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Gynandromorphs are individuals that display both male and female features throughout the body and are rarely found in nature. We document and describe two new gynandromorphs of the large carpenter bee Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) augusti reared from a trap-nest in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition, based on a literature review, we assessed the frequency of the different types of gynandromorphs, and the body part affected, among large carpenter bees. Both gynandromorphs were assigned to the mixed category, the most common category reported in the literature (22 of 25 specimens). The remaining three specimens exhibit a bilateral pattern in all tagmata. The presence of both sexes' secondary sexual characteristics occurred more frequently on the mesosoma than on the head or metasoma. Trap nests used in bee hotels promote the conservation and study of wild bees and might facilitate the discovery of rare cases of gynandromorphs that would remain unknown otherwise under normal nesting conditions in the wild.
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This content will become publicly available on January 24, 2026
Estimating body size in the large carpenter bees (Xylocopa)
Body size is a salient functional trait in bees, with implications for reproductive fitness, pollination ecology, and responses to environmental change. Methods for quantifying bee body size commonly rely on indirect estimates and vary widely across studies, particularly in studies of the large carpenter bees (Xylocopa Latreille) (Apidae: Xylocopinini). We evaluate the robustness of three common body size parameters (intertegular distance, head width, and costal vein length) as predictors of dry body mass within and among 11 species of Xylocopa (and 5 subspecies). We found that all three size measurements provide robust body size estimates, accounting for 92–93% of intraspecific variation in body mass. Within species, however, these measurements were considerably less predictive of body mass, explaining on average only 36.8% (intertegular distance), 57.4% (head width), and 38.8% (costal vein length) of the variation in body mass. We also highlight a novel application of photogrammetry and 3D modeling to estimate surface area and volume across species, and comment on the utility of these methods for body size estimates in Xylocopa and in insects more broadly. These findings provide practical guidelines for body size estimation methods within and among carpenter bee species.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2102006
- PAR ID:
- 10649891
- Publisher / Repository:
- University of Kansas
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Melittology
- Issue:
- 125
- ISSN:
- 2325-4467
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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