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Author(s): Thibaud Monnin (corresponding author) [1, 2]; Francis L. W. Ratnieks [1]; Graeme R. Jones [3]; Richard Beard [3] Animal societies are stages for both conflict and cooperation. Reproduction is [...]

Bramble (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) is a common summer‐flowering plant native to the United Kingdom. Multiple complementary approaches were used to evaluate its ecological value to the honeybee (Apis mellifera), bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and other flower‐visiting insects in Sussex, England.Regional surveys of insect groups at seven sites across 2 years showed that foraging activity on bramble was dominated by honeybees (60.2%; n = 28 surveys) and bumblebees (17.4%), compared to non‐Apis/Bombus bees (2.8%), hoverflies (Syrphidae, 7.9%), non‐syrphid flies (0.6%), butterflies (6.4%), wasps (0.4%) and beetles (4.4%). Foraging insect community structure was highly similar spatially, but varied significantly between survey months (June and July).In detailed local surveys at one rural and one urban location, there was a diverse range of insect taxa foraging on the bramble flowers, including species of conservation concern (Bombus humilis, Coenonympha pamphilus and Limenitis camilla).Pollen trapping at 12 honeybee hives in four locations showed that an average of 31% of pollen pellets collected by honeybees from late May to early August were bramble, with a peak of 66–86% per location.Bramble was present in 54 out of 60 200 × 200 m randomly selected grid squares surveyed over a large area across Sussex. Plants were recorded in multiple habitat types in both urban and rural areas.Bramble is sometimes considered an undesirable plant or a "thug" that outcompetes other wild flowers; however, these findings confirm that it is highly valuable for flower‐visiting insects. Wherever conflicts of interest and management strategies allow, bramble should be maintained and promoted for wildlife and insect conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ivy bee, Colletes hederae, was first detected in Britain in 2001 and is abundant in many locations. Their ground nesting aggregations can occur in public areas and cause concern about stinging risk. Here we assess that risk. The likelihood of being stung or collided with when in an active aggregation was low, with only 1 sting in 10 h of activity (standing, walking, and "gardening") by a human subject. Collisions were low at 6 per hour. The ivy bee sting is frequently unable to penetrate human skin. Only half were able to sting the fingertips and 75% the inner forearm when held against these areas. Pain was scored using a modified Starr/Schmidt scale. Ivy bee stings were significantly less painful than those of honey bee workers Apis mellifera, with similar scores to a nettle sting, Urtica dioica. Pain subsided after 10 min with weals smaller than both honey bees and nettles. The ivy bee venom sac was ca. 39% the volume of that of a worker honey bee. The sting is similar in size to the honey bee sting and barbs were not seen at 35× magnification. We conclude that the ivy bee is not a danger to the public. They rarely sting people active in a nest aggregation area, have a sting that is frequently unable to penetrate human skin and that causes minimal pain for a short duration, comparable to that of a nettle sting. Nettle stings are considered to be annoying but not dangerous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female mating frequency varies. Determining the causes of this variation is an active research area. We tested the hypothesis that in stingless bees, Meliponini, single mating is due to the execution of queens that make a matched mating at the complementary sex determination locus and have diploid male offspring. We studied the Brazilian species Scaptotrigona depilis. We made up 70 test colonies so that 50% (single matched mating), 25% (double mating), 12.5% (quadruple mating), or 0% (single nonmatched mating) of the emerging brood were diploid males. Queen execution following diploid male emergence was equal and high in colonies producing 50% (77% executed) and 25% (75%) diploid males versus equal and low in colonies producing 12.5% (7%) and 0% (0%) diploid males. These results show that queens that mate with two males with similar paternity suffer an increased chance of being executed, which selects against double mating. However, double mating with unequal paternity (e.g., 25∶75), which occasionally occurs in S. depilis , is selectively neutral. Single mating and double mating with unequal paternity form one adaptive peak. The results show a second adaptive peak at quadruple mating. However, this is inaccessible via gradual evolutionary change in a selective landscape with reduced fitness at double mating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]