TY - JOUR

T1 - The cuticular profiles of Australian stingless bees are shaped by resin of the eucalypt tree Corymbia torelliana

AU - Leonhardt, Sara

AU - Wallace, Helen M.

AU - Schmitt, Thomas

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - Bees are known to collect pollen and nectar to provide their larvae and themselves with food.That bees, especially the tropical stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini), also collect plant resins has, however, been barely addressed in scientific studies on resource use in bees. Resins are used for nest construction, nest maintenance and nest defence. Furthermore, some South-East Asian species transfer resin-derived terpenes to their cuticularprofiles. The resin requirement of bees is in turn used by certain plant species, which attract bees either for pollination by providing resin in their inflorescences, or for seed dispersal by providing resin in their seed capsules(mellitochory). Mellitochory is found in the eucalypt tree Corymbia torelliana, the resin of which is collected by Australian stingless bees.We investigated how the interaction between C. torelliana and resin-collecting bees affectsthe chemical ecology of two Australian stingless bee genera by comparing the chemical profiles of eight bee species with resin from C. torelliana fruits. The two bee genera differed significantly in their chemical profiles. Similar toSouth-East Asian stingless bees, 51% of all compounds on the body surfaces of the five Tetragonula species were most likely derived from plant resins. Up to 32 compounds were identical with compounds from C. torelliana resin,suggesting that Tetragonula species include C. torelliana compounds in their chemical profiles. By contrast, few or none resinous compounds were found on the body surfaces of the three Austroplebeia species sampled. However,one prominent but as yet unknown substance was found in both C. torelliana resin and the chemical profiles of all Tetragonula and four Austroplebeia colonies sampled, suggesting that most colonies (76%) gathered resin from C.torelliana. Hence, C. torelliana resin may be commonly collected by Australian stingless bees and, along with resins from other plant species, shape their chemical ecology.

AB - Bees are known to collect pollen and nectar to provide their larvae and themselves with food.That bees, especially the tropical stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini), also collect plant resins has, however, been barely addressed in scientific studies on resource use in bees. Resins are used for nest construction, nest maintenance and nest defence. Furthermore, some South-East Asian species transfer resin-derived terpenes to their cuticularprofiles. The resin requirement of bees is in turn used by certain plant species, which attract bees either for pollination by providing resin in their inflorescences, or for seed dispersal by providing resin in their seed capsules(mellitochory). Mellitochory is found in the eucalypt tree Corymbia torelliana, the resin of which is collected by Australian stingless bees.We investigated how the interaction between C. torelliana and resin-collecting bees affectsthe chemical ecology of two Australian stingless bee genera by comparing the chemical profiles of eight bee species with resin from C. torelliana fruits. The two bee genera differed significantly in their chemical profiles. Similar toSouth-East Asian stingless bees, 51% of all compounds on the body surfaces of the five Tetragonula species were most likely derived from plant resins. Up to 32 compounds were identical with compounds from C. torelliana resin,suggesting that Tetragonula species include C. torelliana compounds in their chemical profiles. By contrast, few or none resinous compounds were found on the body surfaces of the three Austroplebeia species sampled. However,one prominent but as yet unknown substance was found in both C. torelliana resin and the chemical profiles of all Tetragonula and four Austroplebeia colonies sampled, suggesting that most colonies (76%) gathered resin from C.torelliana. Hence, C. torelliana resin may be commonly collected by Australian stingless bees and, along with resins from other plant species, shape their chemical ecology.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Corymbia torelliana

KW - Cuticular profile

KW - melittochory

KW - Resin Cements

KW - Stingless beess

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960807952&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02184.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02184.x

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 36

SP - 537

EP - 543

JO - Austral Ecology

JF - Austral Ecology

SN - 1442-9985

IS - 5

ER -