Utilization of the Brazilian stingless bee, Nannotrigona testaceicornis as pollinator of strawberries in greenhouse

通过对7种无刺蜜蜂的管理，巴西种Nannotrigona testaceicor-nis被选为最有希望的传粉者。对其重要的生物学特性进行了研究，以便作为温室草莓的传粉者。结果如下：1)除冬季外，整个季节均可人工划分菌落。一个蜂王和50个工蜂组成的蜂群被认为是最小规模的蜂群，可以发展到拥有2000 - 3000个工蜂的完整规模。在分裂后的2-3个月内就达到了这样的全尺寸群体。2)在个体水平上保持寡聚性，在群体水平上保持多聚性。资源植物的选择采用主辅两种不同的策略。花粉采集者在确定花源时，用口舌检查花粉粒的大小。采蜜蜂对糖浓度有明显的偏好，大多数采蜜蜂选择糖浓度为70%的蜂蜜。确定了采蜜时间，优化了采蜜效率。3)采蜜者与草莓柱头接触率较高，采蜜者与柱头接触率较低。花粉采集者访花4次以上，均能产生成形良好的果实。4)工人寿命2-64天（平均33.6天<正负bb0 11.6天）。巢内和巢外的任务被分配给工人，随着年龄的增长，他们的任务种类也发生了变化。它们参与任务的地方从巢的中心移到了巢的外围。在采蜜期，采蜜者的访食率较高，采粉者的访食率较低。蜂群在冬季靠直接从蜂窝采蜜和花粉维持正常。然而，一些有用的人工饲料应该是必要的，以补偿昂贵和难以获得的天然花粉。少

Through the management of seven species of stingless bees, the Brazilian sepcifies, Nannotrigona testaceicor-nis was chosen as the most promising pollinator. Important biological features were studied so as to use this species as pollinator of strawberries in greenhouse. The results were as follows.1) Colonies could be artificially divided through whole seasons, except for winter. A colony composing of one queen and her 50 workers was regarded as the minimum size of colony which can be developed into the full size with 2, 000 -3, 000 workers. Such full size colony was attained within 2-3 months after the division.2) Oligoleety was maintained at individual level, but polylecty at colony level. Selection of the resource plants was determined by the two different tactics, i. e., majoring and minoring. Pollen foragers cheeked the size of pollen grains with their glossay at decision of the flower resources. Honey foragers showed clear preference of sugar concentration and mostly visited the … More diluted honey solation with 70 % sugar concentration. The time spent for nectar foraging was determined so as to optimize the efficiency of the nectar foraging.3) The rate of contact with stigmas of strawberries was very high in pollen fogliers, but lesser in nectar foragers. Well-formed fruits were preduced by the vist of the pollen foragers more than 4 times.4) The longevity of workers was 2-64 days (average, 33.6<plus-minus>11.6 days). Tasks in and out of nest were allocated among workers and their kinds had been changed as they aged. The places where they participated in tasks were removed from the central to the outer parts of nest. The rate of workers who survived until the foraging period was less than 405) At the period of flower dearth, honey feeder was well visited by foragers, but pollen feeder not so. Colonies were maintained normally during winter period by direct supply of honey and pollens obtained from honeybee's nest. However, some useful artificial diets should be necessary in order to compensate costly and unobtainable natural pollens. Less