Resin collection and use in stingless bees [Elektronische Ressource] = Wie stachellose Bienen Pflanzenharze sammeln und nutzen / Sara Diana Leonhardt

Leonhardt

Sujets

• Biologie

Informations

• Publié par: julius-maximilians-universitat_wurzburg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 177
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Resin collection and use in stingless bees

Wie stachellose Bienen Pflanzenharze sammeln
und nutzen








Doctoral Thesis for a doctoral degree at the Graduate School of
Life Sciences, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Section: Integrative Biology



Sara Diana Leonhardt

born in
Stuttgart

Würzburg 2010The Bee
His labor is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for the bee’s experience
Of clovers and of noon!
Emily Dickinson – Poems XV














Submitted on/ eingereicht am:
……………………………………………………………...


Members of PhD student’s committee/ Promotionskomitee:
Chairperson: ………………………..................
Primary Supervisor: PD Dr. Nico Blüthgen (Würzburg)
Supervisor (second): Prof. Dr. James Nieh (San Diego)
Supervisor (third): Prof. Dr. Jürgen Tautz (Würzburg)

Date of Public Defense/Verteidigung am: ……………………………………..
Date of Receipt of Certificates/ Zeugnis erhalten am: ……………………..
2Affidavit/Eidesstattliche Erklärung
according §4 Abs. 3 Ziff. 3, 5 und 8
of the „Promotionsordnung der Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg“

I hereby declare that my thesis entitled “Resin collection and use in stingless bees” is the
result of my own work. I did not receive any help or support from commercial consultants.
All sources and / or materials applied are listed and specified in the thesis.

Furthermore, I verify that this thesis has not yet been submitted as part of another examination
process neither in identical nor in similar form.

Würzburg ……………………………………………………………………………...

3Acknowledgements/ Danksagung So long, and thanks for all the bees…
About ten years ago, while still being a scholar at the “Gymnasium”, I was, for the first time,
faced with the analysis of mass-spectra, in my chemistry class. At that precise moment, I was
hoping for never having to do something like this again in my whole life. It is, however, due
to my great and very motivating chemistry-teacher, Frank Pahnke, that I discovered my
passion for chemical ecology and that, years later, I spent a huge part of my PhD research
with “Pikologie”, to say: analyzing and interpreting mass spectra.
For sure, I would not have had such a fabulous time of tropical bee research without a great
number of very special people:
Nico Blüthgen once saved me from studying frogs and got me intrigued by the tiny smelly
stingless bees. Moreover, on one of our many downpour-walks in the beautiful rainforest of
Borneo, he started to support my crazy idea of studying resin collection in these bees. He has
since then been a fabulous and incredibly encouraging advisor who was always there and
open for discussing new as well as old ideas, for sharing a class of wine when (once again) a
paper got rejected and for listening no matter what the subject was.
Thomas Schmitt helped me not only to survive endless hours of data analysis, but also one of
the most horrible thunderstorm flights in Borneo. His optimism was always contagious and
encouraging, his knowledge on chemical ecology and his willingness to fight the self-doubt of
a young scientist apparently endless. He is not listed as a formal advisor of my PhD thesis, but
he is the officially missing one I would never want to miss.
Jürgen Tautz and James Nieh both agreed to supervise my PhD project. They strongly
encouraged my often ambitious plans and contributed with fruitful ideas, long discussions and
very helpful comments.
Linda-Maria Jung, Sonja Zeilhöfer and Sven Form all had their load of stingless bee
research. They strongly contributed to the overall success of this project and were great
company in Borneo, Würzburg and Freiburg.
Gunnar Knobloch, Sonja Zeilhöfer and Sven Kurz were the ones working behind the
curtain by spending endless hours analyzing mass-spectra. Without their help, I would most
likely have needed an additional year to finish the bee “Pikologie”.
Florian Menzel is a little bit of everything: the best lab-made I could think of, the one person
who knew statistic solutions when I had longtime given up, co-founder of “Thunderstorm”
and a fabulous Tiong-made, a co-fighter against the dark sides of Danum, more than a
colleague and a really good friend.
4Robert Junker brought me to terms when I started complaining about things that were hardly
worth complaining. He was always up for a bottle of wine, long lasting discussions, helpful
comments or just a disarming laughter (Aloha).
Mareike Wurdak, Jan Buellesbach and all the people from the Freiburg Lab were great
company and help whenever I came to the Breisgau to do some lab work in Freiburg.
In Freiburg, Wolf and Renate Lindner provided me with the coziest place to stay I could
think of – as well as with great discussions, open fires and extremely tasteful wines.
My time in Borneo would not have been as great and successful as it was without a whole lot
of people: the company of Martin Stenflo, Kerstin Poltz, Florian Menzel, Wong Siew Te
and Waipak Ng made life in Danum and Sepilok an unforgettable event and long lasting
memory. Arthur Chung, Robert Ong, Rory Walsh, Glen Reynolds and particularly Chey
Vun Khen supported me and my project in every possible way. Mike (Bernadus Bala Ola)
was the best research assistant, Bahasa Melayu teacher, Karaoke singer, badminton player,
birder and forest companion I could have wished for. Meeting Jonathan Tan and his family
was a special event and gave me insight not only into the life of a fascinating Chinese
Malaysian family, but also into the unknown and distrusted world of oil palm plantations.
Shoko Sakai, Takao Itioka and all researchers from the Japanese Lab in LHN enabled me to
expand my work from Sabah to Sarawak and meet even more incredibly helpful and
interesting people. I finally have to thank the British Royal Society as well as the Economic
Planning Unit (EPU) in Kuala Lumpur for giving me permission to do fieldwork in
Malaysia. Terima kasih banya.
When I expanded my studies to Australia, I would not have gone far without the help of Tim
Heard who knew not only every stingless bee species, but also every stingless bee keeper and
provided me with a place to stay, bee specimens en masse, the first stingless bee honey I ever
tasted and lots of advice. Janine and Russell Zabel, Peter Davenport, Ben Oldroyd, Bob
Lawn as well as Lewis and Charly Roberts kindly allowed me to collect bees from their
backyard hives and assisted me in every possible way. Helen Wallace did not only provide
funding for part of the trip, but also knew where to find bees and trees, how to cook a great
green Curry and how to find the Roberts brothers, rendering my work in Australia above all a
great adventure.
Including stingless bees from the New World into my work was only possible thanks to
Stefan Jarau and Christian Reichle who shared their connections and knowledge on Costa
Rican stingless bees and stingless bee people (“abajeros”) with me. In Costa Rica, Eduardo
5Herrera and his family provided me with a second home, a second family, a bike, easy
accessible bee hives, great company and even more people I am glad to have met.
Back in Würzburg, Dieter Mahsberg is one of the first people to mention, because I would
not have started this dissertation without his help and encouragement!
Funding for my dissertation was provided by the Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS)
of Würzburg. Here, Gabriele Blum-Oehler, Liane Lichtlein, Stefan Schröder-Köhne,
Susanne Fischer and Rose Liebert helped me finding a way through the maze of German
Academic red tape.

Xaver Kober was always there for me, tolerated all my moods, supported all my ideas,
waited for me when I spent months away in the field, and, most of all, gave me his
unconditional support and his love!
Ulrike Kober immediately accepted me in her family and supported me with food, clothes
and shelter, encouraging words, open arms and an always open ear.
There is no one else like my Mama – Ursula Leonhardt! A best friend, a great women and a
foothold I could always and ever count on. Ich habe Dich wahnsinnig lieb!
My Papa, Hans-Jörg Leonhardt, is a biologist himself and without doubt one of my earliest
reasons to become one as well. He enthusiastically taught me the name of all kind of birds and
bees and – together with my Mama – got me intrigued by the beauty of nature at a time where
I could barely walk or talk. ‘Blessed’ with two occasionally stubborn daughters, he might not
always have been the luckiest man, but he is the best father I can imagine!
My sister and best friend, Lena Leonhardt, was the one who accompanied me on my trip to
Australia. She managed to be a great field assistant and companion, while holding a film
camera on her right arm in plaster. Thanks to her, this trip and life in general became even
more special. And there is no one else I’d rather call.
Ganz besonders möchte ich meiner Oma, Ilse Meyreiß, danken, die trotz der zahlreichen
Krisen in ihrem Leben und ihren