Recognition and Defensive Behavior of Nannotrigona testaceicornis Workers (Lepeletier, 1836) (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in Intra and Inter-colonial Bioassays

Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Lepeletier, 1836) is a stingless bee with wide distribution in the Brazilian territory. Despite its importance in meliponiculture and pollination, there are still few behavioral studies related to the species. The aim of this work was to characterize the recognition and defense behaviors in intraspecific bioassays carried out in N. testaceicornis colonies. Intra and inter-colonial bioassays were carried out with six colonies from different locations. The number of occurrences of each behavioral act, latency measures, and duration of confrontations were quantified. An ethogram with eight behavioral acts and two categories was elaborated. The acceptance rate was significantly higher in intra-colonial confrontations and the rejection rate was higher in inter-colonial confrontations. The rejection process was significantly higher than the acceptance process, which may be related to the specific behavioral repertoire of each process. Results indicate that the presence of an intraspecific intruder triggers an aggressive response from guards positioned in the colony access tube.