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393 results for “honey bees”
Data from: Evaluating the strength of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) colonies fed pollen subsitutes over winter
<p>We fed managed honey bee colonies one of two commercially available pollen substitutes (MegaBee, AP23) or no diet over late fall and winter in Florida, U.S.A. We measured the change in mass of adult bees, brood, and full colonies after nine weeks of feeding. We also measured the average mass per pupa, amount of pollen substitute patty consumed, the average total mass of natural pollen collected, and the proportion of pollen foragers.</p>
Colony fitness increases in the honey bee at queen mating frequencies higher than genetic diversity asymptote
Abstract Across the eusocial Hymenoptera, a queen's mating frequency is positively associated with her workers' genetic diversity and colony's fitness. Over 90% of a colony's diversity potential is achieved by its mother's tenth effective mating (me); however, many females mate at levels of me > 10, a zone we here call hyperpolyandry. We compared honey bee colony fitness at mating levels near and above this genetic diversity asymptote. We were interested in how hyperpolyandry affects colony phenotypes arising from both common tasks (brood care) and rare specialized tasks (parasite resistance). We used an unselected wild line of bees and a Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) line selected to resist the parasite Varroa destructor. Virgin queens were instrumentally inseminated to replicate the following queen/colony conditions: (1) VSH semen/low polyandry (observed mating number = mo = 9), (2) VSH semen/high polyandry (mo = 54), (3) wild type semen/low polyandry, or (4) wild semen/high polyandry. There was a positive effect of polyandry on brood survival, an outcome of common tasks, with highest values at mo = 54. There was an interaction between polyandry and genetics such that differences between genetic lines expressed only at mo = 54, with fewer mites in VSH colonies. These results are consistent with two hypotheses for the evolution of mating levels in excess of the genetic diversity asymptote: hyperpolyandry improves colony fitness by (1) optimizing genotype compositions for common tasks and (2) by capturing rare specialist allele combinations, resisting cliff-edge ecological catastrophes. Significance statement Polyandry is a female's practice of mating with several males, storing their sperm, and using it to produce one or more clutches of genetically diverse offspring. In the social Hymenoptera, polyandry increases the genetic diversity and task efficiency of workers, leading to improved colony fitness. Over 90% of the increase in a colony's diversity potential is achieved by its mother's tenth mating; however, many females practice hyperpolyandry, a term we reserve here for mating levels above this genetic diversity asymptote. We show that a token of colony fitness arising from common tasks, brood survival, improves universally as one moves from sub- to hyperpolyandrous mating levels. However, a colony phenotype arising from a rare parasite resistance task is only expressed in the presence of the controlling alleles and under conditions of hyperpolyandry. These results suggest adaptive mechanisms by which hyperpolyandry could evolve.
Playbacks of Asian honey bee stop signals demonstrate referential inhibitory communication
<p>Referential communication provides a sophisticated way in which animals can communicate information about their environment. Previously, research demonstrated that honey bee stop signals encode predator danger in their fundamental frequency and danger context in their duration. Here, we show that these signals also encode danger in their vibrational amplitude. Stop signals elicited by the more dangerous predator, the large hornet (<em>Vespa</em><em>mandarinia</em>) had significantly 1.5-fold higher vibrational amplitudes than those elicited by the small hornet predator (<em>Vespa</em><em>velutina</em>). We measured the freezing vibrational response thresholds, and show that these natural signals exceed response thresholds. Finally, with artificial playbacks of the vibratory stop signal, we demonstrate that these signals referentially encode the danger that foragers experience at food source. Stop signals elicited by the larger and significantly more dangerous predator (<em>V.</em><em>mandarinia</em>) were significantly 1.4-fold more inhibitory than stop signals elicited by the smaller and less dangerous predator (<em>V.</em><em>velutina</em>). This dataset contains all of the data used for the statistical analyses reported in this paper and to generate the figures.</p>
Data from: Agroecological measures in meadows promote honey bee colony development and winter survival
<p><span>The homogenization of agricultural landscapes has led to a decrease in pollinator diversity and abundance. In response to this decline, farmers have implemented agroecological measures, which, in meadows, aim at providing more floral resources. These measures are the availability of unmown floral strips, delayed mowing, and discouraging the use of the conditioner, a device known to harm insects. The aim of our study was to investigate the cascade of effects of these agroecological measures on honey bee colony development and winter survival. We (i) determined the effect of these measures on colony size during the nectar and pollen collecting season in spring and summer, (ii) evaluated the effect of spring and summer colony sizes on autumn size, and (iii) described the effect of colony size in autumn on winter mortality. In this study, 300 honey bee colonies were monitored over three years </span><span>in three cantons of Switzerland. Colony size was defined by the number of brood cells and adult workers, Honey bee colony size in summer and autumn were improved by agroecological measures on meadows and likely contributed to the increased overwintering success.</span> <span>This study is a first step towards the targeted identification of viable agroecological measures on temporary meadows that can be implemented to promote honey bee colonies' health in the agricultural landscape.</span></p>
Multisite imaging of neural activity using a genetically encoded calcium sensor in the honey bee
<p><span>Understanding of the neural bases for complex behaviors in Hymenoptera insect species has been limited by a lack of tools that allow measuring neuronal activity simultaneously in different brain regions. </span><span>Here, we developed the first pan-neuronal genetic driver in a Hymenopteran model organism, the honey bee, and expressed the calcium indicator GCaMP6f under the control of the honey bee <em>synapsin</em> promoter. We show that GCaMP6f is widely expressed in the honey bee brain, allowing it to record neural activity from multiple brain regions. </span><span>To assess the power of this tool, we focused on the olfactory system, recording simultaneous responses from the antennal lobe, and from the more poorly investigated lateral horn and mushroom body calyces. Neural responses to 16 distinct odorants demonstrate that odorant quality (chemical structure) and quantity are faithfully encoded in the honey bee antennal lobe. In contrast, odor coding in the lateral horn departs from this simple physico-chemical coding, supporting the role of this structure in coding the biological value of odorants. We further demonstrate robust neural responses to several bee pheromone odorants, key drivers of social behavior, in the lateral horn. Combined, these brain recordings represent the first use of a neurogenetic tool for recording large-scale neural activity in a eusocial insect, and will be of utility in assessing the neural underpinnings of olfactory and other sensory modalities and of social behaviors and cognitive abilities.</span></p>
Data for: Breeding honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) for low and high Varroa destructor population growth: gene expression of bees performing grooming behavior
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Background</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Social organisms, including honey bees (<em>Apis mellifera</em> 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 <em>Varroa destructor</em> in honey bee colonies. Because <em>V. destructor</em> 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<em> </em>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.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Results</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">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 <em>Apis rhabdovirus</em> <em>1</em> and <em>2</em>, <em>Varroa destructor virus -1</em> (VDV-1), and <em>Deformed wing virus-A</em> (DWV-A) compared to bees of the LVG line.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Conclusions</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">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.</p>
Data for: Negative but antagonistic effects of neonicotinoid insecticides and ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor on Apis mellifera honey bee food glands
<p>Collaborative brood care by workers is essential for the functionality of eusocial honey bee, <em>Apis</em> <em>mellifera</em>, colonies. The hypopharyngeal food glands of workers play a crucial role in this context. Even though there is consensus that ubiquitous ectoparasitic mites <em>Varroa</em> <em>destructor</em> and widespread insecticides, such as neonicotinoids, are major stressors for honey bee health, their impact alone and in combination on the feeding glands of workers is poorly understood. Here, we show that both <em>V. destructor</em> and neonicotinoids reduce hypopharyngeal gland size, thereby potentially compromising collaborative brood care in colonies. In a fully-crossed laboratory experiment, the impact of mites and the neonicotinoids thiamethoxam and clothianidin alone and in combination on workers were evaluated. While the neonicotinoids did not impact survival and emergence body mass, the data confirm that <em>V. destructor</em> reduces both. Even though the interactions between both stressors were antagonistic and neutral, the clear detrimental effects of both stressors alone and in combination on worker longevity and food glands are remarkable. Besides reduced worker longevity, impaired brood care provided by workers exposed to <em>V. destructor</em> and neonicotinoids could be detrimental for honey bee colony functionality. Our findings highlight a mechanism to explain honey bee colonies losses globally.</p>
Does pre-sorting by colour using visible and high-energy violet light improve the detection of plant species in honey bee pollen baskets?
<div class="article-section__content en main"> Premise <p>Pollen collected by honey bees from different plant species often differs in color, and this has been used as a basis for plant identification. The objective of this study was to develop a new, low-cost protocol to sort pollen pellets by color using high-energy violet light and visible light to determine whether pollen pellet color is associated with variations in plant species identity.</p> Methods and Results <p>We identified 35 distinct colors and found that 52% of pollen subsamples (<em>n</em> = 200) were dominated by a single taxon. Among these near-pure pellets, only one color consistently represented a single pollen taxon (Asteraceae: Cichorioideae). Across the spectrum of colors spanning yellows, oranges, and browns, similarly colored pollen pellets contained pollen from multiple plant families ranging from two to 13 families per color.</p> Conclusions <p>Sorting pollen pellets illuminated under high-energy violet light lit from four directions within a custom-made light box aided in distinguishing pellet composition, especially in pellets within the same color.</p> </div>
Data and supplementary information: Effects of lithium on locomotor activity and circadian rhythm of honey bees
<p>Data and supplementary files for publication:</p><p>Erdem, B., Arslan, O.C., Sevin, S. Gozen, A. G., Agosto-Rivera, J. L., Tugrul, G., & Alemdar, H. (2023). Effects of lithium on locomotor activity and circadian rhythm of honey bees. <i>Scientific Reports</i>, <i>13,</i> 19861. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46777-7</p><p> </p><p>AcuteExp_Dark_ActivityData.xlsx - Total LMA counts of acute experiment in dark condition.</p><p>AcuteExp_Light_ActivityData.xlsx - Total LMA counts of acute experiment in light condition.</p><p>ChronicExp_ActivityData.xlsx - Total LMA counts of the chronic experiment.</p><p>ChronicExp_MortalityData.xlsx - Mortality data of the chronic experiment.</p><p>ChronicExp_PeriodRhytmData.xlsx - Defines rhythmic and arrhythmic individuals and the circadian periods (h) of the rhythmic individuals in chronic experiment.</p><p>LD_doubleplots.pdf - Double-plotted actograms of the individuals in the chronic experiment in the 12 h light / 12 h dark condition.</p><p>DD_doubleplots.pdf - Double-plotted actograms of the individuals in the chronic experiment in the constant dark condition.</p><p>LL_doubleplots.pdf - Double-plotted actograms of the individuals in the chronic experiment in the constant light condition.<br>In the double-plotted actograms, NR indicates "non-rhythmic" individuals.</p>
Data for: Patch fidelity and patch preference of honey bees and bumble bees
<p>Animals commonly exhibit a tendency to return to previously visited locations. Such tendency is manifested at different scales, for example fidelity to a site, or fidelity to a specific patch within a site. Although patch fidelity has important implications for the pollinators and the plants they visit, our understanding of patch fidelity, and the extent to which it varies among bee species, remains limited. Here, we used a mark-reobservation approach to compare patch fidelity and patch size preference between one bumble bee and one honey bee species foraging on patches of <em>Medicago sativa</em> L. Honey bees exhibited greater patch fidelity (76%) than bumble bees (47%); they were more likely to return to the patch where they were marked. Patch size affected the level of patch fidelity for bumble bees but not for honey bees. Bumble bees were more likely to return to larger relative to smaller patches. In addition to patch fidelity, we detected preference of bees for the larger patches. Bees visited the larger patches more often than the smaller patches. These results add patch fidelity to the already known repertoire of differences in foraging strategies between a bumble bee and a honey bee species. It also indicates how the simultaneous study of distinct species in a similar environment can reveal important previously undetected information about their behavioral ecology. Observed differences in patch fidelity and patch size preferences may have important implications for crop pollination and conservation habitat design.</p>
Data for: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) modify plant-pollinator network structure, but do not alter wild species' interactions
<p>Honey bees (<em>Apis mellifera</em>) are widely used for honey production and crop pollination, raising concern for wild pollinators, as honey bees may compete with wild pollinators for floral resources. The first sign of competition, before changes appear in wild pollinator abundance or diversity, may be changes to wild pollinator interactions with plants. Such changes for a community can be measured by looking at changes to metrics of resource use overlap in plant-pollinator interaction networks. Studies of honey bee effects on plant-pollinator networks have usually not distinguished whether honey bees alter wild pollinator interactions, or if they merely alter total network structure by adding their own interactions. To test this question, we experimentally introduced honey bees to a Canadian grassland and measured plant-pollinator interactions at varying distances from the introduced hives. We found that honey bees increased the network metrics of pollinator and plant functional complementarity and decreased interaction evenness. However, in networks constructed from just wild pollinator interactions, honey bee abundance did not affect any of the metrics calculated. Thus, all network structural changes to the full network (including honey bee interactions) were due only to honey bee-plant interactions, and not to honey bees causing changes in wild pollinator-plant interactions. Given widespread and increasing use of honey bees, it is important to establish whether they affect wild pollinator communities. Our results suggest that honey bees did not alter wild pollinator foraging patterns in this system, even in a year that was drier than the 20-year average.</p>
Fore wings of honey bees (Apis mellifera) from Jammu and Kashmir, India
<p>The dataset consists of 350 honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) fore wing images, which represent 175 workers and 10 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The wing images are compressed in IN-wing-images.zip. Raw coordinates of 19 landmarks marked on the wings are in file IN-raw-coordinates.csv. Additional data, including geographic coordinates and resolution, is saved in the file IN-data.csv.</p>
Data for: Russian honey bee genotype identification through enhanced marker panel set
<p>Russian honey bees (RHB) are a breeding population developed by USDA-ARS as an effort to provide Varroa-resistant honey bees to beekeepers. The selection strategy for this breeding population was the first in honey bees to incorporate genetic stock identification (GSI). The original GSI approach has been in use for over a decade, and though effective, novel technologies and analytical approaches recently developed provide an opportunity for improvement. Here we outline a novel genotyping assay that capitalizes on the markers used in the GSI as well as novel loci recently identified in a whole genome pooled study of commercial honey bee stocks. Our approach utilizes a microfluidic platform and machine learning analyses to arrive at an accurate, high throughput assay. This novel approach provides an improved tool that can be readily incorporated into breeding decisions towards healthier more productive bees.</p>
Evidence of exploitative competition between honey bees and native bees in two California landscapes
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Survey questionnaire and data of health management strategies of resilient honey bee stock throughout Southern California
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Data from: Pathogen shifts in a honey bee predator following arrival of the Varroa mite
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Data from: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) modify plant-pollinator network structure, but do not alter wild species’ interactions
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Data from: Drivers of viral prevalence in landscape-scale pollinator networks across Europe: Honey bee viral density, niche overlap with this reservoir host and network architecture
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The trisaccharide melezitose impacts honey bees and their intestinal microbiota
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Insecticide exposure alters flight-dependent gene-expression in honey bees, Apis mellifera
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OpenNeuro
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