The role of queen mandibular pheromone and colony congestion in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) reproductive swarming (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

1991 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 649-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark L. Winston ◽  
Heather A. Higo ◽  
Simon J. Colley ◽  
Tanya Pankiw ◽  
Keith N. Slessor
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Queen Mandibular Pheromone

scholarly journals Intra-Colonial Viral Infections in Western Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1087
Author(s):  
Loreley Castelli ◽  
María Laura Genchi García ◽  
Anne Dalmon ◽  
Daniela Arredondo ◽  
Karina Antúnez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Virus Genome ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Bee Virus ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Bee Viruses

RNA viruses play a significant role in the current high losses of pollinators. Although many studies have focused on the epidemiology of western honey bee (Apis mellifera) viruses at the colony level, the dynamics of virus infection within colonies remains poorly explored. In this study, the two main variants of the ubiquitous honey bee virus DWV as well as three major honey bee viruses (SBV, ABPV and BQCV) were analyzed from Varroa-destructor-parasitized pupae. More precisely, RT-qPCR was used to quantify and compare virus genome copies across honey bee pupae at the individual and subfamily levels (i.e., patrilines, sharing the same mother queen but with different drones as fathers). Additionally, virus genome copies were compared in cells parasitized by reproducing and non-reproducing mite foundresses to assess the role of this vector. Only DWV was detected in the samples, and the two variants of this virus significantly differed when comparing the sampling period, colonies and patrilines. Moreover, DWV-A and DWV-B exhibited different infection patterns, reflecting contrasting dynamics. Altogether, these results provide new insight into honey bee diseases and stress the need for more studies about the mechanisms of intra-colonial disease variation in social insects.

EFFECTS OF HONEY BEE (APIS MELLIFERA L.) QUEEN MANDIBULAR GLAND PHEROMONE ON FORAGING AND BROOD REARING

1992 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. Higo ◽  
Simon J. Colley ◽  
Mark L. Winston ◽  
Keith N. Slessor
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Mandibular Gland ◽  
Queen Mandibular Pheromone ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Population Peak ◽  
Queen Mandibular Gland Pheromone ◽  
Dose Dependent Increase ◽  
Dose Dependent

AbstractWe investigated the effects of synthetic honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queen mandibular gland pheromone on colony foraging and brood rearing. Colonies newly established in the spring showed a significant, dose-dependent increase in the number of foragers gathering pollen, and individual pollen foragers returned to the nest with larger pollen loads. These two effects combined resulted in a doubling of the amount of pollen brought into colonies by foraging bees. Brood rearing also increased, but not significantly. In contrast, large, established colonies showed no effects at their summer population peak. We conclude that queen mandibular pheromone can significantly affect foraging, but its effects depend on colony conditions and environmental factors.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Control of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Major Royal Jelly Proteins by 20-Hydroxyecdysone

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Winkler ◽  
Frank Sieg ◽  
Anja Buttstedt
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Transcriptional Control ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Adult Worker ◽  
Gene Expression Dynamics

One of the first tasks of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) during their lifetime is to feed the larval offspring. In brief, young workers (nurse bees) secrete a special food jelly that contains a large amount of unique major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs). The regulation of mrjp gene expression is not well understood, but the large upregulation in well-fed nurse bees suggests a tight repression until, or a massive induction upon, hatching of the adult worker bees. The lipoprotein vitellogenin, the synthesis of which is regulated by the two systemic hormones 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone, is thought to be a precursor for the production of MRJPs. Thus, the regulation of mrjp expression by the said systemic hormones is likely. This study focusses on the role of 20-hydroxyecdysone by elucidating its effect on mrjp gene expression dynamics. Specifically, we tested whether 20-hydroxyecdysone displayed differential effects on various mrjps. We found that the expression of the mrjps (mrjp1–3) that were finally secreted in large amounts into the food jelly, in particular, were down regulated by 20-hydroxyecdysone treatment, with mrjp3 showing the highest repression value.

scholarly journals Assessing the role of β-ocimene in regulating foraging behavior of the honey bee, Apis mellifera

Apidologie ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Ma ◽  
Ulrich G. Mueller ◽  
Juliana Rangel
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Foraging Behavior

THE ROLE OF NUTRITION AND TEMPERATURE IN THE OVARIAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORKER HONEY BEE (APIS MELLIFERA)

1998 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huarong Lin ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Ovarian Development ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Brood Chamber ◽  
Laying Workers

AbstractQueenless, caged, newly emerged worker bees (Apis mellifera L.) were fed honey, 22 and 40% pollen in honey, and 22 and 40% royal jelly in honey for 14 days. Workers fed royal jelly, pollen, and honey had large, medium, and small ovaries, respectively. Royal jelly had higher nutritive value for workers’ ovarian development than did pollen, possibly because royal jelly is predigested by nurse bees and easily used by adult and larval bees. These results suggest that nurse bees could mediate workers’ ovarian development in colonies via trophallactic exchange of royal jelly. Six levels of royal jelly in honey, 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% (royal jelly without honey), were tested for their effects on workers’ ovarian development and mortality for 10 days. High levels of royal jelly increased ovarian development, but also increased worker mortality. All caged bees treated with 100% royal jelly died within 3 days. When workers were incubated at 20, 27, and 34 °C for 10 days, only bees at 34 °C developed ovaries. These findings suggest that nurse bees functioning as units which digest pollen and produce royal jelly may feed some potentially egg-laying workers in a brood chamber with royal jelly when a queen is lost in a colony. Feeding workers a diet of 50% royal jelly in honey and incubating at 34 °C for 10 days is recommended for tests of ovarian development.

The effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera)queen mandibular pheromone on colony defensive behaviour

2005 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L Gervan ◽  
Mark L Winston ◽  
Heather A Higo ◽  
Shelley E R Hoover
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Defensive Behaviour ◽  
Queen Mandibular Pheromone
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