Escolha de ambiente por Vectius niger mediada pela presença de própolis de Meliponini

Abstract

In nests of bees from the Meliponini tribe, it is common to find a rich fauna associated with these insects, such as springtails, beetles, ants, and spiders, for example. These organisms engage in a range of interactions, whether parasitic, commensal, predatory, or mutualistic. Some species of beetles are inherently dependent on the nests and have their life cycle restricted to them. Others, like spiders, use them as a shelter against predators and a foraging site, also encountering their conspecifics there. These relationships play a fundamental role in the choice of environment by these individuals, who must adapt their selection strategies based on the characteristics of the environment and competitors. Some groups use the architecture of the surrounding structures, while others rely on chemical cues left by other organisms as a means of orientation. The presence of these organisms associated with the nests raises several questions, one of which is what cues they use to navigate to these locations, as is the case with the spider Vectius niger. The aim of this study is to identify whether the spider V. niger, found in cracks in Meliponini nests, uses the chemical trail of the presence of propolis from these bees as guidance for foraging sites, as well as whether there is a preference for the size of the refuges of these arachnids, given their characteristic dorsoventral flattening. Experiments were conducted in a natural environment at the Meliponary of the Institute of Biology at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) and in the laboratory, with the assistance of Meeting Arenas. For this, we used pine wood pieces and an attractive solution prepared with wax and resin collected from the Meliponary nest. After the laboratory experimentation, each tested spider had its size measured. Although it was not possible to verify a preference for the size of the refuge sites, our results indicate a direction of younger individuals (smaller in size) towards sites marked by the presence of propolis, while adult individuals preferred shelters without this marker. In conclusion, this work provides the first information on the interaction between V. niger and Meliponini, mediated by the chemical cues of these insects, opening new avenues for research.