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Nest Architecture and Nesting Site Preference of Tetragonula iridipennis Smith in North-Western Plains of India Cover

Nest Architecture and Nesting Site Preference of Tetragonula iridipennis Smith in North-Western Plains of India

Open Access
|Mar 2021

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1

Black markings associated with the Tetragonula iridipennis nests.
Black markings associated with the Tetragonula iridipennis nests.

Fig. 2

Tetragonula iridipennis colony in brick wall.
Tetragonula iridipennis colony in brick wall.

Fig. 3

Tetragonula iridipennis colony in mulberry tree trunk.
Tetragonula iridipennis colony in mulberry tree trunk.

Fig. 4

Tetragonula iridipennis colony in Cassia tree trunk.
Tetragonula iridipennis colony in Cassia tree trunk.

Fig. 5

Retrieving a Tetragonula iridipennis from mulberry tree trunk.
Retrieving a Tetragonula iridipennis from mulberry tree trunk.

Characteristics of Tetragonula iridipennis colonies in hollow tree trunks of mulberry

CharacterParameter (cm)Mean size (cm) of different parameters in different colonies
Mean/range
Colony IColony IIColony IIIColony IV
Colony sizeCavity length89.070.033.017.952.5±18.9
Cavity length20.042.010.013.521.4±8.3
Pollen pots locationCavity diameter3.0–7.56.2–7.57.0–7.53.53.0–7.5
Thickness of plant rind forming cavity3.0–5.03.5–4.55.0–6.54.0–4.53.0–6.5
Cavity length47.09.26.04.416.7±11.8
Honey pots LocationCavity diameter3.0–4.05.5–6.07.24.83.0–7.2
Thickness of plant rind forming cavity4.5–7.53.5–4.06.0–7.03.5–4.03.5–7.5
Cavity length22.012.519.0---17.8±2.8
Brood cells locationCavity diameter4.0–6.05.0–10.07.5---4.0–10.0
Thickness of plant rind forming cavity6.0–6.56.0–7.56.0–8.0---6.0–8.0

Dimensions of different components of nest constructed by Tetragonula iridipennis in hollow tree trunks of mulberry

Component of nestNumber observed (n)Mean size (mm)*

LengthWidth
Brood cells size102.79±0.06a (2.57–3.16)2.62± 0.04a (2.42–2.79)
Honey pots size105.33±0.09b (4.97–5.89)4.52±0.08b (4.11–4.92)
Pollen pots size136.93±0.40c (4.73–9.73)5.19±0.20c (4.24–6.26)
Pillars10Height2.83± 0.24 (2.21–4.69)
Girth0.91± 0.08 (0.70–1.47)
Base1.46±0.14 (0.76–2.18)
Voids3 1.96±0.16 (1.01–3.14)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2021-0003 | Journal eISSN: 2299-4831 | Journal ISSN: 1643-4439
Language: English
Page range: 49 - 59
Submitted on: Apr 15, 2019
Accepted on: Nov 20, 2020
Published on: Mar 3, 2021
Published by: Research Institute of Horticulture
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2021 Amit Choudhary, Jaspal Singh, Pardeep K. Chhuneja, published by Research Institute of Horticulture
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.