Foraging activity and colony development ofBombus impatienson three potential surrogate plants for use in semi-field pesticide toxicity studies with bumble bees

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Gradish
Keyword(s):  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Pesticide Toxicity ◽  
Toxicity Studies

scholarly journals Comparison of buckwheat, red clover, and purple tansy as potential surrogate plants for use in semi-field pesticide risk assessments withBombus impatiens

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela E. Gradish ◽  
G. Christopher Cutler ◽  
Andrew J. Frewin ◽  
Cynthia D. Scott-Dupree
Keyword(s):  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Plant Type

Background.Bumble bees (Bombusspp.) are important wild and managed pollinators. There is increased interest in incorporating data on bumble bees into risk assessments for pesticides, but standardized methods for assessing hazards of pesticides in semi-field and field settings have not yet been established for bumble bees. During semi-field studies, colonies are caged with pesticide-treated flowering surrogate plants, which must be attractive to foragers to ensure colony exposure to the test compound, and must produce an ample nectar and pollen to sustain colonies during testing. However, it is not known which plant(s) are suitable for use in semi-field studies with bumble bees.Materials and Methods.We comparedB. impatiensforaging activity and colony development on small plots of flowering buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum, var. common), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and purple tansy (Phacelia tanacetifolia) under semi-field conditions to assess their suitability as surrogate plants for pesticide risk assessment studies with bumble bees. We also compared the growth characteristics and input requirements of each plant type.Results.All three plant types generally established and grew well. Red clover and purple tansy experienced significant weed pressure and/or insect pest damage. In contrast, pest pressure was extremely low in buckwheat. Overall,B. impatiensforaging activity was significantly greater on buckwheat plots than red clover or purple tansy, but plant type had no effect on number of individuals produced per colony or colony weight.Discussion.Because of the consistently high foraging activity and successful colony development observed on buckwheat plots, combined with its favourable growth characteristics and low maintenance requirements, we recommend buckwheat as a surrogate plant for use in semi-field pesticide toxicity assessments withB. impatiens.

scholarly journals Effect of thiamethoxam on foraging activity and mortality of Apis mellifera (L.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gouri Shankar Giri ◽  
Babita Bhatt ◽  
Pramod Mall ◽  
Renu Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Field Condition ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Selective Toxicity ◽  
Beneficial Insects ◽  
Sublethal Doses

Thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid commonly used for its high selective toxicity to insects, is one of the most commonly used pesticides. However, its effect on beneficial insects such as the honeybee Apis mellifera L is still controversial. As young adult workers perform out-hive duties that are crucial for colony development and survival, the effect of sublethal doses of thiamethoxam on honeybee foraging activity and mortality was assessed. Thiamethoxam had a negative impact on foraging activity and cause mortality of honey bees for a period of three to four days following the spraying in field condition.

scholarly journals Information flow and regulation of foraging activity in bumble bees (Bombus spp.)

Apidologie ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dornhaus ◽  
Lars Chittka
Keyword(s):  
Information Flow ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Foraging Activity

WORKER-MALE CONFLICT AND INBREEDING IN BUMBLE BEES (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

1979 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.C. Plowright ◽  
M.J. Pallett
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Diploid Males ◽  
Early Phases

AbstractWorker-male conflict in different bumble bee species is strongly associated with tendency, toward inbreeding. It is hypothesized that the major cost imposed by inbreeding arises from the production of diploid males in place of workers, during the early phases of colony development. The consequent dilution of the labour force slows down colony growth and leads to ultimate reduction in reproductive success. An experiment to test this hypothesis is described, using consanguineously mated queens of B. atratus Fkln. Colonies yielding a 1:1 mixture of males and workers grew significantly more slowly than normal all-worker producing colonies, providing support for the hypothesis.

scholarly journals Pollen Diet Composition Impacts Early Nesting Success in Queen Bumble Bees Bombus impatiens Cresson(Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 711-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristal M Watrous ◽  
Michelle A Duennes ◽  
S Hollis Woodard
Keyword(s):  
Larval Growth ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Brood Production ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
Floral Resource

Abstract Bumble bees are generalist pollinators that typically collect floral rewards from a wide array of flowering plant species. Among the greatest threats to wild bumble bee populations worldwide, many of which are declining, is a loss of floral resource abundance and diversity in the landscapes they inhabit. We examined how composition of pollen diet impacts early nesting success in laboratory-reared queens of the bumble bee Bombus impatiens. Specifically, we provided queens and their young nests with one of three pollen diets, each of which was dominated by a single pollen type, and explored how this diet treatment influenced the length of time until queens initiated nests, total counts of brood in the nest at the end of the experiment (8 wk later), and the size and weight of adult offspring produced. We found that the amount of later-stage brood (pupae and/or adults) produced by recently-initiated nests was strongly impacted by pollen diet. For example, on average 66% fewer later-stage brood were found in nests provided with the Cistus pollen Linnaeus (Cistaceae), relative to the predominantly Asteraceae pollen. This finding suggests that particular pollen diet compositions may delay larval growth, which delays colony development and may ultimately be detrimental for young nests. This study sheds light on how one of the leading stressors for bumble bees (nutritional stress) may negatively impact populations through its influence on brood production during the nest-founding stage of the colony cycle.

A METHOD OF CAPTURING COLONIES OF AERIAL NESTING VESPID WASPS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

1983 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-355
Author(s):  
M. J. Pallett ◽  
R. C. Plowright ◽  
D. L. Gibo
Keyword(s):  
Colony Development ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Tunnel System ◽  
Adult Wasp ◽  
New Location

AbstractA method was developed for the transfer of intact medium-sized Dolichovespula arenaria colonies from their original locations, without damage to the nest and with minimal narcosis of the adult wasp population. The method necessitates a substantial manipulation early in the course of colony development, after which the nest is left to develop normally in situ until it is sufficiently populous to permit tranfer to a new location without intolerable loss of adult insects. We describe also a system for housing vespid colonies following relocation, together with a one-way tunnel system which has proved efficient for the purpose of collecting data on foraging activity.

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