Oxytrigona tataira (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) as a collector of honeydew from Erechtia carinata (Funkhouser) (Hemiptera: Membracidae) on Caryocar brasiliense Cambessèdes (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) in the Brazilian Savanna

oleh: Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda, Andressa Figueiredo de Oliveira, Camila Aoki

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana 2014-12-01

Deskripsi

Trophobiont insects are of general interest to behavioral ecology due to the fact that the outcomes of their interactions with hymenopterans can result in strong facultative mutualisms. In this paper we present observations of Oxytrigona tataira (Smith) collecting honeydew from Erechtia carinata (Funkhouser) on Caryocar brasiliense Cambessèdes in a cerrado sensu stricto fragment from Brazilian Savanna. Our observations showed that these bees stimulate E. carinata individuals touching them with the antennas in the gaster to collect honeydew. O. tataira has not been previously recorded collecting honeydew on E. carinata. Thus, we present these observations as a novel bee-treehopper interaction.