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First published online February 15, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 686-698 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.013938

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The sound field generated by tethered stingless bees (Melipona scutellaris): inferences on its potential as a recruitment mechanism inside the hive

Michael Hrncir^1,2,*, Dirk Louis P. Schorkopf², Veronika M. Schmidt², Ronaldo Zucchi¹ and Friedrich G. Barth²

¹ Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, FFCLRP, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
² Department of Neurobiology and Cognition Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: michael.hrncir{at}gmx.at)

Accepted 17 December 2007

In stingless bees, recruitment of hive bees to food sources involves thoracic vibrations by foragers during trophallaxis. The temporal pattern of these vibrations correlates with the sugar concentration of the collected food. One possible pathway for transfering such information to nestmates is through airborne sound. In the present study, we investigated the transformation of thoracic vibrations into air particle velocity, sound pressure, and jet airflows in the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris. Whereas particle velocity and sound pressure were found all around and above vibrating individuals, there was no evidence for a jet airflow as with honey bees. The largest particle velocities were measured 5 mm above the wings (16.0±4.8 mm s^–1). Around a vibrating individual, we found maximum particle velocities of 8.6±3.0 mm s^–1 (horizontal particle velocity) in front of the bee's head and of 6.0±2.1 mm s^–1 (vertical particle velocity) behind its wings. Wing oscillations, which are mainly responsible for air particle movements in honey bees, significantly contributed to vertically oriented particle oscillations only close to the abdomen in M. scutellaris (distances 5 mm). Almost 80% of the hive bees attending trophallactic food transfers stayed within a range of 5 mm from the vibrating foragers. It remains to be shown, however, whether air particle velocity alone is strong enough to be detected by Johnston's organ of the bee antenna. Taking the physiological properties of the honey bee's Johnston's organ as the reference, M. scutellaris hive bees are able to detect the forager vibrations through particle movements at distances of up to 2 cm.

Key words: stingless bees, thorax vibration, airborne sound, airflow, particle velocity, signal transmission, recruitment communication

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				M. Hrncir, A.-I. Gravel, D. L. P. Schorkopf, V. M. Schmidt, R. Zucchi, and F. G. Barth Thoracic vibrations in stingless bees (Melipona seminigra): resonances of the thorax influence vibrations associated with flight but not those associated with sound production J. Exp. Biol., March 1, 2008; 211(5): 678 - 685. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]