<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<p>A study was conducted to document nest intruders in newly divided colonies of stingless bees. The nature of the damage, the sequence of activities after colony division, and task allocation in the colony were studied. Three insect invaders - solitary resin bees (<italic>Megachile disjuncta</italic>, <italic>M. cephalotes</italic>), ants (<italic>Oecophylla smaragdina</italic> and <italic>Camponotus</italic> sp.) and spiders belonging to the family Salticidae and Lycosidae invaded the colonies during the earlier stages of division. The mean number of resin bees and ant invasions was significantly higher during the first week after division. Spiders invaded the hives and formed webs during the second week after division, resin and honey resources are robbed by resin bees and ants. Nest entrance closure was observed at 4.37±0.74 days after colony division guard bee activity from 6.13±1.24 days and foraging activity from 10.63±1.06 days after division. Observations on the task allocation framework after colony division indicated that 69% of bees were involved in hive entrance repair, 18% in colony architecture development, and 13% in tending to newly emerged bees from brood cells. The bees built a complex nest entrance, guarded activity and demonstrated nest closure behaviour in order to protect the nest against intruders. The results of the study are of prime importance for beekeepers to learn how to watch for hive intruders during colony division and to understand the adaptive defence mechanism to protect colonies.</p>
</abstract>

A study was conducted to document nest intruders in newly divided colonies of stingless bees. The nature of the damage, the sequence of activities after colony division, and task allocation in the colony were studied. Three insect invaders - solitary resin bees (Megachile disjuncta, M. cephalotes), ants (Oecophylla smaragdina and Camponotus sp.) and spiders belonging to the family Salticidae and Lycosidae invaded the colonies during the earlier stages of division. The mean number of resin bees and ant invasions was significantly higher during the first week after division. Spiders invaded the hives and formed webs during the second week after division, resin and honey resources are robbed by resin bees and ants. Nest entrance closure was observed at 4.37±0.74 days after colony division guard bee activity from 6.13±1.24 days and foraging activity from 10.63±1.06 days after division. Observations on the task allocation framework after colony division indicated that 69% of bees were involved in hive entrance repair, 18% in colony architecture development, and 13% in tending to newly emerged bees from brood cells. The bees built a complex nest entrance, guarded activity and demonstrated nest closure behaviour in order to protect the nest against intruders. The results of the study are of prime importance for beekeepers to learn how to watch for hive intruders during colony division and to understand the adaptive defence mechanism to protect colonies.

Adaptive Defence Strategies of the Stingless Bee, <italic>Tetragonula Iridipennis</italic> Smith. Against Nest Intruders in a Newly Divided Colony

Journal of Apicultural Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Adaptive Defence Strategies of the Stingless Bee,  Smith. Against Nest Intruders in a Newly Divided Colony

A study was conducted to document nest intruders in newly divided colonies of stingless bees. The nature of the damage, the sequence of activities after colony...

Adaptive Defence Strategies of the Stingless Bee, Tetragonula Iridipennis Smith. Against Nest Intruders in a Newly Divided Colony

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Dec 22, 2023

Page range: 91 - 101

Received: Jan 30, 2023

Accepted: Aug 03, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2023-0007

Keywords
defence, intruders, nest architecture, nest entrance closure

© 2023 Udayakumar Amala et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Adaptive Defence Strategies of the Stingless Bee, Tetragonula Iridipennis Smith. Against Nest Intruders in a Newly Divided Colony

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Dec 22, 2023

Page range: 91 - 101

Received: Jan 30, 2023

Accepted: Aug 03, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2023-0007

Keywordsdefence, intruders, nest architecture, nest entrance closure

© 2023 Udayakumar Amala et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
defence, intruders, nest architecture, nest entrance closure