Apis nigrocincta is a species of honey bee that inhabits the Philippine island of Mindanao as well as the Indonesian islands of Sangihe and Sulawesi. The species is known to have queens with the highest mating frequencies of any species of the tribe Apini.
It is a middle-sized species of the tribe Apini, compared to the larger A. dorsata or smaller A. florea.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withThe bees have a hind wing length ranging anywhere from 5.5 mm to 5.9 mm, and a hind wing width within the range of 1.35 mm to 1.5 mm. The bees have rust-colored scapes, legs, and cylpeuses, with reddish-tan hair color that covers most of the body.
A. nigrocincta has a proboscis characteristic to those of the genus Apis. The proboscis is characterized by a tube around the glossa formed by the flat galae and basal segments of the labial palpi. Liquids are brought to the mouth through the tube by a back and forth movement of the glossa, capillary action, and suction through the mouth. The proboscis is stored in a large groove on the underside of the head, known as the proboscidial fossa, when not in use. Pollen is carried by scopal hairs on the underside of the abdomen or on the hind legs. Teeth and carinae are not present in the mandibles of workers. In females, the claws are cleft and ariola are present. The hind tibia and flabellum are similar to the genus Bombus.
There is little known about the biogeography of the species, only that it is found in parts of Indonesia and the Philippines. A. nigrocincta is suggested to have been derived from China, as it shares similar morphologies with A. cerana from the mainland than with A. cerana from the southwest. It is also stipulated that a proto-nigrocincta may have come from Borneo during the Quaternary glaciation. On southern part of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, most colonies are found above 400 m elevation, unlike its cousin A. cerana, of which most colonies are found below 400 m elevation. However, in areas without A. cerana, A. nigrocincta can be found in low elevation as well. In addition, A. nigrocincta inhabit areas that are more forested or mixed culture areas, in either natural or man made cavities near streams. In central Sulawesi, A. nigrocincta is only found at elevation levels of 550 m or higher. The areas with a higher density of A. nigrocincta have shorter, less defined dry periods but more pronounced wet periods. Finally, where A. cerana and A. nigrocincta coexist, competition will influence the location of either species.
Similar to virtually all other Asian honeybee species, A. nigrocincta will abandon a nest to start a new one through migration and absconding. Due to the tropical climate of Southeast Asia, conditions for migration and absconding are possible year round, though predation pressure is severe in many areas. Colonies will leave due to disastrous events of nature or situations where abandonment is necessary, or due reduced resources. In addition, one can predict colony migrations due to seasonal declines in pollen or extreme temperature.
In queens, the ovariole count can range from 150 to 180 per ovary, and that number is much smaller in workers, although variable. In males, the genitalia are greatly reduced compared to other Hymenoptera, but replaced by ornate endophalluses. Within the species of Apis, there is very little differentiation in male genitalia of Apis. However, there is a striking variance in male endophalli for A. nigrocincta, and an explanation could be due to the female choice hypothesis, in that variability in male structure can be attributed to the fact that females choose their mates.
Drones will congregate to specific sites known as drone congregation areas, and queens will mate at these sites when she is out on her mating flight. When a queen encounters a drone, she can choose to exercise choice of mates before mating, although there is currently no evidence of this preferential treatment. A drone will then hold on to a queen and turn his endophallus inside out into the opened sting chamber of the queen. This then will paralyze him, the distal part of his genitalia will break off, and the sting chamber will be filled with sperm. The queen will then return from her mating flight with a mating sign that protrudes from the sting chamber
