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Distribution and abundance of colonies of selected meliponine species in a Costa Rican tropical wet forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1999

Michael D. Breed ,
Terrence P. McGlynn ,
Michael D. Sanctuary ,
Erin M. Stocker  and
Randolph Cruz
Michael D. Breed
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA
Terrence P. McGlynn
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA
Michael D. Sanctuary
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA
Erin M. Stocker
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA
Randolph Cruz
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334 USA
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Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess territoriality and foraging home ranges for stingless bee species; and to develop methods for censusing stingless bee colonies. Colonies of two meliponine bee species, Trigona corvina Cockerell and Trigona amalthea Vachal, were censused using carrion and honey baits. Trigona corvina and Trigona amalthea are dispersed in a Costa Rican tropical wet forest (La Selva) so that foraging ranges of the colonies are non-overlapping. The nest density was c. 0.25 ha−1 for T. amalthea and 1.0 ha−1 for T. corvina. T. corvina visited carrion baits exclusively, while T. amalthea visited both carrion and honey baits. The identities of T. amalthea colonies were confirmed using a nestmate recognition assay. Partamona peckolti Friese, Plebeia frontalis Friese, and T. fulviventris Guerin also appeared at the baits. The reliability of baiting to determine colony abundance and distribution is assessed.

Keywords

agonistic behaviourcarrioncompetitive interactionsdistributionfeeding preferencesnectarTrigona
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 15 , Issue 6 , November 1999 , pp. 765 - 777
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

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