A large aggregation of Halictus farinosus in northern Utah was studied during the summers of 2001 and 2002. No nestmate relatedness data and few sociobiologically relevant data exist for this primitively eusocial halictid bee. Obtaining these data is important when investigating the origin of social behaviour as eusocial behaviour has evolved within this family at least three times and Halictidae contains species which exhibit varying levels of social organization. These data allow for comparisons to be performed between related taxa on the costs and benefits of different levels of social organization. 186 nests were excavated. Relatedness was determined withe the aide of 7 allozyme loci and was lower than expected within nests. Brood productivity per working female ranged from 0 to 14, and the proportion of males in a nest ranged from 0 to 100%. Worker matedness was recorded, reaching 36.4% in 2001 and 46.2% in 2002, with 50% having developed ovaries in 2001 and 56.4% in 2002. In both years nests produced female reproductives before males.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Halictidae Halictus farinosus (sweat bee)
Keywords: sociobiology
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