Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-7drxs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T21:38:43.575Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

THE LIFE CYCLE AND SOCIAL LEVEL OF EVYLAEUS NIGRIPES (HYMENOPTERA: HALICTINAE), A MEDITERRANEAN HALICTINE BEE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

G. Knerer  and
C. Plateaux-Quénu
G. Knerer
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Evolution des Etres organisés, Paris et Station biologique des Eyzies, Dordogne
C. Plateaux-Quénu
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Evolution des Etres organisés, Paris et Station biologique des Eyzies, Dordogne
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Evylaeus nigripes (Lep.) is a large, polylectic social halictine bee, common in the Mediterranean region. Haplometrotic and pleometrotic nests are established late in spring and clusters of from 6 to 15 cells are constructed and surrounded by a cavity. A summer brood of small females and a few males emerges from these cells in July. The summer females behave as workers; they remain in their mother’s nest, assist in the construction of a deeper and larger cell cluster, forage for pollen and nectar, but do not guard the nest. They show some ovarian inhibition in a matrifilial society but become egglayers in queenless nests or when establishing their own burrows. They are much shorter-lived than their mothers, require no diapause, and are unattractive to the summer males. The social level of E. nigripes is comparatively high; summer males are less than 5% of the total brood. Queen and workers are relatively distinct morphs, although caste determination can be influenced by environmental factors. Sphecodes alternatus Smith is its specific parasitoid whereas several bombyliids, mutillids, and conopids attack E. nigripes as part of a much wider range of hosts.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 102 , Issue 2 , February 1970 , pp. 185 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Knerer, G. 1968. Zur Bienenfauna Niederösterreichs: Die Unterfamilie Halictinae. Zool. Anz. 181: 82–117.Google Scholar
Knerer, G. 1969 a. Brood care in halictine bees. Science 164: 429–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knerer, G. 1969 b. Synergistic evolution of halictine nest architecture and social behavior. Can. J. Zool. 47: 925–930.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knerer, G., and Atwood, C. E.. 1966. Polymorphism in some nearctic halictine bees. Science 152: 1262–1263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knerer, G., and MacKay, P.. 1969. Bionomic notes on the solitary Evylaeus oenotherae (Stevens) (Hymenoptera: Halictinae), a matinal summer bee visiting cultivated Onagraceae. Can. J. Zool. 47: 289–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knerer, G., and Plateaux-Quénu, C.. 1966. Sur l'importance de l'ouverture des cellules à couvain dans l'évolution des Halictinae. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 263: 1622–1625.Google Scholar
Knerer, G., and Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1967 a. Sur la production continue ou périodique de couvain chez les Halictinae. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 264: 651–653.Google Scholar
Knerer, G., and Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1967 b. Sur la production de mâles chez les “Halictinae” sociaux. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 264: 1096–1099.Google Scholar
Knerer, G., and Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1967 c. Usurpation de nids étrangers et parasitisme facultatif chez Halictus scabiosae (Rossi) (Insecte Hymenoptère). Insectes soc. 14: 47–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1959. Un nouveau type de société d'Insectes: Halictus marginatus Brullé. Ann. Biol. 35: 325–444.Google Scholar
Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1965 a. Sur le cycle biologique de Halictus nigripes Lep. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 260: 2331–2333.Google Scholar
Plateaux-Quénu, C. 1965 b. Sur la succession des activités de la fondauice de Halictus nigripes Lep. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 260: 2609–2612.Google Scholar
Plateaux-Quénu, C., and Knerer, G.. 1968. Régulation sociale dans les sociétés orphelines d'Evylaeus nigripes (Lep.) (Hym., Halictidae). Insectes soc. 15: 31–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, O. W. 1953. The social insects. MacDonald, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruttner, F. 1966. Welche Faktoren bestimmen das Geschlecht? Umschau 21: 693–696.Google Scholar
Sakagami, S. F., and Michener, C. D.. 1962. The nest structure of the sweat bees (Halictinae). University of Kansas Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Stoeckhert, F. K. 1932. Die Bienen Frankens. Dt ent. Z., Beiheft (1933), 1–294.Google Scholar