于2009和2010年对广东河源大分舌蜂Colletes gigas的巢穴结构及生物学习性进行了初步研究。对分布在同一区域大分舌蜂的巢穴进行了挖掘,详细记录了两个巢穴的结构;挖出的卵、幼虫及蛹的形态进行了解剖镜和电镜观察,并做了简要描述。另外,还通过分子及形态学方法对与大分舌蜂共用筑巢场所的另一种分舌蜂进行了鉴定。研究发现大分舌蜂喜欢在沙土中筑巢,并且有集中筑巢的习性。大分舌蜂的巢穴由一条主道和几条虫室道组成,虫室建在主道及各个虫室道的末端。大分舌蜂往年的巢穴可以被翌年羽化的大分舌蜂再次利用,沿主道重新建造自己的虫室道或扩展原有的虫室道。大分舌蜂在中国南方专性取食山茶科植物尤其是油茶的花粉及花蜜,蜂粮由于花蜜含量较多而呈液体状。通过进一步比较COI与28SD2区数据,甄别出同一巢区中还存在另一种分舌蜂属物种,表明大分舌蜂可以与另一种分舌蜂Colletes sp.共用筑巢场所。
In 2009 and 2010,the nest and cell structures and behavior of the Colletes gigas were studied in Guangdong province,China.We excavated some nests of the species aggregating in one place,and had a detailed description of two nests' structure.We also observed and described the external morphology of the egg,larva and pupa of the species using scanning electron microscopy and light microscope.In addition,through using molecular and morphology methods,we identified another species of the genus Colletes,whose nest are found beside the nests of C.gigas.We found that C.gigas likes to construct nests in soil mixed with sand,and the nests often distribute in an aggregation.The nests consist of a main burrow and some lateral ones,each of which ends with a single cell.The abandoned nests of C.gigas can be reused by the female of the next generation,which constructs its new lateral burrows or expands the old ones.C.gigas feeds obligately on some species of the family Theaceae in Southern China,especially Camellia oleifera.The food mass of C.gigas contains a high proportion of nectar,liquid and even water.In addition,both the COI and 28S D2 data confirmed that the C.gigas can share nest habitat with another Colletes species.