Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Escalation of Aggressive Interactions During Staged Encounters in Halictus ligatus Say (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), with a Comparison of Circle Tube Behaviors with Other Halictine Species'

  • Published:
Journal of Insect Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Circle tube experiments on the primitively eusocial bee, Halictus ligatus, were performed for a variety of combinations of caste and size. Push, Lunge, and Back without reverse behaviors enabled us to determine the dominant individual in most comparisons. Behavioral differences were readily detected within the first 15 min except for different-size forager–forager and same-size foundress–foundress pairs, for which 30 min of observations was required. In same-size forager–forager pairs, no differences in behaviors between individuals were detected even after 90 min. In extended observations, decreases in the frequency of the mild dominant behaviors were accompanied by a switch to the highly aggressive mandibular hold on the neck, particularly in different-size foundress–foundress and gyne–gyne pairs. Three workers were killed by their own queen as a result of this escalation of aggression. We discuss caste-based differences in the circle tube setting in terms of behaviors expected under more normal conditions and compare our data with published results from other species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Batra, S. W. (1964). Behavior of the social bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum, within the nest (Hymenoptera, Halictidae). Insectes Soc. 2: 159-186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batra, S. W. (1966). The life cycle and behavior of the primitively eusocial bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum (Halictidae). Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 46: 359-423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, W. (1974). Recognition of resident and non-resident individuals in intraspecific nest defense of a primitively eusocial halictine bee. J. Comp. Physiol. 93: 195-202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, W. J., and Hawkins, W. A. (1974). Patterns of intraspecific agonistic interactions involved in nest defense of a primitively eusocial halictine bee. J. Comp. Physiol. 93: 183-193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, W. J., Breed, M. D., Richards, K. W., and Michener, C. D. (1974). Social, stimulatory and motivational factors involved in intraspecific nest defense of a primitively eusocial halictine bee. J. Comp. Physiol. 93: 173-181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourke, A. F. G. (1988). Worker reproduction in the higher eusocial Hymenoptera. Quart. Rev. Biol. 63: 291-311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D. (1977). Interactions among individuals and queen replacement in a eusocial halictine bee. Proceedings, VIIIth Congress IUSSI, Wageningen; The Netherlands, pp. 228-231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D., and Gamboa, G. J. (1977). Behavioral control of workers by queens in primitively eusocial bees. Science 195: 694-695.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breed, M. D., Silverman, J. M., and Bell, W. J. (1978). Agonistic behavior, social interactions, and behavioral specialization in a primitively eusocial bee. Insectes Soc. 25: 351-364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brothers, D. J., and Michener, C. D. (1974). Interactions in colonies of primitively eusocial bees. III. Ethometry of division of labor in Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J. Comp. Physiol. 90: 129-168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G. R. (1982). Queen-worker behavior and nesmate (sic) interactions in young colonies of Lasioglossum zephyrum. Insectes Soc. 29: 125-137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckle, G., and Greenberg, L. (1981). Nestmate recognition in sweat bees (Lasioglossum zephyrum): Does an individual recognize its own odor or only odors of its nestmates? Anim. Behav. 29: 802-809.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, J. T., and Fitzgerald, T. D. (1996). Developments in social terminology: Semantic battles in a conceptual war. Trends Ecol. Evol. 11: 285-289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffield, R. M., Fernandes, A., Lamb, C., Wheeler, J. W., and Eickwort, G. C. (1981). Macrocyclic lactones and isopentenyl esters in the Dufour's gland secretion of halictine bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 7: 319-331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, D. J. C., and Ross, K. G. (1985). Regulation of reproduction in eusocial Hymenoptera. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 30: 319-343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Free, J. B., Weinberg, I., and Whiten, A. (1969). The egg-eating behavior of Bombus lapidarius L. Behaviour 35: 313-317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goukon, K., Maeta, Y., and Sakagami, S. F. (1988). Seasonal changes in ovarian state in a eusocial halictine bee, Lasioglossum duplex, based on stages of the oldest oocytes in each ovariole (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Res. Popul. Ecol. 29: 255-269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, L. (1979). Genetic component of bee odor in kin recognition. Science 206: 1095-1097.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hediger, H. (1964). Wild Animals in Captivity, Dover, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Humason, G. (1973). Animal Tissue Techniques, W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaitala, V., Smith, B. H., and Getz, W. M. (1990). Nesting strategies of primitively eusocial bees: Amodel of nest usurpation during the solitary stage of the nesting cycle. J. Theor. Biol. 144: 445-471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamm, D. R. (1974). Effects of temperature, day length, and number of adults on the sizes of offspring in a primitively social bee. J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 47: 8-18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knerer, G. (1980). Biologie und sozialverhalten von bienenarten der gattung Halictus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Zool. Jb. Syst. 107: 511-536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knerer, G. (1992). The biology and social behavior of Evylacus malachurus (K.) (Hymenoptera; Halictidae) in different climatic regions of Europe. Zool. Jb. Syst. 119: 261-290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. (1992a). Cannibalism in social bees. In Elgar, M. A., and Crespi, B. J. (eds.), Cannibalism: Ecology and Evolution Among Diverse Taxa, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. F. (1992b). Social interactions and familiarity in a communal halictine bee Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) hemichalceum. Ethology 91: 291-300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. F., and Decelles, P. C. (1986). Behavioral evidence for population structure in Lasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum female dispersion patterns. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 19: 233-239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukuk, P. F., Breed, M. D., Sobti, A., and Bell, W. (1977). The contributions of kinship and conditioning to nest recognition and colony member recognition in a primitively eusocial bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 2: 319-327.

    Google Scholar 

  • McConnell-Garner, J., and Kukuk, P. (1997). Behavioral interactions of two solitary, halictine bees with comparisons among solitary, communal and eusocial species. Ethology 103: 19-32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D. (1974). The Social Behavior of Bees: A Comparative Study, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D. (1977). Aspects of the evolution of castes in primitively eusocial insects. Proceedings, VIIIth Congress IUSSI, Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 2-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D. (1990). Reproduction and castes in social halictine bees. In Engels, W. (ed.), Social Insects: An Evolutionary Approach to Castes and Reproduction, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., and Brothers, D. J. (1974). Were workers of eusocial Hymenoptera initially altruistic or oppressed? Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71: 671-674.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., and Wille, A. (1961). The bionomics of a primitively social bee, Lasioglossum inconspicuum. Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 42: 1123-1202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michener, C. D., Brothers, D. J., and Kamm, D. R. (1971). Interactions in colonies of primitively eusocial bees: Artificial colonies of Lasioglossum zephyrum. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 68: 1241-1245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packard, J. M., Babbitt, K. J., Hannon, P. G., and Grant, W. E. (1990). Infanticide in captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu). Zoo Biol. 9: 49-53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. (1986a). Aspects of the social biology of Halictus ligatus Say (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Ph.D. thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. (1986b). Multiple-foundress associations in a temperate population of Halictus ligatus (Hymenoptera; Halictidae). Can. J. Zool. 64: 2325-2332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. (1987). Competition over oviposition in subtropical and temperate populations of the social sweat bee Halictus ligatus. In Eder, J., and Rembold, H. (eds.), Chemistry and Biology of Social Insects, Verlag J. Peperny, Munchen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L. (1993). Multiple foundress associations in sweat bees. In Keller, L. (ed.), Queen Number and Sociality in Insects, Oxford University Press. Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., and Knerer, G. (1986). An analysis of variation in the nest architecture of Halictus ligatus in Ontario. Insectes Soc. 33: 190-215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, L., and Owen, R. E. (1994). Relatedness and sex ratio in a primitively eusocial halictine bee. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 34: 1-10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paxton, R. J., Kukuk, P. F., and Tengo, J. (1999). Effects of familiarity and nestmate number on social interactions in two communal bees, Andrena scotica and Panurgus calcaratus (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae). Insectes Soc. 46: 109-118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, M. H., Packer, L., and Seger, J. (1995). Unexpected patterns of parentage and relatedness in a primitively eusocial bee. Nature 373: 239-241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roseler, P. F., and van Honk, C. G. J. (1990). Castes and reproduction in bumblebees. In Engels, W. (ed.), Social Insects: An Evolutionary Approach to Castes and Reproduction, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakagami, S. F., and Wain (1966). Halictus latisignatus Cameron: Apolymorphic Indian halictine bee with caste differentiation. J. Bombay Natur. Hist. Soc. 63: 57-73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H. (1983). Recognition of female kin by male bees through olfactory signals. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80: 4551-4553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H. (1987). Effects of genealogical relationship and colony age on the dominance hierarchy in the primitively eusocial bee Lasioglossum zephyrum. Anim. Behav. 35: 211-217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H., and Weller, C. (1989). Social competition among gynes in halictine bees: The influence of bee size and pheromones on behavior. J. Insect Behav. 2: 397-411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H., and Wenzel, J. H. (1988). Pheromonal covariation and kinship in social bee Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 14: 87-94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H., Carlson, R. G., and Frazier, J. (1985). Identification and bioassay of macrocyclic lactone sex pheromones of halictine bee Lasioglossum zephyrum. J. Chem. Ecol. 11: 1447-1456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R., and Rohlf, F. J. (1995). Biometry, 3rd ed., W. H. Freeman, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wcislo, W. T. (1997). Elements of dominance behavior and social interactions in a solitary bee, Lasioglossum (Dialictus) figueresi (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Insectes Soc. 44: 199-208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, D. E. (1986). Developmental and physiological determinants of caste in social Hymenoptera: Evolutionary implications. Am. Nat. 128: 13-34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1971). The Insect Societies, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1975). Sociobiology: A New Synthesis, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winston, M. L. (1987). The Biology of the Honey Bee, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar, J. H. (1984). Biostatistical Analysis, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Banting Institute, University of Toronto, 100 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L5, Canada

    N. Pabalan

  2. Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada

    K. G. Davey

  3. Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada

    L. Packer

Authors
  1. N. Pabalan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. G. Davey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Packer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pabalan, N., Davey, K.G. & Packer, L. Escalation of Aggressive Interactions During Staged Encounters in Halictus ligatus Say (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), with a Comparison of Circle Tube Behaviors with Other Halictine Species'. Journal of Insect Behavior 13, 627–650 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007868725551

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007868725551

Search

Navigation