Título:	Correlated expression of phenotypic and extended phenotypic traits across stingless bee species: worker eye morphology, foraging behaviour, and nest entrance architecture.
Autor:	SEGERS, F. H. I. D GRÜTER, C. MENEZES, C. MATEUS, S. RATNIEKS, F. L. W.
Afiliación:	FRANCISCA H I G SEGERS, University of Bristol CHRISTOPH GRÜTER, University of Bristol CRISTIANO MENEZES, CNPMA SIDNEI MATEUS, Universidade de São Paulo FRANCIS L W RATNIEKS, University of Sussex.
Año:	2022
Referencia:	Journal of Apicultural Research, v. 61, n. 5, p. 598-608, 2022.
Descripción:	Abstract: Stingless bees are the most species-rich group of eusocial bees and show great diversity in behaviour, ecology, nest architecture, colony size, and worker morphology. How this variation relates to varying selection pressures and constraints is not well understood. Variation can be caused by selection acting on behavioural or morphological traits, both alone and in correlation across traits. Here we tested whether behavioural and morphological traits important for foraging and defence are linked to nest-entrance architecture, an extended phenotype relevant to both foraging and nest defence. Using 23 species we investigated whether eye size, nest entrance size, landing behaviour and foraging method show cross-species correlations. A phylogenetically-controlled comparative analysis revealed that species with relatively smaller eyes build relatively larger entrances, which in turn are associated with faster landing approaches and fewer landing errors by foragers, both of which could reduce predation risk. Concerning foraging, mass-recruiting species have c. 10-times larger entrance holes than species with a solitary foraging strategy. Larger entrances could help species with mass recruitment to rapidly increase forager traffic or mount a strong defensive response when under attack. Our results show that studying correlations among different traits helps understand phenotypic diversity in species rich groups.
Thesagro:	Olho Morfologia Animal Ninho
NAL Thesaurus:	Stingless bees Eyes Phenotypic variation Insect morphology Insect nests Foraging Phenotype
Palabras clave:	Abelha sem ferrão Arquitetura do ninho
ISSN:	0021-8839
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2022.2114711
Tipo de Material:	Artigo de periódico
Acceso:	openAccess
Aparece en las colecciones:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CNPMA)