Behavioral repertoires and interactions between apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the native bee lithurgus littoralis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in flowers of opuntia huajuapensis (Cactaceae) in the tehuacán desert

Abstract

The introduction of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), into the arid environments of Mexico has affected the behavioral ecology of native bees. We described the behavioral repertoire and interactions between A. mellifera and the native bee Lithurgus littoralis Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) on Opuntia huajuapensis Bravo (Cactaceae) flowers in a semiarid environment. We filmed the bees in 150 cactus flowers to obtain the diversity of behaviors and their durations and thereby quantify the interactions. The behavior accumulation curve (Clench model) showed differences in the behavioral repertoire between the 2 bee species and between the sexes of L. littoralis. We found that A. mellifera and L. littoralis females invested more time in feeding behavior than L. littoralis males and recorded a wider repertoire of agonistic behaviors in male compared with female bees. Native male bees often perched in flowers and were inactive for long periods. The results indicate a possible interference competition between native and non-native bee species that are visiting the flowers of O. huajuapensis.