A Prey predator Link Between the Rock Bee Apis Dorsata and the False Vampire Bat Megaderma Lyra Geoffroy Based on Their Circadian Rhythms

2007·1.1 MB·

by  Sutapa Biswas

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
identified in the haemolymph ofApis cerana of the plains ornamentals and fruit trees such as Prunus amygdalus,
whilethatofthehighhillsshowedsixproteinfractions.Only Prunuspadam,Prunusdomestica.AbdelandWahab(1970)
one fraction corresponding to molecularweight 67 kD was alsoobservedtheeffectofthehostplantonthehaemolymph
shared between them, and was also present in A. dorsata, composition ofSpodoptera.
but absent in A. mellifera (Table 1), suggesting that it is Kumar and Kamal (1999) and Kamal (2000) studied
characteristic of Asian species. The protein profile of the protein composition of hypopharyngeal glands in
populationsfromhighhillsandplainsofA. ceranawasfound A. cerana and A. mellifera and also compared the
,
tobeverydifferent.Thisisinaccordancewiththesuggestion protein fractions in the royaljelly. Kamal (2000) suggested
ofAseo andLaude (1993), thatelectrophoresis datahas the a systematic significance of the variations found in
potential for the identification of sub-species within each these.
species and as a markerforpopulation structures.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The presence of a larger number ofprotein fractions
inA. cerana ofplains is perhaps indicative ofthe influence
offloralfoodsourcesonthehaemolymphcomposition.The We thank the Chairman, Department of Zoology,
botanicalgardenofPanjabUniversity,fromwherethesebees Punjab University, Chandigarh for the research facilities
were collected, was blooming with spring flora, including provided.
REFERENCES
Abdel, W.A.M. & A.M.A. Wahab (1970): Free amino acids in the 680-685.
haemolymphofsixlepidopterouslarvaespecies.Bull.de.La.Soc. Lee, M.L., Y.H. Yin, S.S. Kim, K.S. Woo & D.S. Shu (1989): Malate
d. Egypte54: 81-85. dehydrogenase and non-specific esterase polymorphism in Apis
Aseo,S.C. & R.P. Laude(1993):Alkalinephosphatasepolymorphism melliferaL.andApisceranaF.inSouthKorea.Kor.J.Apic\4(2):
in Apis mellifera and Apis cerana in Los Banos, Laguna, 68-74.
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&S. Wongsiri(Eds:).AsianApiculture.WicwasPress,USA. melliferaligustrica).Nature223: 188-189.
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glandsofhoneybees. M.Sc. (Hons) Dissertationsubmittedtothe honeybeeApismellifera. Genetics 72: 733-739.
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Kumar, N.R. & S. Kamal (1999): Cytochemical characterization or anddifferentiationamongfourApisspecies.Apidologie20:419-
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20. A PREY-PREDATOR LINK BETWEEN THE ROCK BEEAPIS DORSATA
AND THE FALSE VAMPIRE BATMEGADERMA LYRA GEOFFROY
BASED ON THEIR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS
1
SutapaBiswas2
'AcceptedJune23,2004
departmentofZoology,AcharyaPrafullaChandraCollege,NewBarrackpore,
Kolkata700 131,WestBengal,India.Email: [email protected]
During observations, in March andApril 1997, at the lyra Geoffroy) would appear and circle around the beehive
School ofLifeSciences,Jawaharlal NehruUniversity,New ready to catchthe flyingbees.
Delhi, wefound Rock BeeApisdorsata hives hangingfrom Samplesofboththemassflightofbeeswerecollected
the edge of the sunshade of the fourth floor of the school (samplesizes 109,57and44), usingabutterflynet(attached
building. In the evenings, we would observe the last two withalongrod).Thebeescaughtwerechilledtomake them
massflights,(Kastbergeretal. 1996),ofthebees,foraround unconscious and the number of workers and drones noted.
5 and 10 minutes. The first mass flight occurred just before Analysis of samples confirms that 78.5% ofthe bees were
sunset, and the second during sunset. Two to three minutes drones. The sample of an earlier mass flight showed only
before the mass flight, the FalseVampire Bats (Megaderma 4.3% drones (sample sizes 40, 38 and 37). The circadian
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007 365
.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
rhythm of the mass flight of stingless drones (worker andthestartingofpredatoryforageoftheFalseVampireBats
honeybees of dorsata are endowed with venomous stings) coincide, thus makingaprey-predatorrelationship possible.
REFERENCE
Kastberger,G.,O.Winder,T. Hotzl&G.Raspoting(1996): Behaviouralfeaturesofaperiodicformofmassedflightactivityinthegiant
honeybeeApisdorsata.Apidologie27: 1
21 A NEW LARVAL FOOD PLANT OFTHE COMMON ALBATROSS APPIASALBINA (BOISDUVAL),
.
WITH A NOTE ON ITS MIGRATION IN KERALA1
VlNAYAN P. NAIR2
'AcceptedMay 14, 2005
2XV/446Al,Nethaji HousingColony,Trichambaram,Taliparamba(PO),Kannur670 141, Kerala, India.
Email: [email protected]
The CommonAlbatrossAppiasalbum (Boisduval) is theNewAmarambalamreserveforestoftheNilgiriBiosphere
aresidentofevergreen and semi evergreenforests. It is also Reserve. Palot (pers comm.) is of the opinion that from
well known for its migratory habit (Home 1935; Williams NovembertoJanuarythereisamovementofbutterfliesfrom
1938; Wynter-Blyth 1957; Larsen 1978, 1987a,b; Kunte CoorgtoNilgirispassingthroughtheeasternpartsofKerala.
2000; Palotetal. 2002; Mathew and Binoy 2002). Thesereportsconfirmthe dominanceofCommonAlbatross
Lepidopteran fauna exploration at Koyilandy, during in migratory flights.
November-January 2002 and 2003 resulted in a new host The actual reason behind butterfly migration is still
plant record - Crateva religiosa (Capparaceae) - for the unknown. It is suggested that stimulation to migrate might
CommonAlbatrossAppiasalbino(Boisduval)(Lepidoptera: be due to population outbreaks leading to depletion ofhost
Pieridae). Later during December-February 2005, at plants and adult food resources (Ford 1990; Gilbert and
Vatakara, I recorded the breeding ofCommon Albatross on Singer 1975; Mathew and Binoy 2002). Nair(2005)reports
the same plant. the occurrence and breeding ofCommon Albatross outside
Common Albatross Appias albino (Boisduval) forestareasin Keralaandalsosuggeststhedepletionofhost
reportedly feeds on Drypetes oblongifolia, Drypetes plants as the reason for butterfly migration. The present
roxburghii and Drypetes venusta (Euphorbiaceae). The record also strengthens this opinion.
occurrence and successful rearing of Appias albino on
Crateva religiosa confirms it as a new larval food plant. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Palotetal. (2002)reportedmigrationofthesebutterflies
starting from Coorg and passing through Aralam Wildlife I am grateful to Dr. C. Radhakrishnan (Joint Director,
SanctuaryofKeraladuring November-January. Mathewand ZSI, WGRS, Kozhikode) and Md. Jafer Palot for
Binoy (2002) further reported a migration of butterflies at encouragementandfacilities.
Ford, E.B. (1990): Butterflies. Revised 5th edition. William Collins Mathew.G.&C.F.Binoy(2002):Migrationofbutterflies(Lepidoptera:
Sons&Co.Ltd.,London, 352pp. Rhopalocera) in the New Amarambalam Reserve forest in the
Gilbert,L.E&M.C.Singer(1975):ButterflyEcology.AnnualReview Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Zoos' Print Journal 17(8):
ofEcologicalSystems88(2): 297. 844-847.
Home,L.W.M.(1935):NotesonCoorgbutterflies.J.BombayNat.Hist. Nair, V.P. (2005): A note on the occurrence of Common Albatross,
Soc. 37: 669-674. Appias albino (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) at the St
Kunte,K.(2000):India-ALifescape.ButterfliesofPeninsularIndia. Joseph’s College Campus, Devagiri, Kozhikode, Kerala. Zoos'
UniversitiesPress, Hyderabad. 288pp. PrintJournal20(5): 1874.
Larsen,T.B. (1978): Butterfly migrations intheNilgiriMountains of Palot,M.J.,C.Radhakrishnan,V.C.Balakrishnan&BabuKambrath
southernIndia.J. BombayNat. Hist. Soc. 74: 546-549. (2002):AreportonthemigrationofbutterfliesinAralamWildlife
Larsen, T.B. (1987a): The butterflies of the Nilgiri Mountains of Sanctuary, Kerala.Zoos'PrintJournal 17(2): 722.
southernIndia.(Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera).J. BombayNat. Hist. Williams,C.B.(1938):ThemigrationofbutterfliesinIndia.J. Bombay
Soc. 84: 26-54. Nat. Hist. Soc. 40: 439-457.
Larsen, T.B. (1987b): Butterfly Migrations in South India. Blackbuck Wynter-Blyth,M.A.(1957):ButterfliesoftheIndianRegion.Bombay
3(1). NaturalHistorySociety. Bombay. 523 pp. + 72pis.
366 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007