Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Colony dynamics in a primitively eusocial halictine beeLasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Proximate control of colony dynamics was studied in the primitively eusocial halictine beeLasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum using allozyme markers. The results indicate that workers produce on average 15% of the male brood (range=0–50%) in small laboratory colonies made up of unrelated, single-generation, uninseminated females. This proportion is not influenced by colony size, but is influenced by the relative size of the queen. Large queens are more successful in dominating their workers than are small queens, the queen being defined as the female that is the mother of most of the brood produced in the colony. Older and larger females tend to become queens. Thus, while small differences in age (up to 4 days) influence which female becomes a queen, her ability to control her workers is primarily influenced by her relative size. The proportion of reproduction that is co-opted by the queen is negatively correlated with colony reproductivity (the number of males/day/female). Colony reproductivity is also negatively correlated with the standard deviation in size among females.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Batra, S. W. T., 1964. Behavior of the social bee,Lasioglossum zephyrum, within the nest.Ins. Soc. 11:159–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batra, S. W. T., 1966. The life cycle and behavior of the primitively social bee,Lasioglossum zephyrum (Halictidae).Univ. of Kans. Sci. Bull 47:359–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batra, S. W. T., 1968. Behavior of some social and solitary halictine bees within their nests; a comparative study (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).J. Kans. Ent. Soc 41:120–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beig, D., 1972. The production of males in queenright colonies ofTrigona (Scaptotrigona) postica.J. Apic. Res. 11:33–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, W. J., 1973. Factors controlling initiation of vitellogenesis in a primitively social bee,Lasioglossum zephyrum.Ins. Soc. 20:253–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourke, A. F. G., 1988. Worker reproduction in the higher eusocial Hymenoptera.Quart. Rev. Biol. 63:291–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D., 1975. Life cycle and behavior of a primitively social bee,Lasioglossum rohweri (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 48:64–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D., 1976. The evolution of social behavior in primitively social bees: a multivariate analysis.Evolution 30:234–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D., 1977. Interactions among individuals and queen replacement in a eusocial halictine bee. In:Proc. 8th Int. Cong. IUSSI, Netherland, Wageningen.

  • Breed, M. D. and G. J. Gamboa, 1977. Behavioral control of workers by queens in primitively eusocial bees.Science 195:694–696.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brian, M. V., 1983.Social Insects — Ecology and Behavioral Biology. Chapman and Hall Ltd. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, R. W. and D. W. Roubik, 1983. A halictine bee with distinct castes:Halictus hesperus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) and its bionomics in central Panama.Sociobiology 7:263–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brothers, D. J. and C. D. Michener, 1974. Interactions in colonies of primitively social bees. III. Ethometry of division of labor inLasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).J. Comp. Physiol 90:129–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G. R., 1982a. Queen-worker behavior and nestmate interactions in young colonies ofLasioglossum zephyrum.Ins. Soc. 29:125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G. R., 1982b. Differentiation of queens and nestmate interactions in newly established colonies ofLasioglossum zephyrum.Sociobiology 7:8–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G. R., 1984. A second look at queen-forager interactions in the primitively eusocial halictid,Lasioglossum zephyrum.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 57:1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G. R., 1985. Increased queen-like behavior of workers in large colonies of the sweat beeLasioglossum zephyrum.Anim. Behav. 33:1275–1280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campos, M. J. de O., 1980.Aspectos da sociologia e fenologia de Pereirapis semiauratus.Dissertacao (Mestre) da Univ. Federal de Sao Carlos, S.P., Brazil, (10) + 188 pp.

  • Dickinson, J. L. and C. E. McCulloch, 1989. Maximum likelihood estimation to assign paternity within multiple sired broods: Use of the EM algorithm.Anim. Behav. 38:719–721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobzhansky, T., 1968. Adaptedness and fitness. In:Population Biology and Evolution (R. C. Lewontin, Ed.), Syracuse, NY: Syracuse Univ. Press, pp. 109–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duchateau, M. J., 1987. Reproductive strategies of colonies ofBombus terrestris. In:Chemistry and Biology of Social Insects (J. Eder, H. Rembold, Eds.), Verlag J. Peperny, München, pp. 557–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duchateau, M. J., 1989.The regulation of colony development in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Ph. D. Thesis. Rijgksuniversiteit te Utrecht.

  • Eickwort, G. C., 1985. The nesting biology of the sweat beeHalictus farinosus in California, with notes onH. ligatus.Pan-Pacif. Entomol. 61:122–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eickwort, G. C., 1986. First steps into eusociality: the sweat beeDialictus lineatulus.Fla. Entomol. 69:742–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eickwort, G. C. and K. R. Eickwort, 1971. Aspects of the biology of Costa Rican halictine bees. II.Dialictus umbripennis and adaptations of its caste structure to different climates.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 44:343–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, C. A., 1985. Social structure ofEuglossa cordata nests.Entomol. Gener. 11:77–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, L., 1982. Year-round culturing and productivity of a sweat bee,Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).J. Kans. Ent. Soc 55:13–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, L. and G. R. Buckle, 1981. Inhibiting of worker mating by queens in a sweat bee (Lasioglossum zephyrum).Ins. Soc. 28:347–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goukon, D., S. F. Sakagami and Y. Maeta, 1986. Bionomic comparison of two subpopulations of a eusocial halictine beeLasioglossum duplex in northern Japan.Japn. J. Ecol. 55:587–600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, W. D., 1972. Altruism and related phenomena, mainly in social insects.Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 3:192–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, C. R. and J. E. Strasmann, 1988. Age is more important than size in determining dominance among workers in the primitively eusocial waspPolistes instabilis.Behavior 107:1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamm, D. R., 1974. Effects of temperature, day length, and number of adults on the sizes of cells and offspring in a primitively social bee.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 47:8–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knerer, G., 1980. Biologie and Sozialverhalten von Bienenarten der GattungHalictus Latreille.Zool Jahrb. (Syst.) 107:511–536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knerer, G., 1981. Biologie von vier kleinen Evylaeus-Arten im Mittelmeergebiet.Zool. Anz. 206:1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knerer, G., 1983. The biology and social behavior ofEvylaeus linearis (Schenck).Zool. Anz. 211:177–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. F. and B. P. May, 1985. A re-examination of genetic variability inDialictus zephyrus (Hymenoptera, Halictidae),Evolution 39:226–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. F. and B. P. May, 1988. Dominance hierarchy in the primitively eusocial beeLasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum: Is genealogical relationship important?Anim. Behav. 36:1848–1850.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S., 1975. Relations among bee size, cell size, and caste inLasioglossum zephyrum.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 48:374–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litte, M., 1977. Aspects of the social biology of the beeHalictus ligatus in New York State.Ins. Soc. 24:9–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, B., J. E. Wright and M. Stoneking, 1979. Joint segregation of biochemical loci in Salmonidae: results from experiments withSalvelinus and review of the literature on other species.J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 36:1114–1128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf, R. A., 1980. Sex ratios, parent-offspring conflict, and local competition for mates in the social waspsPolistes metricus andPolistes variatus.Am. Nat. 116:642–654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., 1964. Reproductive efficiency in relation to colony size in Hymenoptera societies.Ins. Soc. 4:317–342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., 1974.The Social Behavior of the Bees. A Comparative Study. Cambridge: Belknap Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., 1988.Reproduction and caste in social halictine bees. W. Engles (ed.)Social Insects: An Evolutionary Approach to Castes and Reproduction. Munich; Springer-Verlag, pp. 75–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D. and D. J. Brothers, 1971. A simplified observation nest for burrowing bees.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 44:236–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D. and D. J. Brothers, 1974. Were workers of eusocial Hymenoptera initially altruistic or oppressed?Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 71:671–674.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., D. J. Brothers and D. R. Kamm, 1971a. Interactions in colonies of primitively social bees II. Artificial colonies ofLasioglossum zephyrum.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci (USA) 68:1241–1245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., D. J. Brothers and D. R. Kamm, 1971b. Interactions in colonies of primitively social bees II. Queen-worker relations inLasioglossum zephyrum.J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 44:276–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, R. E. and R. C. Plowright, 1982. Worker-queen conflict and male parentage in bumble bees.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol 11:91–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., 1983. The nesting biology and social organization ofLasioglossum (Evylaeus) laticeps (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in England.Ins. Soc. 30:367–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., 1985. Two social halictine bees from southern Mexico with a note on two bee hunting philanthine wasps.Pan-Pacif. Entomol. 61:291–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., 1986a. The social organization ofHalictus ligatus (Hymenoptera; Halictidae) in southern Ontario.Can. J. Zool. 64:2317–2324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., 1986b. Competition over oviposition in subtropical and temperate populations of the social sweat beeHalictus ligatus. In:Chemistry and Biology of Social Insects (J. Eder, H. Rembold, Eds.), Verlag J. Peperny, Munich, p. 391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., 1987. An unexpectedly high female bias to the sex ratio in a temperate population ofHalictus ligatus — a primitively social sweat bee. In:Chemistry and Biology of Social Insects (J. Eder, H. Rembold, Eds.), Verlag J. Peperny, Munich, p. 391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. and G. Knerer, 1985. Social evolution and its correlate in bees of the subgenusEvylaeus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol 17:143–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. and G. Knerer, 1986. The biology of a subtropical population ofHalictus ligatus Say I. Phenology and social organization.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 18:363–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Page, R. E., Jr. and E. H. Erickson, 1988. Reproduction of worker honeybees.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 23:117–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Queller, D. C. and K. F. Goodnight, 1989. Estimation of genetic relatedness using allozyme data.Evolution 43:258–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Röseler, P. F. and L. Röseler, 1977. Dominance in humbleness. In:Proc. 8th Int. Congr. IUSSI, pp. 232–234.

  • Sakagami, S. F., 1980. Bionomics of the halictine bees in northern Japan I.Halictus (Halictus) tsingtouensis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), with notes on the number of origins of eusociality.Kontyû 48:526–536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakagami, S. F., 1982. Stingless bees. In:Social Insects Vol. 3, (H. R. Hermann, Ed.), pp. 361–423.

  • Sakagami, S. F. and M. Munakatta, 1972. Distribution and bionomics of a transpalearactic, eusocial, halictine bee,Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) calceatum in northern Japan with reference to its solitary life cycle at high altitudes.J. Fac. Sci Hokkaido Univ. Ser. 6, Zool. 18:411–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakagami, S. F., Y. Hirashima, Y. Maeta and T. Matsumura, 1982. Bionomic notes on the social halictine beeLasioglossum affine.Esakia 19:161–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seeley, T. D., 1985.Honeybee Ecology. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H., 1987. Effects of genealogical relationship and colony age on dominance hierarchy in the primitively eusocial beeLasioglossum zephyrum.Anim. Behav. 35:211–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H., 1988. Genealogical relationship and social dominance in bees: A reply to Kukuk & May.Anim. Behav. 34:1850–1851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R. and F. J. Rohlf, 1969.Biometry. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trivers, R. L. and H. Hare, 1976. Haplodiploidy and the evolution of the social insects.Science 191:249–263.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Velthuis, H., 1987. The evolution of sociality: Ultimate and proximate factors leading to primitive social behavior in carpenter bees. In:From Individual to Collective Behavior in Social Insects, (J. M. Pasteels, J. L. Denenbourg, Eds.),Experientia Suppl. 54:405–430.

  • Visscher, P. K., 1989. A quantitative study of worker reproduction in honey bee colonies.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 25:247–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard, M. J., 1967. Foundress associations in polistine wasps. Dominance hierarchies and the evolution of social behavior.Science 157:1584–1585.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard, M. J., 1977. The establishment of reproductive dominance in social wasp colonies. In:Proc. 8th Int. Congr. IUSSI, pp. 223–227.

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. P. F. Kukuk

    Present address: Division of Biological Science, University of Montana, 59812, Missoula, MT, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA

    P. F. Kukuk

  2. Cornell Laboratory for Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics and Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA

    B. May

Authors
  1. P. F. Kukuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. May
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kukuk, P.F., May, B. Colony dynamics in a primitively eusocial halictine beeLasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Ins. Soc 38, 171–188 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01240967

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01240967

Key words

Search

Navigation