Showing papers in "Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society in 1971"

Development and Sexual Dimorphism of Larvae of the Bee Genus Coelioxys

Abstract: The head capsule of the 1st larval instar of Coelioxys octodentata and Coelioxys sayi is delicate, whereas the head capsules of the 2nd and 3rd instars are heavily sclerotized with huge mandibles. Brevity of the 1st stadium and delicacy of 1st instar exuvia probably caused the 1st instar to have been overlooked by previous workers. In the 3rd instar, males of C. sayi have mandibles that are significantly shorter than those of both C. sayi and C. octodentata females and significantly longer than those of C. octodentata males. The 4th and 5th instars are progressively more similar to those of related bees such as Megachile. Females in the 4th instar have a more pronounced shoulder on the outer surface of the mandible than do 4th instar males. Sexes are separable in the 4th and 5th instars by a transverse slit on the 12th sternite of the male. Larval development of Coelioxys octodentata and Coelioxys sayi and sexual dimorphism in the 3rd and 4th instars are described and illustrated. Of 782 cells of Megachile brevis and Megachile mendka taken near Lawrence, Kansas, from 1968 to 1970, 125 were infested with C. octodentata and C. sayi. Complete or fragmentary head capsules on which at least one measurement was made were recovered from 46

The ecological significance of an arboreal nest of Bombus pullatus in Costa Rica

Abstract: A Bombus pullatus nest 5.5 m above the ground in the foliage of a banana plant was collected at 1,400 m elevation near San Vito de Java, Costa Rica. Containing 36 presumably virgin queens, 259 workers, and 48 males, the colony has certain traits suggesting perenniality or mobility. It is postulated that the failure of bumble-bees to attain an abundance in the wet lowland tropics equivalent to that in temperate mesic habitats may be due to a shortage in tropical habitats of dry underground cavities plus the ephemeral nature of arboreal nest sites, increased predation on both individual bees and entire nests, and increased competition for arboreal nest sites by smaller social bees and ants.

Interactions in Colonies of Primitively Social Bees: II. Some Queen-Worker Relations in Lasioglossum zephyrum

Abstract: In Lasioglossum zephyrum, a very primitively social bee, overwintered queens deprived of their workers do not resume cell construction and provisioning, or are long delayed in doing so. Workers, therefore, may not play a role in in hibiting queens from foraging. Workers reared by and living with overwintered queens seem not to differ from those reared in the absence of a queen. The over wintered queen seemingly plays no role in inhibiting ovarial development of at least some of her workers. This paper reports observations on colonies of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum maintained in indoor bee rooms in nests in soil between glass sheets (Michener and Brothers, 1971). The ob servations were carried on concurrently with those reported in Part I of this series (Michener, Brothers, and Kamm, 1971), but differ in that an overwintered queen taken in the field in spring near Lawrence, Kansas, was present in each colony. Among colonial bees so far investigated in some detail, Lasioglossum zephyrum is the most feebly social. There are all intergradations between queens and workers. Unlike those of related species, most workers show partial ovarian enlargement and at least some lay eggs. Queens are recognized by ovarian size, and in some colonies no single individual can be so designated. The methods were similar to those described in Part I of this series. For marking of overwintered bees, the apex of one antenna was crushed and usually broken off at the time of collecting. Curiously, this treat ment seemed to have no long term effect on behavior of the bee. It was far more effective than color markings, which often wore off or became equivocal. Each colony used contained one overwintered queen that reared a group of workers in the laboratory in May. The age relations among the workers were similar to those of bees in the diverse age artificial, semisocial, initially queenless colonies reported on in Part I, i.e., only one or at most two bees matured on a given day. For studies of ovaries the workers were killed in the midst of their cell construction and provisioning activities, just as were the bees used in Part I. 1 Hymenoptera: Halictidae. Contribution No. 1475 from the Department of Entomology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. This study was supported by Grant GB 8588 X from the National Science Foundation. Accepted for pub lication March 26, 1971. Early publication paid. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 44:276-279. April, 1971. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.78 on Wed, 22 Jun 2016 05:57:36 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Vol. 44, No. 2, April, 1971 277

Records of a collection of Mallophaga and Anoplura from Nicaraguan mammals

Abstract: Records of species of Mallophaga and Anoplura from 21 species and sub species of mammals representing more than 100 collections in Nicaragua are re ported. For the past few years, personnel of the Museum of Natural His tory, University of Kansas, under the supervision of Dr. J. Knox Jones, have collected mammals in Nicaragua. Reported herewith are records of the Mallophaga and Anoplura collected from those mammals. This is the first published report of Mallophaga and Anoplura from Nicaraguan mammals. Host identifications were made by Dr. Jones, and the skins are in the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas; the accession number of each skin is given. The Mallophaga and Anoplura, except for representative examples retained by the author, are in the Snow Entomological Museum, University of Kansas.