Call number: LD2668 .T4 1928 W51

No description available.

This thesis examines the roles of endothermy and body size in the thermal biology of solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) within the species Anthophora plumipes (Anthophoridae) Amegilla sapiens (Anthophoridae) and Creightonellafrontalis (Megachilidae), within the genus Anthophora, and over the Apoidea as a whole. The effects of body size, climate and sexual interactions on the biology of Anthophora plumipes were investigated in Oxford between 1987 and 1989. Both ambient temperature and body size had a significant effect on females' ability to forage, what time they initiated foraging in the morning, and the type and mass of provisions collected. The behaviour of males was also strongly dependent on ambient temperature, which affected not only when they emerged from their nest tunnels, but also how long they spent basking, when and where they fed, and whether they showed courtship behaviour. The activity patterns and behaviour of male and female A. plumipes over time were shown to correlate with a complex array of factors. Activity patterns of females depended on the quality of floral resources available at foraging sites, body mass, ambient temperature, the position of the female in her nest-provisioning cycle, and levels of male interference at foraging sites. Male behaviour not only depended on body size and ambient temperature, but also on which other bees (particularly male and female conspecifics) were encountered while patrolling food sources and at the nest site. Endothermy in bees is much more widespread than previously thought, and warm-up before flight was present to some degree in all the species examined. Levels of thermoregulation achieved, however, varied considerably between species. Warm-up rates in bees, and thoracic temperatures in free and tethered flight, are shown to depend on ambient temperature and body mass within a species (for temperate and tropical examples), across members of the genus Anthophora and across the Apoidea as a whole. The persistence of these relationships over a range of comparative levels suggests that they are of fundamental importance. The form of these relationships differs between families in the Apoidea, and significant patterns only emerge when a comparative technique controlling for phylogeny is applied. Furthermore, body temperatures may also depend, in at least some cases, on sex and there may be differences within a group of related species between provisioning and parasitic forms. The interaction of all these factors is complex, and the predictive value of a variable such as body mass does not always emerge unless sophisticated techniques are used to control for other variables. The errors associated with two common methods in the measurement of insect body temperatures have often been loosely discussed but rarely quantified. This thesis examines (a) the magnitude and possible effects of errors in 'grab-and-stab' measurement of body temperature, and (b) the errors in measurement of body temperature using fixed sensors linked by thermally conducting leads to measuring devices. In neither case do the demonstrated errors preclude use of the technique, but care with interpretation is required. In both cases, measurement of thoracic temperature in small bees involves the largest errors, and this is the most serious obstacle to comparisons of endothermic and thermoregulatory abilities over the full range of body sizes found in the Apoidea.

The foraging behavior of native solitary and primitively social bees was analyzed by identifying scopal pollen loads. In all species individual bees specialized on one pollen type during single foraging bouts. Generalized foraging behavior at the species level may result from switching pollens on sequential foraging bouts in individuals or from the individuals of a colony simultaneously gathering different pollens. Foraging behavior at the species level had a bimodal distribution, indicating a functional division between specialists and generalists. Though approximately 40% of the generalist species switched pollen preferences between years, no specialist species switched preferences between years. Generalist species have longer seasonal activity periods than specialists. All specialists were found in families (Andrenidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae) or subfamilies (Dufoureinae) in which most species are known to be strictly solitary. Only generalists were found in the subfamily Halictinae which has both social and solitary species. Seasonal variability in flower abundance and phenology was related to foraging preferences of bees. Solitary and primitively social bees, that are univoltine and cannot easily track between-year variation in resources, preferred species with simple flowers and low variability in flower abundance. Bumblebees, with greater behavioral flexibility than solitary bees, used the more abundant and variable flowers when they are available. Foraging behaviors observed in solitary and primitively social bees may result from selection to minimize uncertainty where floral resources are variable and unpredictable between years. The persistence of different foraging behaviors and social behaviors in a bee community may be maintained by the complementary costs and benefits of each behavior. Generalists have greater flexibility in responding to temporal variation, but this flexibility is obtained at the expense of less efficient use of individual floral resources. Specialists do not switch resources and may therefore have greater foraging efficiency, but they will be at a disadvantage when there is high year-to-year variability. Social species can retain both flexibility and efficiency if individual colony members specialize on different resources. However, social bees require a longer period to produce reproductives than do solitary bees, and may have lowered fecundity if the blooming season is unusually short.

Orientador: Fernando Barbosa Noll / Banca: Eduardo A. B. de Almeida / Banca: Gisele Garcia Azevedo / Resumo: Abelhas corbiculadas (Apidae, Apinae, Apini) compartilham a presença de uma estrutura usada para transportar pólen (a corbícula), são indiscutivelmente monofiléticas e estão divididas em quatro subtribos: Apina, Bombina, Euglossina e Meliponina. Todas as abelhas pertencentes às subtribos Apina (A) e Meliponina (M) são altamente eussociais, enquanto as Bombina (B) são primitivamente eussociais e as Euglossina (E) possuem diversos níveis de socialidade. Várias hipóteses filogenéticas já foram propostas para explicar o relacionamento entre essas quatro subtribos e, consequentemente, a evolução do comportamento social. Geralmente, os dados comportamentais, paleontológicos e morfológicos apontam para a topologia (E,(B,(A,M))), propondo que a eussocialidade avançada surgiu uma única vez no ancestral comum ao clado (A,M). Entretanto, os dados moleculares em sua maioria sugerem uma topologia totalmente diferente da anterior ((A,E),(B,M)), propondo que a eussocialidade avançada surgiu duas vezes, uma no ancestral de Apina e outra no ancestral de Meliponina. Outro fato importante é que os dados são discordantes mesmo entre si. Nem todo estudo utilizando dados morfológicos aponta para o primeiro caminho evolutivo e da mesma forma, nem todo estudo molecular aponta para o segundo, havendo uma série de incongruências e problemas a serem resolvidos. Assim, propusemos o levantamento de caracteres comportamentais de auto-limpeza e de caracteres moleculares de quatro genes, dois nucleares e dois mitocondriais. Utilizamos 22 táxons nas análises moleculares e 12 nas análises comportamental e de evidência total. A árvore que melhor explica nossos dados comportamentais é aquela que agrupa Apina com Meliponina e estabelece que Euglossina foi o primeiro grupo a... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Corbiculate bees (Apidae, Apinae, Apini) share the presence of a structure used to carry pollen (the corbiculae), they are undoubtedly monophyletic and comprise four subtribes: Apina (A), Bombina (B), Euglossina (E) and Meliponina (M). All the bees in the subtribes Apina and Meliponina are highly eusocial, while Bombina are primitively eusocial and the species belonging to Euglossina have different levels of sociality. Several phylogenetic hypotheses have already been proposed to explain the relationship among these subtribes and, consequently, the evolution of social behavior. Generally, behavioral, paleontological and morphological data point out to the topology (E,(B,(A,M))), suggesting that advanced eusociality arose only once in the common ancestor to the clade (A,M). However, the molecular data mostly suggest a totally different topology ((A,E),(B,M)), proposing that advanced eusociality arose twice, once in Apina ancestor and another in Meliponina ancestor. Another important fact regarding this is that the data are in disagreement even among themselves, not every study using morphological data points out to the first evolutionary path and similarly, not every molecular study points out to the second. So, there are lots of inconsistencies and problems concerning the Corbiculate bee's phylogeny to be solved. Thus, we propose to look for more characters: behavior patterns of self-grooming as well as molecular data of four genes, two nuclear and two mitochondrial. We used 22 taxa for the molecular analyses and 12 for the behavior and total evidence analyses. The tree that best explains our behavior data is the one that places Apina together with Meliponina and points out that Euglossina was the first to diverge. In the other hand, the topology that best explains our molecular data and the total... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-03-26Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:50:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 canevazzi_ncs_me_sjrp.pdf: 541022 bytes, checksum: edeaf9174e74fb7feaffc6de1563b134 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Abelhas corbiculadas (Apidae, Apinae, Apini) compartilham a presença de uma estrutura usada para transportar pólen (a corbícula), são indiscutivelmente monofiléticas e estão divididas em quatro subtribos: Apina, Bombina, Euglossina e Meliponina. Todas as abelhas pertencentes às subtribos Apina (A) e Meliponina (M) são altamente eussociais, enquanto as Bombina (B) são primitivamente eussociais e as Euglossina (E) possuem diversos níveis de socialidade. Várias hipóteses filogenéticas já foram propostas para explicar o relacionamento entre essas quatro subtribos e, consequentemente, a evolução do comportamento social. Geralmente, os dados comportamentais, paleontológicos e morfológicos apontam para a topologia (E,(B,(A,M))), propondo que a eussocialidade avançada surgiu uma única vez no ancestral comum ao clado (A,M). Entretanto, os dados moleculares em sua maioria sugerem uma topologia totalmente diferente da anterior ((A,E),(B,M)), propondo que a eussocialidade avançada surgiu duas vezes, uma no ancestral de Apina e outra no ancestral de Meliponina. Outro fato importante é que os dados são discordantes mesmo entre si. Nem todo estudo utilizando dados morfológicos aponta para o primeiro caminho evolutivo e da mesma forma, nem todo estudo molecular aponta para o segundo, havendo uma série de incongruências e problemas a serem resolvidos. Assim, propusemos o levantamento de caracteres comportamentais de auto-limpeza e de caracteres moleculares de quatro genes, dois nucleares e dois mitocondriais. Utilizamos 22 táxons nas análises moleculares e 12 nas análises comportamental e de evidência total. A árvore que melhor explica nossos dados comportamentais é aquela que agrupa Apina com Meliponina e estabelece que Euglossina foi o primeiro grupo a... / Corbiculate bees (Apidae, Apinae, Apini) share the presence of a structure used to carry pollen (the corbiculae), they are undoubtedly monophyletic and comprise four subtribes: Apina (A), Bombina (B), Euglossina (E) and Meliponina (M). All the bees in the subtribes Apina and Meliponina are highly eusocial, while Bombina are primitively eusocial and the species belonging to Euglossina have different levels of sociality. Several phylogenetic hypotheses have already been proposed to explain the relationship among these subtribes and, consequently, the evolution of social behavior. Generally, behavioral, paleontological and morphological data point out to the topology (E,(B,(A,M))), suggesting that advanced eusociality arose only once in the common ancestor to the clade (A,M). However, the molecular data mostly suggest a totally different topology ((A,E),(B,M)), proposing that advanced eusociality arose twice, once in Apina ancestor and another in Meliponina ancestor. Another important fact regarding this is that the data are in disagreement even among themselves, not every study using morphological data points out to the first evolutionary path and similarly, not every molecular study points out to the second. So, there are lots of inconsistencies and problems concerning the Corbiculate bee’s phylogeny to be solved. Thus, we propose to look for more characters: behavior patterns of self-grooming as well as molecular data of four genes, two nuclear and two mitochondrial. We used 22 taxa for the molecular analyses and 12 for the behavior and total evidence analyses. The tree that best explains our behavior data is the one that places Apina together with Meliponina and points out that Euglossina was the first to diverge. In the other hand, the topology that best explains our molecular data and the total... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães Pereira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T03:04:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria_CarlaCristinaJudice_D.pdf: 2319952 bytes, checksum: e037242b656f9d55edeac4eaeb12cfb4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: O polifenismo de castas é um fenômeno multifacetado, sendo mais evidente em diferenças na capacidade reprodutiva e na longevidade entre rainhas e operárias. No presente estudo, a abelha sem ferrão Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides foi escolhida para a investigação de diferenças na expressão gênica entre rainhas e operárias recém nascidas. Este estudo foi focalizado em adultos recém nascidos pois esse estágio representa o ponto final do desenvolvimento embrionário e o ponto inicial para o desempenho de tarefas casta-específicas. Inicialmente, foi empregada a metodologia do ¿differential display reverse transcription (DDRT)-PCR¿ e podendo ser detectada a expressão diferenciada de 14 genes entre rainhas e operárias. As diferenças no perfil de expressão foram posteriormente analisadas através de duas bibliotecas subtrativas de cDNA: uma representando genes muito expressos ou induzidos em operárias quando em comparação com rainhas, e a outra representando genes mais expressos na casta rainha. Embora o número total de seqüências geradas não tenha permitido uma compreensão completa dos transcriptomas das castas, foi possível detectar em rainhas a predominância de genes envolvidos na regulação transcricional e no metabolismo, em relação à ampla diversidade de categorias funcionais das ESTs encontradas na casta operária. Um outro grupo representando seqüências de funções desconhecidas apresentou elevada similaridade a seqüências de Apis mellifera, podendo, portanto, conter genes candidatos para investigações em processos específicos das abelhas sociais ou do desenvolvimento de castas de maneira geral. Além disso, este estudo questionou se rainhas induzidas pelo tratamento com hormônio juvenil (HJ) durante a fase larval poderiam apresentar níveis de expressão gênica similares aos de uma rainha produzida de modo natural. Curiosamente, os dados preliminares sugerem que a rainha artificial não apresenta o mesmo transcriptoma de uma rainha natural, indicando que o HJ pode induzir a diferenciação, mas não em todos os aspectos / Abstract: Caste polyphenism is a multifaceted phenomenon, most evident in the marked differences in reproductive capacity and longevity between queens and workers. In the present study, the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides was chosen to investigate differences in gene expression between newly emerged adult queens and workers. This study has focused on newly emerged adults since this stage represents the endpoint of post-embryonic development and the starting point for caste-specific task performance.Initially, the methodology of differential display reverse transcription (DDRT)-PCR was employed and the differential expression for 14 M. quadrifasciata genes could be detected between queens and workers. The differences in the expression profile of the castes were further analysed through two subtractive cDNA libraries: one representing the genes that are overexpressed in workers, when compared with queens and the other representing genes which are overexpressed in queens.Although the total number of sequence does not allow a comprehensive picture of the caste transcriptomes, there seems to exist a predominance of genes involved in transcriptional regulation and metabolism in the queen ESTs, versus a much broader spectrum of categories in the worker ESTs. Another group representing sequences with unknown function displayed significant matches only with the Apis database and, therefore, may contain candidates for further investigations on processes specific to social bees or caste development in general.In addition, this study addressed the question of whether queens induced by treatment with juvenile hormone (JH) during the larval phase display genes with similar expression levels as naturally produced queens. Remarkably, our preliminary data suggest that the artificial queen does not present the same transcriptome of a natural queen, indicating that JH may not induce all aspects of the differentiation process / Doutorado / Genetica Animal e Evolução / Doutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular