Dominant-subordinate social interactions and subordinate behavioral responses in the primitively eusocial sweat bee Augochlora phoemonoe (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Abstract

Social interactions are studied in colonies of eusocial Augochlora phoemonoe, reared in artificial nests in the laboratory. Three kinds of behavioral interactions are distinguished between foundresses and daughter bees: antennation-tarsation (the most frequent), passing, and tandem-running following. Most interactions were started by the foundresses towards daughter bees. First-brood daughter bees displayed high frequencies of specific responses, indicating that these interactions function as behavioral mechanisms of colony integration in this eusocial augochlorine. Antennation-tarsation stimulated daughter females to collect pollen in a high percentage of cases and to get involved in construction activities in a lower percentage. After passing, daughter bees began nest construction activities in a high percentage of cases, and after tandem-running following, they were induced to guard the nest in a high percentage of cases. Locomotion had no specific relationship with any interaction. The behavioral responses were not related to the age of daughter females.