Ceratina calcarata

Robertson, 1900

Spurred Ceratina

Ceratina calcarata is a small to eastern North America, ranging from Georgia to Ontario and east to Nova Scotia. It exhibits facultative , with mothers providing extended care to offspring and producing a distinctive -like "dwarf eldest daughter" that forages for siblings. This has become an important model organism for studying the evolutionary origins of social , being the first subsocial species to have its published.

Ceratina calcarata by (c) bdagley, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by bdagley. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ceratina calcarata: /sɛrəˈtiːnə kælˈkærətə/

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Identification

Females are nearly identical morphologically to Ceratina dupla; males are distinguished by the degree of development of the metafemoral . Viable hybrids between C. calcarata and C. dupla can occur where ranges overlap, though interbreeding rates are low enough to maintain separation.

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Habitat

Nests in dead twigs and stems, commonly in raspberry (Rubus), wild carrot (Daucus carota), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). Found in conventional farms, farms, roadsides, and natural areas. Mothers select both sunny and shady nest sites but prefer sunnier locations.

Distribution

Eastern North America: Georgia, USA north to Ontario, Canada, and east to Nova Scotia, Canada. Present in Vermont.

Seasonality

Nesting period occurs from late May to early July. Males emerge from in early May; females emerge approximately two weeks later.

Diet

Pollen and nectar. Observed visiting Penstemon digitalis, Monarda fistulosa, and Eryngium yuccifolium. Effective of watermelon and cucumber.

Life Cycle

: overwinter in natal nests, emerge in spring, mate, and produce a single . Nests contain 2-6 arranged linearly; -to-adult development averages 46 days. Mothers practice . First-emerging female offspring may become dwarf eldest daughters—smaller, non-reproductive foragers that assist in sibling care but rarely survive to the following spring.

Behavior

Subsocial with prolonged maternal care: mothers guard nests against , progressively provision , and clean developing . Dual-phase pollen provisioning: mothers feed newly enclosed offspring twice to ensure winter survival. Dwarf eldest daughters forage and feed siblings; they increase foraging when mothers are removed. Maternal manipulation of pollen quantity produces smaller, subordinate offspring. hydrocarbons (particularly pentacosane) signal reproductive status and age. Dopamine modulates between mothers and daughters.

Ecological Role

contributing to productivity of ecological and agricultural systems. Provides services comparable in economic value to managed on a per-hectare basis.

Human Relevance

Important of agricultural including watermelon and cucumber. Model organism for research on social evolution, division of labor, and genomic studies of cooperative . First subsocial with published . Agricultural intensification negatively impacts offspring viability: conventional farms yield more surviving due to absence of , but produce offspring too small to survive winter, potentially contributing to decline.

Similar Taxa

Ceratina duplaFemales are morphologically nearly identical; distinguished primarily by male metafemoral development and subtle differences in nesting . C. dupla nests earlier and may produce a second .
Ceratina mikmaqiCo-occurs in eastern North America; C. mikmaqi typically nests in Fuller's teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) rather than raspberry, and shows genetic differentiation.

More Details

Genomic Significance

First subsocial to have its published, enabling investigation of evolutionary origins of social . Brain studies reveal 1,094 differentially expressed genes associated with social context, age, and reproductive status, including gene dyw, , and regulation genes.

Agricultural Impact

Study of three land management (conventional farms, farms, roadsides) revealed complex effects: conventional farms had highest survival due to absence, but two-thirds of female offspring were too small to survive winter; roadsides showed positive association between maternal size and clutch size but lower overall survival.

Sex Allocation

sex ratio is 57% male-biased numerically, but investment is balanced due to 38% larger female size. Larger mothers produce more and larger female offspring; smaller mothers are constrained to produce small, male-biased .