Olfactory eavesdropping between two competing stingless bee species

Foragers can improve search efficiency, and ultimately fitness, by using social information: cues and signals produced by other animals that indicate food location or quality. Social information use has been well studied in predator–prey systems, but its functioning within a trophic level remains poorly understood. Eavesdropping, use of signals by unintended recipients, is of particular interest because eavesdroppers may exert selective pressure on signaling systems. We provide the most complete study to date of eavesdropping between two competing social insect species by determining the glandular source and composition of a recruitment pheromone, and by examining reciprocal heterospecific responses to this signal. We tested eavesdropping between Trigona hyalinata and Trigona spinipes, two stingless bee species that compete for floral resources, exhibit a clear dominance hierarchy and recruit nestmates to high-quality food sources via pheromone trails. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of T. hyalinata recruitment pheromone revealed six carboxylic esters, the most common of which is octyl octanoate, the major component of T. spinipes recruitment pheromone. We demonstrate heterospecific detection of recruitment pheromones, which can influence heterospecific and conspecific scout orientation. Unexpectedly, the dominant T. hyalinata avoided T. spinipes pheromone in preference tests, while the subordinate T. spinipes showed neither attraction to nor avoidance of T. hyalinata pheromone. We suggest that stingless bees may seek to avoid conflict through their eavesdropping behavior, incorporating expected costs associated with a choice into the decision-making process

Environmental windows for foraging activity in stingless bees, Melipona subnitida Ducke and Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

The foraging success of a bee species is limited to an environmental window, a combination of optimal ambient temperatures and resource availability. Mismatches between flowering and optimal foraging temperature may lead to a reduction of a colony's food intake and, eventually, of brood production. In the present study, we evaluated the pollen foraging activity of two native Brazilian meliponine species Melipona quadrifasciata and M. subnitida at the campus of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto (March, 2010 – January, 2011). Whereas M. quadrifasciata naturally occurs in the study region (Brazilian Southeast), M. subnitida is restricted to the Brazilian Northeast. This difference in geographic distribution and concordant climatic specializations suggest differences concerning the environmental window between the two species.  We investigated potential differences between the species concerning the thermal window within which foraging occurs, and consequent differences in foraging activity, visited pollen sources, and colony survival. The lower temperature limit for M. subnitida (17 ºC) was 5 °C above the lower temperature limit found in M. quadrifasciata (12 °C). This difference resulted in a considerable time lag concerning the onset of foraging between the bee species (maximum: 120 minutes), mainly so in the cold/dry season. Due to this delay in foraging, M. subnitida could benefit from highly profitable pollen sources (mass-flowering trees) that were in bloom during this time of the year. Possibly in consequence of this deficit in pollen intake, three of the six monitored colonies of M. subnitida did not survive the study period

Opportunistic Occupation of Nests of Microcerotermes spp. Silvestri (Termitidae, Termitinae) by Partamona seridoensis Camargo & Pedro (Apidae, Meliponini) in the Brazilian Tropical Dry Forest

Social bees make use of natural or animal-built structures to protect their colonies from environmental stressors. Here, particularly attractive shelters are active termite nests because they provide a stable climatic environment for inquilines. Several social bee species form obligatory associations with termites, among these the stingless bee Partamona seridoensis (Apidae, Meliponini), whose distribution is limited to the Tropical Dry Forest in the Brazilian Northeast. So far, colonies of this meliponine species have been found mainly in arboreal nests of the termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster, which suggests a tight relationship between these two social insect species. The present study was conducted in an area of the Tropical Dry Forest in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, where P. seridoensis naturally occurs albeit the absence of C. cyphergaster. We registered 14 colonies of P. seridoensis, all occupying active arboreal nests of termites of the genus Microcerotermes. The only other termites with arboreal nests present in the study area, Nasutitermes corniger, never housed P. seridoensis. This selective preference of the bees for Microcerotermes nests might be due to differences between termites concerning defense mechanisms or concerning thermal stability within the nests

A POLINIZAÇÃO POR VIBRAÇÃO

A polinização é essencial para a reprodução da maioria das espécies de plantas com flores. Além disso, constitui um serviço essencial na produção de muitos alimentos. Há um tipo de polinização relativamente pouco estudado, a polinização por vibração. Neste tipo de polinização, a abelhas agarram as anteras (predominantemente com deiscência poricida) e vibram seus tórax, agitando as anteras e liberando o pólen. O estudo da polinização por vibração, principalmente de seu mecanismo, é importante para a identificação de polinizadores nativos comercialmente viáveis para culturas agrícolas que apresentam esse tipo de polinização, como por exemplo, o tomate, a beringela e o jiló

Intervenção da fisioterapia na esclerose múltipla: uma revisão da literatura

Mestrado em FisioterapiaA esclerose múltipla é uma doença do sistema nervoso central, que afeta mais frequentemente mulheres jovens. A esclerose múltipla é uma doença progressiva e imprevisível, resultando em alguns casos de incapacidades e limitações a nível físico, psicológico e social. Objetivo: Revisão da literatura na busca de evidência da efetividade da fisioterapia na Intervenção da Esclerose Múltipla. Método: As pesquisas foram feitas nas bases de dado SciELO, RCAAP, PubMed e B-ON, selecionados artigos com idioma Inglês e Português, publicados entre os anos de 2003 a 2013. Na SciELO foi utilizada as seguintes palavras-chave: Esclerose Múltipla e Fisioterapia na Esclerose Múltipla tendo como resultado 16 artigos. No RCAAP fisioterapia na esclerose múltipla, fisioterapia e intervenção da fisioterapia na esclerose múltipla tendo como resultados 12 artigos. Na B-ON intervention of physical therapy in multiple sclerose e exercise in multiple sclerosis tendo como resultado 17 artigos e na PubMed foram utilizadas as mesmas da B-ON, tendo como resultados 13. Resultados: Após a seleção dos artigos, utilizou-se os critérios de inclusão e exclusão. Tivemos como amostra final 26 artigos ou seja 32 foram excluídos e 26 incluídos. Discussão: A intervenção da fisioterapia é importante para uma administração bem-sucedida das limitações funcionais, incapacidades e melhorias sobre a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com esclerose múltipla. Os pacientes devem incidir precocemente numa intervenção de neurofacilitação e nos casos de EDSS menor que 7 e estáveis deverão realizar exercício. O número de séries de exercícios deverá iniciar com 1-3 séries, aumentando progressivamente para 3-4 séries. O descanso entre as séries de exercícios deverá ser de 2–4 minutos. Alguns autores aconselham a combinação de treino aeróbico e de força. Com 3 sessões/semana de treino de força e 1 sessão de exercício aeróbio. Conclusão: Através da leitura dos resultados podemos verificar que a fisioterapia tem um papel fundamental na reabilitação e prevenção do indivíduo com esclerose múltipla.ABSTRACT - Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that affects more frequently young women. It is a progressive and unpredictable disease, resulting in some cases of disabilities and limitations to physical, psychological and social level. Purpose: To review the literature searching for evidence of the effectiveness of physiotherapy intervention in Multiple Sclerosis. Methodology: The research was performed in the databases SciELO, RCAAP, PubMed and B-ON, where articles in english and portuguese idioms published from 2003 to 2013 were selected. In the SciELO database were used the following keywords: multiple sclerosis and Physioterapy in multiple sclerosis, having as result 16 articles. The keywords in the RCAAP database were Physioterapy in multiple sclerosis, Physioterapy and intervention of Physioterapy in multiple sclerosis, having as result 12 articles. In B-ON databases the keywords were intervention of physical therapy in multiple sclerose and exercise in multiple sclerosis, having as result 17 articles and in the database PubMed were used the same keyword of B-ON, having as result 13 articles. Results: After selecting the items, using the criteria for inclusion and exclusion as a final sample we have come to 26, been 32 articles excluded and 26 included. Discussion: The physiotherapy intervention is important for a successful management of functional limitations, disabilities, and to improve the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis. Patients should be submitted to early intervention of neurofacilitation and in cases of EDSS less than 7 with stability they should perform the exercise. The number of series of exercises should start with 1-3 series, progressively increasing to 3-4 series. The resting between series of exercises should be 2-4 minutes. Some authors advise the combination of aerobic and strength training with 3 sessions / week of strength training and 1 session of aerobic exercise. Conclusion: Through the reading of the results we can see that physical therapy plays a key role in the prevention and rehabilitation of individuals with multiple sclerosis

Data standardization of plant–pollinator interactions

Background: Animal pollination is an important ecosystem function and service, ensuring both the integrity of natural systems and human well-being. Although many knowledge shortfalls remain, some high-quality data sets on biological interactions are now available. The development and adoption of standards for biodiversity data and metadata has promoted great advances in biological data sharing and aggregation, supporting large-scale studies and science-based public policies. However, these standards are currently not suitable to fully support interaction data sharing. Results: Here we present a vocabulary of terms and a data model for sharing plant–pollinator interactions data based on the Darwin Core standard. The vocabulary introduces 48 new terms targeting several aspects of plant–pollinator interactions and can be used to capture information from different approaches and scales. Additionally, we provide solutions for data serialization using RDF, XML, and DwC-Archives and recommendations of existing controlled vocabularies for some of the terms. Our contribution supports open access to standardized data on plant–pollinator interactions. Conclusions: The adoption of the vocabulary would facilitate data sharing to support studies ranging from the spatial and temporal distribution of interactions to the taxonomic, phenological, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of plant–pollinator interactions. We expect to fill data and knowledge gaps, thus further enabling scientific research on the ecology and evolution of plant–pollinator communities, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the development of public policies. The proposed data model is flexible and can be adapted for sharing other types of interactions data by developing discipline-specific vocabularies of termsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The fast versus the furious – On competition, morphological foraging traits, and foraging strategies in stingless bees

Stingless bee pot-honey is a valuable product with a long tradition of harvest and consumption in Central and South America. The differences found among meliponine honeys concerning physiochemical composition, sugar content, and floral origin depend, to some extent, on the bee species. In the present chapter we outline some basic principles underlying foraging specialization by stingless bees, mainly morphological and behavioural differences among species. Both morphological foraging traits and foraging strategies influence meliponine colony decisions to collect a particular food source while ignoring others, which in turn contributes to honey quality, considering floral origin and sugar [email protected]

Repeated unrewarded scent exposure influences the food choice of stingless bee foragers, Melipona scutellaris

The social organization of foraging processes is a principal key to the ecological success of eusocial insects. Floral odours brought back to the colony by successful foragers are important sources of information underlying an individual's decision about which resource to collect. Food-source-naive individuals memorize and use this olfactory information when searching for food in the field. Odour familiarization as mechanism underlying the coordination of foraging processes has received little attention so far. Here, we asked whether and to what extent foraging decisions of stingless bees, Melipona scutellaris, are influenced by preceding unrewarded olfactory experiences. In a classical conditioning assay (proboscis extension reflex, PER, assay), foragers were exposed to a scented airflow, during which they either received (experimental group CS+) or did not receive (experimental group CS-) a sugar solution as reward. Subsequently, bees of both experimental groups were introduced into an arena where they could choose between two scented feeders, one of which carried the odour used during the PER assay. Independently of whether foragers had received a sucrose reward during scent exposure, between 70% and 75% of the individuals chose the food source that carried the conditioned odour in the choice arena. Bees from the control groups (harnessed or not; no scent exposure), by contrast, showed no preference for either of the two feeders. These findings point to the importance of preceding olfactory experiences for the food choice of M. scutellaris and suggest that both associative learning during trophallaxis as well as familiarization may influence to a similar extent the foraging decisions of these bees in natural settings. Crown Copyright (C) 2011. Published on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP