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Abstract
The species Monoeca haemorrhoidalis, the largest species in the genus, occurs in the Atlantic rainforest of southeastern and southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to investigate the nesting ecology of M. haemorrhoidalis and its interactions with natural enemies. Nest aggregations were studied in an area at the transition between Dense and Mixed Temperate Rainforest, south Brazil. The period of nest construction and cell provisioning started in October and stopped in February. Plant species of the families Orchidaceae, Styracaceae and, mainly, Malpighiaceae, were the most important pollen and floral oil resources that were used in brood cell provisioning. During the nest construction activities, 27 insect species were observed at the nesting sites. The cleptoparasitic bee Protosiris gigas was one of the main causes of M. haemorrhoidalis mortality. Some behavioural and biological data of P. gigas are also reported.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to all taxonomists that have contributed to this study: Dr Cleide Costa and Dr Simone Policena Rosa (MZ/USP) (Lampyridae); Dr John Pinto (University of California) (Meloidae), Dr Brian Brown (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County) (Phoridae), Leonardo Rocha (MNRJ/UFRJ) (Conopidae) and Dr Carlos Lamas (MZ/USP) (Bombyliidae); Renata Pacheco (UFU), Dr Antônio Mayhé (UFRRJ) and Dr Carlos Brandão (MZ/USP) (Formicidae); Marcel Hermes (UFPR) (Vespidae); Dr Sérvio Amarante (MZ/USP) (Crabronidae, Sphecidae); Dr Roberto Cambra (Universidad de Panamá) (Mutillidae); Marcelo Reginato (UFPR) (Plant species); Dr Cláudia Silva (FFCLRP/USP) (Pollinic analysis) and Dr Fábio de Barros (IBOT/SP) (Orchidaceae pollinia). The first author thanks CNPq for financial support and SIMEPAR for supplying climatological data.