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Figure 8 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 8. Breeding cells of C. alexandrei. (A-B) Eggs on pollen mass in the cell; (C-F) Larvae: (C) Young larva; (D-E) Larvae in intermediate stage with pollen in their digestive tract; (F) Mature larva; (G-H) Pupae: (H) Young pupa; (G) Mature pupa.

Figure 6 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 6. Internal architecture of nests of C. alexandrei. (A) Nest 2; (B) Nest 8; (C) Nest 1; (D) Nest 4. ♀ and ♂ indicating on sex of adult bees, female and male respectively, ♀ + indicate dead females. Scale: 2 cm.

Figure 3. Nests C in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 3. Nests C. alexandrei in the earth banks. (A-B) aggregations of nests: (A) nesting site C; (B) nesting site Z: (C-F) Open nests entrances with traces of soil falling down the bank: (G-H) Close nests entrances with soil. Red arrows indicate the open entrances of the nest. Red circles indicate the close entrance of the nest.

Figure 5 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 5. Nests of C. alexandrei in the earth banks. (A) Female leaving the nest to perform foraging activity; (B, D-E) Female arrival and entry to the nest with a load of pollen in her hind femoral, tibial and ventral scopa and contact with the guardian female; (C) Female performing guarding activity in the entrance of the nest and waiting for the returns of another nest female′s; (F) Exit of the guardian female to forage just after the return of another adult female from the nest.

Figure 2 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 2. Nesting sites of C. alexandrei on earth banks in Colombia. (A) nesting site Z (Zipaquirá – San Jorge); (B) nesting site C (Cajicá – UMNG); (C-D) Red arrows indicate the entrance of the nest in the earth banks.

Figure 1 in Behavior and nest architecture of the bee Caenohalictus alexandrei (Hymenoptera, Halictinae)

Figure 1. Geographical location of the nesting sites. Green area represents the Cundinamarca department. Gray area corresponds to the municipality of Zipaquirá with the nesting site Z (red circle) and brown area corresponds to the municipality of Cajicá with the nesting site C (blue circle).

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Data for: Breeding honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) for low and high Varroa destructor population growth: gene expression of bees performing grooming behavior

Background Social organisms, including honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), have defense mechanisms to control the multiplication and transmission of parasites and pathogens within their colonies. Self-grooming, a mechanism of behavioral immunity, seems to contribute to restraining the population growth of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies. Because V. destructor is the most damaging parasite of honey bees, breeding them for resistance against the mite is a high priority of the beekeeping industry. We conducted a bidirectional breeding program to select honey bee colonies with low and high varroa population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively). Having high and low lines of bees allowed the study of genetic mechanisms underlying self-grooming behavior between the extreme genotypes. Worker bees were classified into two categories: 'light groomers' and 'intense groomers'. The brains of bees from the different categories (LVG-intense, LVG-light, HVG-intense, and HVG-light) were used for gene expression and viral quantification analyses. Results Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the LVG and HVG lines were identified, including four odorant-binding proteins and a gustatory receptor. A functional enrichment analysis showed 19 enriched pathways from a list of 219 down-regulated DEGs in HVG bees, including the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) term of oxidative phosphorylation. Additionally, bees from the HVG line showed higher levels of Apis rhabdovirus 1 and 2, Varroa destructor virus -1 (VDV-1), and Deformed wing virus-A (DWV-A) compared to bees of the LVG line. Conclusions The difference in expression of odorant-binding protein genes and a gustatory receptor between bee lines suggests a possible link between them and the perception of irritants to trigger rapid self-grooming instances that require the activation of energy metabolic pathways. Therefore, our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in honey bee grooming behavior. Differences in viral levels in the brains of LVG and HVG bees showed the importance of investigating the pathogenicity and potential impacts of neurotropic viruses on behavioral immunity. The results of this study advance the understanding of a trait used for selective breeding, self-grooming, and the potential of using genomic-assisted selection to improve breeding programs.

publicMar 2023View details →

Data for: Breeding honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) for low and high Varroa destructor population growth: gene expression of bees performing grooming behavior

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publicFeb 2022View details →

Algal growth, bumblebee colony and individual development, bee behavior and yield of oilseed rape under a trophic cascade and extreme weather

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publicApr 2020View details →

Honey bee virus causes context-dependent changes in host social behavior

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publicFeb 2025View details →

Agricultural intensification impairs behavioral abilities and the expression of genes associated with social responsiveness in honey bees

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publicMay 2020View details →

Data from: Floral bagging differentially affects handling behaviors and single-visit pollen deposition by honey bees and native bees

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publicAug 2021View details →

Data from: Mark-recapture experiments reveal foraging behavior and plant fidelity of native bees in plant nurseries

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opencc-zeroAug 2020View details →

Genomic regions influencing aggressive behavior in honey bees are defined by colony allele frequencies

For social animals, the genotypes of group members affect the social environment, and thus individual behavior, often indirectly. We used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to determine the influence of individual vs. group genotypes on aggression in honey bees. Aggression in honey bees arises from the coordinated actions of colony members, primarily nonreproductive "soldier" bees, and thus, experiences evolutionary selection at the colony level. Here, we show that individual behavior is influenced by colony environment, which in turn, is shaped by allele frequency within colonies. Using a population with a range of aggression, we sequenced individual whole genomes and looked for genotype–behavior associations within colonies in a common environment. There were no significant correlations between individual aggression and specific alleles. By contrast, we found strong correlations between colony aggression and the frequencies of specific alleles within colonies, despite a small number of colonies. Associations at the colony level were highly significant and were very similar among both soldiers and foragers, but they covaried with one another. One strongly significant association peak, containing an ortholog of the Drosophila sensory gene dpr4 on linkage group (chromosome) 7, showed strong signals of both selection and admixture during the evolution of gentleness in a honey bee population. We thus found links between colony genetics and group behavior and also, molecular evidence for group-level selection, acting at the colony level. We conclude that group genetics dominates individual genetics in determining the fatal decision of honey bees to sting.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from: Antibiotics in hives and their effects on honey bee physiology and behavioral development

Recurrent honey bee losses make it critical to understand the impact of human interventions, such as antibiotics use in apiculture. Antibiotics are used to prevent or treat bacterial infections in colonies. However, little is known about their effects on honey bee development. We studied the effect of two commercial beekeeping antibiotics on the bee physiology and behavior throughout development. Our results show that antibiotic treatments have an effect on amount of lipids and rate of behavioral development. Lipid amount in treated bees was higher than those not treated. Also, the timing of antibiotic treatment had distinct effects for the age of onset of behaviors starting with cleaning, then nursing and lastly foraging. Bees treated during larva-pupa stages demonstrated an accelerated behavioral development and loss of lipids, while bees treated from larva to adulthood had a delay in behavioral development and loss of lipids. The effects were shared across the two antibiotics tested, TerramycinR (oxytetracycline) and TylanR (tylosin tartrate). These results on effects of antibiotic treatments suggest a role of microbiota in the interaction between the fat body and brain that is important for honey bee behavioral development.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from: Limitation of complementary resources affects colony growth, foraging behavior and reproduction in bumble bees

Resource availability has been disturbed for many organisms in agricultural landscapes including pollinator species. Abundance and diversity in flower availability benefit bee populations, however, little is known about which of protein or carbohydrate resources may limit their growth and reproductive performance. Here, we test the hypothesis of complementary resource limitation using a supplemental feeding approach. We applied this assumption with bumble bees (Bombus terrestris), assuming that colony growth and reproductive performance should depend on the continuous supply of carbohydrates and proteins, through the foraging for nectar and pollen respectively. We placed wild-caught bumble bee colonies along a landscape gradient of semi-natural habitats, and monitored the colonies' weight, foraging activity and reproductive performance during the whole colony cycle. We performed supplemental feeding as an indicator of landscape resource limitation, using a factorial design consisting of the addition of sugar-water (carbohydrate, supplemented or not) crossed by pollen (protein, supplemented or not). Bumble bee colony dynamics showed a clear seasonal pattern with a period of growth followed by a period of stagnation. Higher abundance of semi-natural habitats resulted in reducing the proportion of pollen foragers relative to all foragers in both periods, and in improving the reproductive performance of bumble bees. Interestingly, the supplemental feeding of sugar-water positively affected the colony weight during the stagnation period, while the supplemental feeding of pollen mitigated the landscape effect on pollen collection investment. Single and combined supplementation of sugar-water and pollen increased the positive effect of semi-natural habitats on reproductive performance. This study reveals a potential co-limitation in pollen and nectar resources affecting foraging behavior and reproductive performance in bumble bees, and indicates that even in mixed agricultural landscapes with higher proportions of semi-natural habitats, bumble bee populations face resource limitations. We conclude that the seasonal management of floral resources must be considered in conservation to support bumble bee populations and pollination services in farmlands.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: The evolution of floral sonication, a pollen foraging behavior used by bees (Anthophila)

Over 22,000 species of biotically pollinated flowering plants, including some major agricultural crops, depend primarily on bees capable of floral sonication for pollination services. The ability to sonicate ("buzz") flowers is widespread in bees but not ubiquitous. Despite the prevalence of this pollinator behavior and its importance to natural and agricultural systems, the evolutionary history of floral sonication in bees has not been previously studied. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of floral sonication in bees by generating a time-calibrated phylogeny and reconstructing ancestral states for this pollen extraction behavior. We also test the hypothesis that the ability to sonicate flowers and thereby efficiently access pollen from a diverse assemblage of plant species, led to increased diversification amongst sonicating bee taxa. We find that floral sonication evolved on average 45 times within bees, possibly first during the Early Cretaceous (100-145 million years ago) in the common ancestor of bees. We find that sonicating lineages are significantly more species rich than non-sonicating sister lineages when comparing sister clades, but a probabilistic structured rate permutation on phylogenies approach failed to support the hypothesis that floral sonication is a key driver of bee diversification. This study provides the evolutionary framework needed to further study how floral sonication by bees may have facilitated the spread and common evolution of angiosperm species with poricidal floral morphology.

opencc-zeroOct 2018View details →

Data from: Pollination on the dark side: acoustic monitoring reveals impacts of a total solar eclipse on flight behavior and activity schedule of foraging bees

The total solar eclipse of 21 August 2017 traversed ~5000 km from coast to coast of North America. In its 90-min span, sunlight dropped by three orders of magnitude and temperature by 10–15°C. To investigate impacts of these changes on bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) pollinators, we monitored their flights acoustically in natural habitats of Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, and Midwest regions. Temperature changes during the eclipse had little impact on bee activity. Most of the explained variation (R2) in buzzing rate was attributable to changes in light intensity. Bees ceased flying during complete darkness at totality, but flight activity was unaffected by dim light in partial phases before and after totality. Flights of bees during partial phases of the eclipse lasted longer than flights made under full sun, showing that behavioral plasticity matched bee flight properties to changes in light intensity during the eclipse. Efforts of citizen scientists, including hundreds of school children, contributed to the scope and educational impact of this study.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Behavioral responses by a bumble bee to competition with a niche-constructing congener

<ul> <li>While feeding, foragers can alter their environment. Such alteration constitutes ecological niche construction (ENC) if it enables future benefits for the constructor and conspecific individuals. The environmental modification may also affect non-constructing, bystander species, especially if they share resources with constructor species. If so, ENC could confer the constructor species a competitive advantage by both enhancing its foraging returns and reducing those of bystander species. </li> <li>Expectations – (E1) ENC frequency should vary positively with the recent and current density of the constructor species, and (E2) constructors should use modifications disproportionately. In contrast, bystanders should (E3) experience intensified competition for the affected resource, and (E4) exhibit diverse, possibly mitigating, responses to ENC, depending on opportunity and relative benefits. </li> <li>We investigated these expectations in Argentina for competition for Fuchsia magellanica nectar between an invasive bumble bee, Bombus terrestris (terr: putative constructor), that often bites holes at the bases of floral tubes to rob nectar, and native B. dahlbomii (dahl: bystander), which normally accesses Fuchsia nectar through the flower mouth (front visits). Robbing holes constitute ENC, as they persist until the 7-day flowers wilt. The dynamics of the incidence of robbed flowers, abundance of both bees, and the number and types of their flower visits (front or robbing) were characterised by alternate-day surveys of plants during 2.5 months.</li> <li>After initially accessing Fuchsia nectar via front visits, terr switched to robbing and its abundance on Fuchsia increased 20-fold within 10 days (E2). Correspondingly, the incidence of robbed flowers varied positively with recent and past terr abundance (E1). In contrast, dahl abundance remained low and varied negatively with the incidence of robbed flowers (E3). When terr ceased visiting Fuchsia, dahl abundance increased six-fold within 10 days (E3), possibly because many dahl previously had avoided competition with terr by feeding on other plant species (E4). While terr was present, dahl on Fuchsia used front visits (tolerance) or used existing robbing holes (adoption: E4). The diverse dahl responses suggest partial compensation for competition with terr.</li> <li>ENC alters competitive asymmetry, favouring constructor species. However, bystander responses can partially offset this advantage, perhaps facilitating coexistence. </li> </ul>