Rodrigues Méndez MP, Muñoz-Rodríguez D, Aragón-Pech RADJ, Macías Macías JO, Quezada-Euán JJG. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal geographic chemotypes in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini).
Sci Rep 2024;
14:14567. [PMID:
38914659 PMCID:
PMC11196267 DOI:
10.1038/s41598-024-65298-5]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbon (CHCs) variation has been detected in various insect taxa, but the potential contribution of cuticular compounds for analyzing intraspecific diversity at the population level has been little explored. Here we assess for the first time intraspecific variation in the CHC profile of stingless bees, using the species Melipona beecheii and Nannotrigona perilampoides. The objective is determining whether intraspecific variation can be useful for population identification. We found species-specific chemical patterns and extensive variation within each species. Notably, chemotypes were significantly associated to geographic origin in N. perilampoides but less so in M. beecheii and we discuss possible explanations for these patterns. Our results support the use of CHCs in conjunction with other methods in emerging problems such as undetected colony mobilization across regions. As CHCs are involved in several aspects of stingless bee recognition and interactions, it would be essential to unravel how these chemical signatures evolve across populations.
Collapse