Monogamy in large bee societies: a stingless paradox

Author(s)

Jaffe, Rodolfo ^{[1, 2]} ; Pioker-Hara, Fabiana C. ^[3] ; dos Santos, Charles F. ^[4] ; Santiago, Leandro R. ^[5] ; Alves, Denise A. ^[6] ; Kleinert, Astrid de M. P. ^[1] ; Francoy, Tiago M. ^[3] ; Arias, Maria C. ^[5] ; Imperatriz-Fonseca, Vera L. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rural Semi Arido, Dept Ciencias Anim, BR-59625900 Mossoro, RN - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Escola Artes Ciencias & Humanidades, BR-03828000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande do Sul, Dept Biodiversidade & Ecol, BR-90619900 Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Genet & Biol Evolut, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Entomol & Acarol, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, BR-13418900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN; v. 101, n. 3, p. 261-264, MAR 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 16

Abstract

High genetic diversity is important for the functioning of large insect societies. Across the social Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps), species with the largest colonies tend to have a high colony-level genetic diversity resulting from multiple queens (polygyny) or queens that mate with multiple males (polyandry). Here we studied the genetic structure of Trigona spinipes, a stingless bee species with colonies an order of magnitude larger than those of polyandrous honeybees. Genotypes of adult workers and pupae from 43 nests distributed across three Brazilian biomes showed that T. spinipes colonies are usually headed by one singly mated queen. Apart from revealing a notable exception from the general incidence of high genetic diversity in large insect societies, our results reinforce previous findings suggesting the absence of polyandry in stingless bees and provide evidence against the sperm limitation hypothesis for the evolution of polyandry. Stingless bee species with large colonies, such as T. spinipes, thus seem promising study models to unravel alternative mechanisms to increase genetic diversity within colonies or understand the adaptive value of low genetic diversity in large insect societies. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/19717-4 - Intraspecific social parasitism as a reproductive strategy in stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini)
• Grantee: Denise de Araujo Alves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 12/13200-5 - Promoting meliponiculture to achieve rural sustainable development
• Grantee: Rodolfo Jaffé Ribbi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 11/07857-9 - Populational characterization of orchid bees (Apidae, Euglossini) from São Paulo State using geometric morphometrics of wings, mitochondrial DNA variability and cuticular hydrocarbons
• Grantee: Tiago Mauricio Francoy
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Young Investigators Grants