The primitively social behavior of Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini): a view from the perspective of kin selection theory and models of reproductive skew

Freiria, Gabriele Antico; Garófalo, Carlos Alberto; Lama, Marco Antônio Del

doi:10.1007/s13592-017-0496-4

Cited by 22 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This study shows that E. annectans has a unique social structure that exhibits aspects of communal and primitively eusocial societies where multiple females are prone to attack each other and multiple female are performing oophagy. This behaviour leads to a weak dominance in E. annectans different from E. cordata whose dominant females performed oophagy and replaced all the eggs of the subordinate with her own (Freiria et al, 2017). Albeit E. annectans is in a close phylogenetic relationship to honey bees and other socially advanced Apid species, it shows a less advanced social organization (Romiguier et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Aggressions Among Nestmates Lead to Weak Dominance Hampering Primitively Eusocial Behaviour in an Orchid Bee

Boff¹,

Saito²,

Santos³

2017

Sociobiology

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Reproductive conflict expressed as aggression is common in social Hymenoptera. In eusocial species, as in honeybees, several mechanisms alleviate the conflicts and reduce aggressive interactions. Unlike their sister group, the orchid bees do not exhibit eusociality. Instead, most of the species seem to have lost sociality and some species have retained vestigial social behaviour. In the current study we investigated the aggressive interactions of females of Euglossa annectans Dressler through five generations of phylopatry and reuse of the natal nest. Although network analysis indicates that central individuals, those with more interactions, were more commonly the aggressors and others were more commonly the recipients, multiple attacks and several potential dominant female within the nest indicated a labile sociality. This suggests that there is an unstable social hierarchy in the species. Euglossa annectans, despite having overlapping generations, during which several individuals share a nest, there is no division of labour into reproductive and interactions are often competitive. Aggressive behaviours conducted by multiple fertile females were often followed by egg, larvae or pupae replacement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Aggressions Among Nestmates Lead to Weak Dominance Hampering Primitively Eusocial Behaviour in an Orchid Bee

Boff¹,

Saito²,

Santos³

2017

Sociobiology

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“…This species is primitively eusocial, with a single dominant female who has full reproductive skew towards subordinates (Freiria et al 2017). Studies about population genetics of Euglossa cordata indicate large population sizes and that environmental discontinuity does not play a strong role on genetic diversity in this species (Cerântola et al 2010, Rocha-Filho et al 2013, Boff et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cavities in bromeliad stolons used as nest sites by Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Euglossini)

Boff¹,

Alves-dos-Santos²

2018

JHR

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Herein, we describe nests of the orchid bee Euglossa cordata that were constructed in cavities of Aechmea distichantha (Bromeliaceae) stolons. We present data about nest and cell size, number of adults and brood, and analyses of larval provisions. The presence of E. cordata carcasses embedded in the resin of nest partitions indicates that these nests were used by multiple generations. Based on larval provisioning, E. cordata is polylectic and relies heavily on a few plant species.

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“…There are also nests formed by sisters' females or even by unrelated females, the oldest one showing dominance over the youngest. The dominant female produces all the offspring and rarely leaves the nest, whereas the subordinates assume the tasks of nest provisioning and maintenance, and they also lay trophic eggs that are eaten by the dominant [90][91][92]. Such female associations may have preceded the highly eusocial way of life [93].…”

Section: Abdominal Adult Cuticle Deposition Timing and Its Ultrastrucmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring integument transcriptomes, cuticle ultrastructure, and cuticular hydrocarbons profiles in eusocial and solitary bee species displaying heterochronic adult cuticle maturation

Falcón

Pinheiro

Ferreira-Caliman

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Differences in the timing of exoskeleton melanization and sclerotization are evident when comparing eusocial and solitary bees. This cuticular maturation heterochrony may be associated with life style, considering that eusocial bees remain protected inside the nest for many days after emergence, while the solitary bees immediately start outside activities. To address this issue, we characterized gene expression using large-scale RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and quantified cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in comparative studies of the integument (cuticle plus its underlying epidermis) of two eusocial and a solitary bee species. In addition, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for studying the developing cuticle of these and other three bee species also differing in life style. We found 13,200, 55,209 and 30,161 transcript types in the integument of the eusocial Apis mellifera and Frieseomelitta varia, and the solitary Centris analis, respectively. In general, structural cuticle proteins and chitin-related genes were upregulated in pharate-adults and newly-emerged bees whereas transcripts for odorant binding proteins, cytochrome P450 and antioxidant proteins were overrepresented in foragers. Consistent with our hypothesis, a distance correlation analysis based on the differentially expressed genes suggested delayed cuticle maturation in A. mellifera in comparison to the solitary bee. However, this was not confirmed in the comparison with F. varia. The expression profiles of 27 of 119 genes displaying functional attributes related to cuticle formation/differentiation were positively correlated between A. mellifera and F. varia, and negatively or non-correlated with C. analis, suggesting roles in cuticular maturation heterochrony. However, we also found transcript profiles positively correlated between each one of the eusocial species and C. analis. Gene co-expression networks greatly differed between the bee species, but we identified common gene interactions exclusively between the eusocial species. Except for F. varia, the TEM analysis is consistent with cuticle development timing adapted to the social or solitary life style. In support to our hypothesis, the absolute quantities of n-alkanes and unsaturated CHCs were significantly higher in foragers than in the earlier developmental phases of the eusocial bees, but did not discriminate newly-emerged from foragers in C. analis. By highlighting differences in integument gene expression, cuticle ultrastructure, and CHC profiles between eusocial and solitary bees, our data provided insights into the process of heterochronic cuticle maturation associated to the way of life.From our previous observation that bees with distinct habits of life, eusocial and solitary, exhibit different degrees of cuticle melanization and sclerotization at the emergence, we decided to analyze the genetic signatures and ultrastructure of the integument, as well as the CHC profiles that could be involved in cuticle maturation. The expression pa...

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The primitively social behavior of Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini): a view from the perspective of kin selection theory and models of reproductive skew

Cited by 22 publications

References 32 publications

Multiple Aggressions Among Nestmates Lead to Weak Dominance Hampering Primitively Eusocial Behaviour in an Orchid Bee

Multiple Aggressions Among Nestmates Lead to Weak Dominance Hampering Primitively Eusocial Behaviour in an Orchid Bee

Cavities in bromeliad stolons used as nest sites by Euglossa cordata (Hymenoptera, Euglossini)

Exploring integument transcriptomes, cuticle ultrastructure, and cuticular hydrocarbons profiles in eusocial and solitary bee species displaying heterochronic adult cuticle maturation

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