Nest descriptions of Megalopta aegis (Vachal) and M. guimaraesi Santos & Silveira (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

We present the first data on the nesting biology of Megalopta aegis and M. guimaraesi from southeastern Brazil. Nests were collected in the Area de Protecao Ambiental Agua Limpa, Bauru, Sao Paulo state. Our data suggest that nest architecture is conserved throughout all species of Megalopta. Two nests of M. guimaraesi consisted of a single female with brood. Of three M. aegis nests, two contained single females with brood and the third nest contained three adult females, with three times more brood than any single female nest. This observation suggests that social behavior in M. aegis is facultative, as known for other Megalopta species