The function of vestibulum (the outermost empty brood cell, without provisioning mass and larvae) has not been precisely determined so far. It is most probably a behavioral relic, which currently has no adaptive value. However, red mason bees often build vestibulum. In this study, we examined the nest tubes of red mason bees in three sites (Kłoda, Kanie and Warsaw) in Mazovian Province and in one site (Sąpłaty) in Warmian-Masurian Province. About 70% of the nest tubes in Kłoda, Kanie and Warsaw had vestibulum, whereas only 29% of the tubes in Sąpłaty had vestibulum. It can be assumed that the vestibulum protects the brood against unstable atmospheric conditions, and the proximity of the lake Sąpłaty reduced the temperature amplitude. It was found, however, that the vestibulum did not protect the brood cell against nest parasitoides and cleptoparasites. More cells were infested by parasites and kleptoparasites in tubes with vestibulum.
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