Interspecific Morphological Variation in Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera : Apidae, Meliponinae) Associated with Floral Shape and Location in an Asian Tropical Rainforest

概要

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Interspecific morphological variation in 17 sympatric stingless bee species and sugar concentration of nectar loads of six species were studied in Sarawak. Canonical discriminant analysis based on seven morphological characters showed that Trigona erythrogastra and T. thoracica had the longest tongues (glossa length (GL)≥2.5 mm), and that T. nitidiventris and T. itama had longer tongues (2.5>GL≥1.5 mm). These four species had tubular glossae. These results agree that T. itama and T. erythrogastra visited deep flowers. Among 13 short-tongued species that used shallow flowers, there are two understory-foraging species, T. melina and T. melanocephala. Difference in micro-climatic conditions between canopy and understory may affect sugar concentration of available floral nectar through evaporation. Though T. melina and T. melanocephala had tubular glossae which may be suitable to dilute nectar, sugar concentration of their nectar loads brought to their colonies was not lower than canopy-foraging species.
日本昆虫学会の論文
1998-06-25