Social encapsulation of beetle parasites by Cape honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.)

Worker honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis) encapsulate the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), a nest parasite, in propolis (tree resin collected by the bees). The encapsulation process lasts 1-4 days and the bees have a sophisticated guarding strategy for limiting the escape of beetles during encapsulation. Some encapsulated beetles died (4.9%) and a few escaped (1.6%). Encapsulation has probably evolved because the small hive beetle cannot easily be killed by the bees due to its hard exoskeleton and defensive behaviour.     

Selection on worker honeybee responses to queen pheromone (Apis mellifera L.)

 Disruptive selection for responsiveness to queen mandibular gland pheromone (QMP) in the retinue bioassay resulted in the production of high and low QMP responding strains of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Strains differed significantly in their retinue response to QMP after one generation of selection. By the third generation the high strain was on average at least nine times more responsive than the low strain. The strains showed seasonal phenotypic plasticity such that both strains were more responsive to the pheromone in the spring than in the fall. Directional selection for low seasonal variation indicated that phenotypic plasticity was an additional genetic component to retinue response to QMP. Selection for high and low retinue responsiveness to QMP was not an artifact of the synthetic blend because both strains were equally responsive or non-responsive to whole mandibular gland extracts compared with QMP. The use of these strains clearly pointed to an extra-mandibular source of retinue pheromones (Pankiw et al. 1995; Slessor et al. 1998; Keeling et al. 1999). Received: 2 March 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 4 September 2000     

Lower disease infections in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies headed by polyandrous vs monandrous queens

We studied the relationship between genetic diversity and disease susceptibility in honeybee colonies living under natural conditions. To do so, we created colonies in which each queen was artificially inseminated with sperm from either one or ten drones. Of the 20 colonies studied, 80% showed at least one brood disease. We found strong differences between the two types of colonies in the infection intensity of chalkbrood and in the total intensity of all brood diseases (chalkbrood, sacbrood, American foulbrood, and European foulbrood) with both variables lower for the colonies with higher genetic diversity. Our findings demonstrate that disease can be an important factor in the ecology of honeybee colonies and they provide strong support for the disease hypothesis for the evolution of polyandry by social insect queens.     

Short-sighted evolution of virulence in parasitic honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.)

The short-sighted selection hypothesis for parasite virulence predicts that winners of within-host competition are poorer at transmission to new hosts. Social parasitism by self-replicating, female-producing workers occurs in the Cape honeybee Apis mellifera capensis, and colonies of other honeybee subspecies are susceptible hosts. We found high within-host virulence but low transmission rates in a clone of social parasitic A. m. capensis workers invading the neighbouring subspecies A. m. scutellata. In contrast, parasitic workers from the endemic range of A. m. capensis showed low within-host virulence but high transmission rates. This suggests a short-sighted selection scenario for the host-parasite co-evolution in the invasive range of the Cape honeybee, probably facilitated by beekeeping-assisted parasite transmission in apiaries.     

外源硒对黄瓜抗性、镉积累及镉化学形态的影响

采用盆栽试验,在土壤Cd(20 mg·kg-1)污染条件下,测定了不同浓度的Na2Se O3(Se水平为0、0.5和1.0 mg·L-1)处理对2个黄瓜(Cucumis satiuus L.)品种(低Cd富集植物品种津优1号和高Cd富集品种燕白)生物量、丙二醛(MDA)含量、抗氧化酶活性及黄瓜体内Cd形态和Cd积累量的影响.结果表明,叶面喷施硒(Na2Se O3)后,黄瓜叶、茎、根、果实、植株干重,以及Cd含量和积累量在两个品种间的差异达到了显著性水平.随硒浓度的增加,燕白叶的丙二醛(MDA)含量逐渐增加,津优1号叶的丙二醛含量则逐渐减少;燕白根的丙二醛含量先增后降,津优1号根的丙二醛含量先降后增.喷施Na2Se O3后,黄瓜叶和根的CAT、SOD和POD活性呈现不同变化趋势.喷施外源硒降低了2个品种果实中不同形态Cd含量.叶面喷施Na2Se O3使黄瓜叶、茎、根和果实中的Cd含量分别下降了3.2%~17.9%、14.6%~28.2%、5.1%~18.5%和60.6%~75.8%.比较2个供试黄瓜品种,无论喷施Na2Se O3与否,黄瓜植株中Cd积累量以津优1号燕白.     

Quantification of the effects of management factors on maize (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) residues decomposition rate

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No facultative worker policing in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Kin selection theory predicts that in colonies of social Hymenoptera with multiply mated queens, workers should mutually inhibit (“police”) worker reproduction, but that in colonies with singly mated queens, workers should favor rearing workers’ sons instead of queens’ sons. In line with these predictions, Mattila et al. (Curr Biol 22:2027–2031, 2012) documented increased ovary development among workers in colonies of honey bees with singly mated queens, suggesting that workers can detect and respond adaptively to queen mating frequency and raising the possibility that they facultative police. In a follow-up experiment, we test and reject the hypothesis that workers in single-patriline colonies prefer worker-derived males and are able to reproduce directly; we show that their eggs are policed as strongly as those of workers in colonies with multiply mated queens. Evidently, workers do not respond facultatively to a kin structure that favors relaxed policing and increased direct reproduction. These workers may instead be responding to a poor queen or preparing for possible queen loss.     

Chemical fractionations and bioavailability of cadmium and zinc to cole （Brassica campestris L.） grown in the multi-metals contaminated oasis soil, northwest of China

A pot experiment was conducted to study the relationship between distribution of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) and their availability to cole (Brassica campestris L.) grown in the multi-metal contaminated oasis soil in northwest of China. The results showed that Cd and Zn in the unpolluted oasis soil was mainly found in the residual fractionation, however, with increasing contents of Cd and Zn in the oasis soil, the distribution of Cd and Zn changed significantly. The growth of cole could be promoted by low Cd and Zn concentration, but significantly restrained by high concentrations. There was antagonistic e ect among Cd and Zn in the multi-metals contaminated oasis soil. Stepwise regression analysis between fractionations distribution coe cients of the two meals in the soil and their contents in cole showed that both Cd and Zn in the exchangeable fractionation in the oasis soil made the most contribution on the uptake of Cd and Zn in cole. The bio-concentration factor (BCF) of Cd was greater than Zn in cole, and BCFs of the two metals in leaves were greater than those in roots. The translocation factors of the two metals in cole were greater than 1, and the two metals mainly accumulated in the edible parts in cole. Therefore, cole is not a suitable vegetable for the oasis soil because of the plants notable contamination by heavy metals.