Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Papillary renal cell carcinoma - exploratory results of the SUNNIFORECAST trial comparing Ipilimumab plus Nivolumab vs standard of care as first line therapy based on central pathological review.

European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)·2026
Same author

Urinary Exosomal miRNAs as Non-Invasive Biomarkers Linked to Podocyte Morphometry in CKD.

Cells·2026
Same author

Same-sex sexual behavior in a male-dimorphic arachnid with a resource-defense polygyny: evidence for female mimicry?

Die Naturwissenschaften·2026
Same author

Land Use and Season Interactively Affect Honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Body Size and Fat Stores.

Ecology and evolution·2025
Same author

Chemical conspicuousness, ant organs, and specificity in myrmecophilous caterpillars partitioning ant-plant systems.

Insect science·2024
Same author

Case report: Aortobiiliac bypass with autotransplantation of the horseshoe kidney and renal vascular reconstruction.

International journal of surgery case reports·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 21, 2026

A Rapid Method to Confine and Safely Handle Bees in the Field
03:44

A Rapid Method to Confine and Safely Handle Bees in the Field

Published on: August 23, 2024

1.8K

Enemy recognition is linked to soldier size in a polymorphic stingless bee.

Christoph Grüter1, Francisca H I D Segers2, Luana L G Santos2

  • 1Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 3900, Brazil cgrueter@uni-mainz.de.

Biology Letters
|October 6, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Larger stingless bee soldiers, Tetragonisca angustula, better recognize intruders due to enhanced chemosensory abilities. This suggests increased guard size may evolve to improve colony defense against robbing.

Keywords:
MeliponiniTetragonisca angustulaphysical castespolymorphismsoldiers

More Related Videos

A Proboscis Extension Response Protocol for Investigating Behavioral Plasticity in Insects: Application to Basic, Biomedical, and Agricultural Research
10:31

A Proboscis Extension Response Protocol for Investigating Behavioral Plasticity in Insects: Application to Basic, Biomedical, and Agricultural Research

Published on: September 8, 2014

52.8K
SwarmSight: Real-time Tracking of Insect Antenna Movements and Proboscis Extension Reflex Using a Common Preparation and Conventional Hardware
08:13

SwarmSight: Real-time Tracking of Insect Antenna Movements and Proboscis Extension Reflex Using a Common Preparation and Conventional Hardware

Published on: December 25, 2017

8.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 21, 2026

A Rapid Method to Confine and Safely Handle Bees in the Field
03:44

A Rapid Method to Confine and Safely Handle Bees in the Field

Published on: August 23, 2024

1.8K
A Proboscis Extension Response Protocol for Investigating Behavioral Plasticity in Insects: Application to Basic, Biomedical, and Agricultural Research
10:31

A Proboscis Extension Response Protocol for Investigating Behavioral Plasticity in Insects: Application to Basic, Biomedical, and Agricultural Research

Published on: September 8, 2014

52.8K
SwarmSight: Real-time Tracking of Insect Antenna Movements and Proboscis Extension Reflex Using a Common Preparation and Conventional Hardware
08:13

SwarmSight: Real-time Tracking of Insect Antenna Movements and Proboscis Extension Reflex Using a Common Preparation and Conventional Hardware

Published on: December 25, 2017

8.7K

Area of Science:

  • Insect behavior
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Social insects

Background:

  • Ant and termite colonies utilize specialized soldiers for defense.
  • Some stingless bee species also possess soldiers, but their adaptive advantage is unclear.
  • Robbing is a significant threat to stingless bee colonies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of soldier size in intruder recognition in stingless bees.
  • To test the hypothesis that larger body size enhances chemosensory detection of intruders.
  • To understand the evolutionary pressures selecting for guard size in stingless bees.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the Neotropical stingless bee species Tetragonisca angustula.
  • Compared intruder recognition abilities between large and small soldiers.
  • Examined antennal morphology, specifically olfactory pore plates, in soldiers of different sizes.

Main Results:

  • Larger soldiers demonstrated superior ability in recognizing potential intruders compared to smaller soldiers.
  • Soldiers with larger body size possessed a greater number of olfactory pore plates on their antennae.
  • Increased olfactory pore plates suggest enhanced chemosensory sensitivity in larger soldiers.

Conclusions:

  • Improved enemy recognition, mediated by enhanced chemosensory abilities, may be a key factor driving the evolution of larger guard sizes in stingless bees.
  • Larger soldiers may provide a fitness advantage to colonies by better defending against robbing.
  • Morphological adaptations for defense in stingless bee soldiers may be subtle, focusing on sensory rather than physical traits.