Oviposition Behavior of the Stingless Bees : XX. Plebeia (Plebeia) julianii Which Forms Very Small Brood Batches (Hymenoptera : Apidae, Meliponinae)

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Plebeia (Plebeia) julianii shares four ethological features, which are absent in any other so far observed stingless bees, with four consubgeners (P. droryana, emerina, poecilochroa, remota) : 1-Queen locomotion very quick and abrupt. 2-Before food provisioning by workers, the queen violently running around the comb. 3-Workers laying eggs mainly on the comb long before the start of food provisioning. 4-Cell inspection by the queen before ovipositions mostly omitted. Meanwhile, P. julianii differs from other observed consubgeners in : (1) cells semicombed, not typically combed, (2) queen's wing beatings virtually absent, and (3) batch size very small, only 1-4 cells. The last feature is noteworthy since it results in a POP structure somewhat similar to that of Melipona, though three basic features common to other consubgeners, synchronous cell construction, obligatory batch formation and synchronous food provisioning in cells, are still vestigially retained. Ethological diagnosis common to five consubgeners is given together with a tentative comparison with other taxa.
1998-06-25