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Figure 8 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 8. Breeding cells of C. alexandrei. (A-B) Eggs on pollen mass in the cell; (C-F) Larvae: (C) Young larva; (D-E) Larvae in intermediate stage with pollen in their digestive tract; (F) Mature larva; (G-H) Pupae: (H) Young pupa; (G) Mature pupa.

Figure 6 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 6. Internal architecture of nests of C. alexandrei. (A) Nest 2; (B) Nest 8; (C) Nest 1; (D) Nest 4. ♀ and ♂ indicating on sex of adult bees, female and male respectively, ♀ + indicate dead females. Scale: 2 cm.

Figure 3. Nests C in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 3. Nests C. alexandrei in the earth banks. (A-B) aggregations of nests: (A) nesting site C; (B) nesting site Z: (C-F) Open nests entrances with traces of soil falling down the bank: (G-H) Close nests entrances with soil. Red arrows indicate the open entrances of the nest. Red circles indicate the close entrance of the nest.

Figure 5 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 5. Nests of C. alexandrei in the earth banks. (A) Female leaving the nest to perform foraging activity; (B, D-E) Female arrival and entry to the nest with a load of pollen in her hind femoral, tibial and ventral scopa and contact with the guardian female; (C) Female performing guarding activity in the entrance of the nest and waiting for the returns of another nest female′s; (F) Exit of the guardian female to forage just after the return of another adult female from the nest.

Figure 2 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 2. Nesting sites of C. alexandrei on earth banks in Colombia. (A) nesting site Z (Zipaquirá – San Jorge); (B) nesting site C (Cajicá – UMNG); (C-D) Red arrows indicate the entrance of the nest in the earth banks.

Figure 1 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 1. Geographical location of the nesting sites. Green area represents the Cundinamarca department. Gray area corresponds to the municipality of Zipaquirá with the nesting site Z (red circle) and brown area corresponds to the municipality of Cajicá with the nesting site C (blue circle).

opencc-zeroFeb 2023View details →

Singing on the nest is a widespread behavior in incubating Northern Mockingbirds and increases probability of nest predation

In this study, we documented for the first time singing on the nest (SOTN) in 74% of 65 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) nests that were monitored with continuous-running video cameras (8,353.9 hrs sampled). As predicted, higher rates of SOTN significantly decreased daily survival rates of nests. SOTN occurred almost exclusively by females during the egg stage and in 86% (48/56) of nests for which we had sampling from the egg stage. While extensive at the population level, the average rate of SOTN per individual was very low (5.24 ± 1.24 s SOTN per hr video sampled). We found mixed support for the hypothesis that SOTN functions in territory maintenance. We found no support for the hypotheses that SOTN functions to coordinate parental care, defend nests, or aid in vocal learning. Given the limited attention SOTN has received and the mostly anecdotal accounts of it, our understanding of its costs and benefits is lacking. We conclude that while individual rates of SOTN are quite low, SOTN may be more widespread in populations than previously thought and that studies specifically designed to test hypotheses regarding potential functions are critically needed.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Foraging behavior affects nest architecture in a cross-species comparison of ant nests

Animals construct and inhabit nests that can exhibit dramatic intra- and inter-specific variation due to differences in behavior, the biotic and abiotic environment, and evolutionary history. In ants, variation in nest architecture not only reflects differences in ecology and collective behavior; it influences the behaviors of the colonies that inhabit them. Each component of the nest (such as depth, and the number, size, and connectivity of chambers) reflects selective pressures for different functions, or structural constraints that are imposed by the environment or evolutionary history. To determine potential drivers of nest structure variation in subterranean nests, we performed a meta-analysis of published ant nests to compare different structural elements within and across species. We complemented this survey with 42 nest casts of two closely related species. We quantified nest features that can potentially impact ant foraging behavior and examined whether phylogeny or foraging strategy are better explanatory variables for the variation we observed. We found that foraging strategy better explained nest features than evolutionary history. Our work reveals the importance of ecology in shaping nest structure and provides an important foundation for future investigations into the selective pressures that have shaped ant nest architecture.

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Data for: Incubation behavior and nest predation rates for 21 songbird species studied in Borneo

The Skutch (1949) Hypothesis that nest predation risk constrains parental nest activity has important implications for the evolution of parental care strategies, but the required conditions for the hypothesis to operate have been questioned. We found the necessary conditions existed in a montane tropical bird community where 95.4% of predation events (n=456) occurred during daylight hours and almost all predators (n=224) were visually-oriented. Moreover, incubation strategies for 21 passerine species were explained by nest predation rates as proposed by the Skutch Hypothesis. Hourly rates of visits to the nest were lower among species with higher nest predation rates, and achieved in part by longer on- and off-bouts. Incubation attentiveness (percent of time incubating) does not necessarily affect parental nest activity and was not related to nest predation rates. Nest predation rates were greater in enclosed- than open-nesting species, counter to long-standing views. Moreover, nest predation was usually higher in the nestling period when parents were more actively visiting nests than during incubation for enclosed- but not open-nesting species. This increase in nest predation in the nestling period for enclosed-nesting species might indicate proximate predation responses to parental nest activity that underlie the evolutionary patterns. Adult mortality also can exert selection on evolved strategies. Following life history theory, annual adult mortality probability explained residual variation in incubation behaviors, while accounting for nest predation, with longer-lived species exhibiting lower nest activity and attentiveness. Ultimately, the conditions for the Skutch Hypothesis were clear and evolved behaviors suggest an important influence of natural selection by nest predation in this montane tropical bird community. At the same time, different patterns of nest predation between open- and enclosed-nesting species emphasize a need for further research into how parental nest activity interacts with nest type to affect predator detection of nests.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2023View details →

Data, code, and metadata for: Symbiotic acacia ants drive nesting behavior by birds in an African savanna

Data, code, and metadata that can be used to reproduce the analyses underlying 'Symbiotic acacia ants drive nesting behavior by birds in an African savanna' by Lujan, Nielsen et al. 2023 Biotropica (Preprint: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.06.531340).Individual data owners are detailed in the data. Data may only be used to reproduce the analyses underlying Lujan, Nielsen, et al. (2023). Any other use requires the written permission of the data owners.For more detailed information, please visit the metadata file.