BEHAVIOR OF THE INDIAN ALLODAPINE BEE BRAUNSAPIS-KALIAGO, A SOCIAL PARASITE IN THE NESTS OF B-MIXTA (HYMENOPTERA, ANTHOPHORIDAE)

These are the first observations of the behavior of any allodapine soc ial parasite. Both sexes of Braunsapis kaliago live in solitary and so cial nests of B. mixta in northwestern India. Direct intranest observa tions revealed that female B. kaliago may functionally replace host qu eens, much as do Psithyrus in Bombus nests. Parasites usually avoided encounters with hosts by freezing behavior and by quietly resting near the brood. Dominance was sometimes asserted by means of oophagy, and by several specialized agonistic behaviors which were enhanced by stru ctural modifcations. Established females became unable to fly effectiv ely, and if pushed out of nests by hosts, they could not return. One p arasite evidently was killed by hosts. Parasites relied on host food s tores deposited on nest walls or on larvae, and they also aggressively solicited food by trophallaxis from hosts. Both hosts and parasites g roomed their brood. They removed and ate chorions during hatching, a b ehavior unknown in other oviparous animals. Larvae were fed by the ven tral deposition of provisions by both hosts and parasites. Adult-larva l trophallaxis by both species was also seen. This is unknown among ot her bees. Braunsapis kaliago retains most brood-rearing behaviors but has lost the abilities to construct nests and to forage. 51 behaviors of male and female B. kaliaga are described and compared with those of B. mixta. These nonforaging parasites may reduce populations of forag ing and pollinating host bees.