A filmed copulation of Ctenoplectra (Ctenoplectrini, Apidae) bees suggests that males may chemically mark females

IF 2.4 3区农林科学 Q1 ENTOMOLOGY

Apidologie Pub Date : 2024-09-02 DOI:10.1007/s13592-024-01102-7

Susanne S. Renner, Meng Zhang, Antonio J. C. Aguiar, Shuang-Quan Huang

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Abstract

Recent fieldwork on tropical bees has revealed that males of Ctenoplectrini, Tapinotaspidini, and Tetrapediini collect floral oils, but it remains unknown for which purpose. Observations and chemical tests in Yunnan show that at least 31 species of Dendrobium and two of Galeola orchids have oil hairs on their petals attracting male Ctenoplectra cornuta who collect the secretion in the same way as do females, which however prefer cucurbit flowers. We observed territoriality and mating on flowers and present a filmed copulation sequence during which the male grasps the female’s scutellum with his mandibles and repeatedly brushes her metasomal fringes with his hind legs and her hind scopae with his mid legs. We hypothesize that male Ctenoplectra scent-mark females during mating, which would explain why the males collect floral oils. Mating behavior has so far been documented in but a few dozen solitary bees, and it is for this reason that we here make available the first filmed copulation of any Ctenoplectrini.

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蜜蜂栉水母（Ctenoplectrini，Apidae）的交配录像表明，雄蜂可能会用化学方法标记雌蜂

最近对热带蜜蜂的实地考察发现，Ctenoplectrini、Tapinotaspidini 和 Tetrapediini 的雄蜂会采集花油，但采集花油的目的是什么仍不得而知。在云南进行的观察和化学测试表明，至少有 31 种石斛兰和两种羽衣甘蓝的花瓣上有油毛，会吸引雄性栉水母（Ctenoplectra cornuta），它们收集分泌物的方式与雌性栉水母相同，但雌性栉水母更喜欢葫芦科植物的花朵。我们观察了栉水母的领地意识和在花朵上的交配过程，并拍摄了雄性栉水母用下颚抓住雌性花被的过程，雄性栉水母用后腿反复擦拭雌性花被的副鳞片边缘，用中腿反复擦拭雌性花被的后鳞片。我们推测雄性栉水母在交配时会给雌性留下气味标记，这也解释了为什么雄性栉水母会收集花油。迄今为止，只有几十只独居蜜蜂的交配行为被记录下来，因此我们在此首次拍摄到栉水母的交配行为。

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来源期刊

Apidologie 生物-昆虫学

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

8.30%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Apidologie is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the biology of insects belonging to the superfamily Apoidea. Its range of coverage includes behavior, ecology, pollination, genetics, physiology, systematics, toxicology and pathology. Also accepted are papers on the rearing, exploitation and practical use of Apoidea and their products, as far as they make a clear contribution to the understanding of bee biology. Apidologie is an official publication of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and Deutscher Imkerbund E.V. (D.I.B.)