, in addition, pollen foraging is regulated through the broods’ demand for this resource. Here, we investigated the influence of the colony’s pollen store level on pollen foraging and brood production in stingless bees (Melipona subnitida). When pollen was added to the nests, colonies increased their brood production and reduced their pollen foraging within 24 h. On the other hand, when pollen reserves were removed, colonies significantly reduced their brood production. In strong contrast to A. mellifera; however, M. subnitida did not significantly increase its pollen foraging activity under poor pollen store conditions. This difference concerning the regulation of pollen foraging may be due to differences regarding the mechanism of brood provisioning. Honey bees progressively feed young larvae and, consequently, require a constant pollen supply. Stingless bees, by contrast, mass-provision their brood cells and temporary absence of pollen storage will not immediately result in substantial brood loss.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the students of the Behavioural Ecology Laboratory (bee-LAB) for their help with the data collection and two anonymous referees for very helpful comments and suggestions. This study complies with current Brazilian laws and was financially supported by grants of the Brazilian Science Foundations CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) to CMS, and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico: 304722/2010-3, 309914/2013-2) to MH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciências Animais, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Av. Francisco Mota 572, Mossoró, RN, 59625-900, Brazil

    Camila Maia-Silva, Michael Hrncir & Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca

  2. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil

    Camila Maia-Silva & Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca

  3. Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden

    Dirk Louis P. Schorkopf

Authors
  1. Camila Maia-Silva
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  2. Michael Hrncir
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  3. Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca
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  4. Dirk Louis P. Schorkopf
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Correspondence to Camila Maia-Silva.

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Maia-Silva, C., Hrncir, M., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L. et al. Stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) adjust brood production rather than foraging activity in response to changes in pollen stores. J Comp Physiol A 202, 723–732 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1095-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1095-y

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