'Paleontological Institute at The University of Kansas'
Abstract
The University of Kansas has long historical connections with Central America and the many Central
Americans who have earned graduate degrees at KU. This work is part of the Central American Theses
and Dissertations collection in KU ScholarWorks and is being made freely available with permission of the
author through the efforts of Professor Emeritus Charles Stansifer of the History department and the staff of
the Scholarly Communications program at the University of Kansas Libraries’ Center for Digital Scholarship.The natural history of two Costa Rican species of sweat bees was
studied to better understand the advantages and disadvantages associated
with group-living and cooperative behavior in bees. One of the bees was a
new species, and was described and named after Jose Figueres Ferrar, a
famous Costa Rican patriot. Studies of the behavior of these bees, in turn,
are used as general models for studying social behavior.
Experimental studies on one of the species (Lasioglossum
figueresi) showed that females recognize their homes (nests) in part by
means of individual "chemical signatures" deposited at the entrance-way.
The use of chemical signatures by solitary bees to recognize their nests is
useful because the same perceptual systems can be used by the bees to
recognize other bees, and so form stable social groups.
Experiments on mate recognition by male bees also showed that
males can recognize individual females by their odors. Details of the
courtship behavior of a solitary bee (Nomia triangulifera) show it to have
the most complex courtship behavior known to date in bees.
Together these studies show the importance of behavior as both
products, and producers, of evolution
