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Journal of Apicultural Science 2023 67(2)
ADAPTIVE DEFENSE STRATEGIES OF THE STINGLESS BEE, TETRAGONULA IRIDIPENNIS SMITH. AGAINST NEST INTRUDERS IN A NEWLY DIVIDED COLONY
ADAPTIVE DEFENSE STRATEGIES OF THE STINGLESS BEE, TETRAGONULA IRIDIPENNIS SMITH. AGAINST INTRUDERS IN NEWLY ESTABLISHED FAMILIES
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0007
Udayakumar Amala, Venu Hunasikote Shamappa, Chandramanu Kandikere, Shylesha Arakalagud Nanjundaiah, Shivalingaswamy T. Maharudrappa
The aim of the study was to document the presence of intruders in newly formed stingless bee colonies. The nature of damage, the order of activities after the division of the colony and the division of tasks in the colony were assessed. Three groups of intruders were observed, belonging to – solitary bees (Megachile disjuncta i M. cephalotes), ants (Oecophylla smaragdina i Camponotus sp.) and spiders belonging to the family Salticide i Lycosidae. They attacked colonies in earlier phases after division. The average number of invasions by solitary bees and ants was significantly higher in the first week after division. Spiders entered the hives and built webs in the second week after division. Propolis and honey reserves were robbed by bees and ants. Closing of the entrance to the nest was observed after 4,37±0,74 days after division of colonies, activity of guarding bees was observed from 6,13±1,24 days and foragers from 10,63±1,06 days after division. Observations of the performance of tasks by workers in the colony after its division showed that 69% of bees were involved in repairing the entrance to the hive, 18% in building the nest and 13% in taking care of the brood. Bees covered the entrance to the hive to make it difficult for intruders to enter the nest. The results of the observations are of great importance for beekeepers because they allow them to recognize the presence of intruders in the hive after the formation of new colonies and to learn about the defense mechanisms of bee colonies.
Keywords: nest defense, intruders, nest building, closing the nest entrance
POLLEN COUNT DYNAMICS IN RAPESEED STAMENS IN EARLY SPRING
DYNAMICS OF COUNTING POLLEN GRAINS IN RAPE STAMETES IN EARLY SPRING
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0008
Zhijun Wei, Ran Liu, Guiling Ding, Yusuo Jiang, Jiaxing Huang
Pollen contains vegetative and generative cells. The biological activity of pollen affects seed set. Accurate pollen evaluation helps to understand the biology of rapeseed breeding. A new method for estimating the pollen content of five rapeseed varieties was developed. This method is mainly based on the evaluation of pollen suspension in 5% sucrose + 0,1% agar solution and uses a standard curve corresponding to the absorbance of the suspension to estimate the number of pollen grains. The linear fit pattern of the standard curve was precise, and the R value2 between the number of pollen grains and absorbance reached 0,998. In addition, the variability of pollen count in three flowering stages on two types of stamens was assessed. The number of pollen grains on flowers differed significantly between rapeseed cultivars and flowering stages (GLM: p<0,001). The number of pollen grains in the anthers of long stamens was significantly higher than in the anthers of short stamens (GLM: p<0,001). In summary, we have developed a fast and accurate method for the quantitative determination of pollen grains based on absorbance determined in a liquid suspension by light spectroscopy. In addition, the number of pollen grains in different physiological conditions provides basic data for rapeseed breeding.
Keywords: Brassica, rapeseed, pollen, pollen counting, pollen deposition
TOXICITY OF INSECTICIDES WITH DIFFERENT MODES OF ACTION TO APIS MELLIFERA LARVAE (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)
TOXICITY OF INSECTICIDES WITH DIFFERENT MODES OF ACTION ON LARVAE APIS MELLIFERA (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0010
Mohammad Abdul Waseem, Meena Thakur
Pesticides are one of the factors contributing to the decline of honeybee populations. Honeybees, while collecting nectar and pollen from crops, may be exposed to pesticide residues, which can then be transferred to colonies and used to feed larvae. The aim of the study was to assess the toxicity of fipronil and lambda-cyhalothrin, two commonly detected pesticides, on larvae. Apis mellifera. Chemicals were administered to three-day-old larvae using a micropipette placed on the bottom of selected comb cells. Each replicate included sixty larvae per selected pesticide dose, and the experiment was repeated three times. In the control group, larvae received only acetone. Fipronil and lambda-cyhalothrin were toxic to larvae A. mellifera with LD50 values of 0,163 and 0,83 µg/larva, respectively, after seven days of exposure. The maximum mortality was 81,35% at a dose of 0,38 µg/larva in Fipronil, while in lambda-cyhalothrin it was 94,23% at a dose of 1,70 µg/larva.
Keywords: Fipronil, honeybee larvae, lambda-cyhalothrin, lethal dose mortality
EFFECT OF POLLINATION BY THE OSMIA BICORNIS (SON. Father RUFA) BEE ON FRUIT SET, SEED SET AND YIELD IN THREE APPLE CULTIVARS
IMPACT OF BEE POLLINATION OSMIA BICORNIS (SON. Father RUFA) FOR FRUIT AND SEED SETTING AND YIELDING OF THREE APPLE TREES VARIETIES
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0011
Monika Fliszkiewicz, Karol Giejdasz
In our research, we assessed the efficiency of pollination by the solitary bee. Osmia bicornis L. (son O. stern) of three apple varieties: Lobo, Piros and Champion. Three pollination methods were compared for each variety: pollination with the participation of insects - trees covered with a net with bees O. bicornis; open pollination – trees not covered; self-pollination – trees covered with netting without bees. Pollination efficiency was measured based on the percentage of set fruit, fruit yield per tree (measured as the number of fruits and total fruit weight) and the number of seeds per fruit. The percentage of set fruit and fruit at harvest was higher in trees pollinated in an open manner than in trees covered with netting and without bees, while the intermediate value was recorded for trees covered and pollinated by O.bicornis (Syn. O. stern). However, the share of fruit set on trees pollinated exclusively by O. bicornis (Syn. O. stern) was high and ranged from 49 to 69%, depending on the variety. The highest fruit yield from apple trees of all varieties was obtained as a result of open pollination and from the Lobo variety pollinated by O. bicornis (Syn. O. stern). Moreover, the number of seeds in the fruit was higher. Fruit yield and number of seeds per fruit from apple trees of Piros and Lobo varieties pollinated by O. bicornis (Syn. O. stern) were higher than for trees covered with netting and without bees, but lower than for trees with open pollination.
Keywords: apple trees, fruit yield, Osmia bicornis, pollination, seed number
ANALYSIS OF DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF APIS CERANA GUT MICROBIOME IN OVERWINTERING PERIOD
ANALYSIS OF THE DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF THE GUT MICROBIOME APIS CERANA DURING THE WINTERING PERIOD
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0009
Nannan Liu, Wenming Lv, Hongying Lv, Zhihao San, Yulan Piao, Fenglin Li
Low temperatures limit honeybee survival and reproduction. Therefore, good overwintering of colonies is crucial for honeybee survival and pollination of flowering plants the following spring. The study analyzed gut microflora Apis cerana from Changbai Mountain during the winter using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. Analysis of microbial composition showed that Gilliamella, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium i Snodgrassell were the main types of gut microbiota of honeybees in winter. Alpha diversity analysis showed that gut microbiota diversity in colonies peaked in December, while beta diversity and LEfSe analysis showed that the composition of gut microbiota was similar in December, January and February, and the abundance of beneficial bacteria Snodgrassella, Acetobacteraceae and Rhizobiales was different during this period. The results of functional prediction analysis indicate that amino acid transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism and TCA cycle play important roles in colony overwintering. These results suggest dynamic changes in gut microbiota A. cerana during hibernation and mechanisms of cold stress tolerance.
Keywords: Apis cerana; Changbai Mountain; gut microflora; hibernation period; 16S rDNA
PROMOTING POLLINATION AND POLLINATORS IN FARMING
PROMOTING POLLINATION AND POLLINATORS IN AGRICULTURE
https://sciendo.com/pl/article/10.2478/jas-2023-0012
Peter Kevan, Susan Willis Chan
Promoting Pollination and Pollinators in Agriculture, edited by Professor Peter Kevan and Dr D. Susan Willis Chan, is an excellent compendium of knowledge on the broad process of plant pollination. Pollination is an extremely important ecosystem service provided by insects, so a comprehensive understanding of the diverse relationships between plants and pollinators requires a great deal of knowledge. This publication, prepared by many eminent experts in the field of pollination, offers readers an up-to-date overview of the subject. It presents the secrets of the mechanisms of plants to encourage insects to visit their flowers and to effectively cross-pollinate. This is particularly important for crops, but also for wild plants. It also indicates current threats to pollinators (climate change, diseases and pests, the impact of pesticides) and ways to prevent adverse events affecting pollinator well-being. The book also addresses the phenomenon of interspecific competition between insects in ecosystems. By combining this research, the book emphasizes the need to protect pollinators valuable to the ecosystem so that they can fulfill their role in the environment. The handbook also contains practical tips for growers on how to proceed correctly so as not to harm pollinators. In summary, this is an extremely valuable and much-needed publication for society.
