Competition and Nest Spacing in a Tropical Stingless Bee Community

摘要: The density and dispersion patterns of nests 5 stingless bee species are described for a tract Costa Rican tropical dry forest. Features suitable nest sites analyzed, but it does not appear that site availability limits colony or determines dispersion. Rather, food limitation is suggested by linear relationship between the logarithm biomass foraging "home range." Colonies were uniformly dispersed intraspecifically in 4 species. pattern 5th could be distinguished from random Partial counts 3 more clumped at least I with uniform spacing all use pheromones recruitment foraging, whereas remaining do not. most also aggressive sources. We propose accomplished these prevention new establish- ment. mechanism we has as essential elements: pheromone marking potential sites; workers; aggression workers rival nests. This been observed operation