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1.
Worker allocation in insect societies: coordination of nectar foragers and nectar receivers in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Nectar collection in the honey-bee is partitioned. Foragers collect nectar and take it to the nest, where they transfer it
to receiver bees who then store it in cells. Because nectar is a fluctuating and unpredictable resource, changes in worker
allocation are required to balance the work capacities of foragers and receivers so that the resource is exploited efficiently.
Honey bee colonies use a complex system of signals and other feedback mechanisms to coordinate the relative and total work
capacities of the two groups of workers involved. We present a functional evaluation of each of the component mechanisms used
by honey bees – waggle dance, tremble dance, stop signal, shaking signal and abandonment – and analyse how their interplay
leads to group-level regulation. We contrast the actual regulatory system of the honey bee with theory. The tremble dance
conforms to predicted best use of information, where the group in excess applies negative feedback to itself and positive
feedback to the group in shortage, but this is not true of the waggle dance. Reasons for this and other discrepancies are
discussed. We also suggest reasons why honey bees use a combination of recruitment plus abandonment and not switching between
subtasks, which is another mechanism for balancing the work capacities of foragers and receivers. We propose that the waggle
and tremble dances are the primary regulation mechanisms, and that the stop and shaking signals are secondary mechanisms,
which fine-tune the system. Fine-tuning is needed because of the inherent unreliability of the cues, queueing delays, which
foragers use to make recruitment decisions.
Received: 15 December 1998 / Received in revised form: 6 March 1999 / Accepted: 12 March 1999 相似文献
2.
Claudia Dreller Robert E. Page Jr. M. Kim Fondrk 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,45(3-4):227-233
Pollen storage in a colony of Apis mellifera is actively regulated by increasing and decreasing pollen foraging according to the “colony's needs.” It has been shown that
nectar foragers indirectly gather information about the nectar supply of the colony from nestmates without estimating the
amount of honey actually stored in the combs. Very little is known about how the actual colony need is perceived with respect
to pollen foraging. Two factors influence the need for pollen: the quantity of pollen stored in cells and the amount of brood.
To elucidate the mechanisms of perception, we changed the environment within normal-sized colonies by adding pollen or young
brood and measured the pollen-foraging activity, while foragers had either direct access to them or not. Our results show
that the amount of stored pollen, young brood, and empty space directly provide important stimuli that affect foraging behavior.
Different mechanisms for forager perception of the change in the environment are discussed.
Received: 13 June 1998 / Accepted after revision: 25 October 1998 相似文献
3.
Division of labor between undertaker specialists and other middle-aged workers in honey bee colonies
Stephen T. Trumbo Zhi-Yong Huang Gene E. Robinson 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,41(3):151-163
A primary determinant of colony organization in temporally polyethic insect societies is inter-individual variation in behavior
that is independent of worker age. We examined behavioral repertoires, behavioral correlates of adult development, and spatial
distributions within the hive to explore the mechanisms that produce behavioral variation among middle-age honey bees (Apis mellifera). Individually labeled undertakers, guards, food storers, and wax workers exhibited a broad range of task-related behavior,
but bees tagged as undertakers were more likely to subsequently remove a corpse from the hive and handle a corpse compared
to other middle-aged bees. The activity level of undertakers was similar to other task groups, suggesting that undertaking
specialists were neither hyper-active “elites” nor quiescent “reserves” that become active only when a dead bee stimulus is
present. Undertakers also were more likely to remove debris and to remain in the lower region of the hive or near the entrance,
even when not engaged in corpse removal; both preferences may promote colony efficiency by reducing inter-task travel times.
Guards and undertakers were less likely to perform behavior normally associated with young bees compared to food storers and
wax workers. Undertakers and guards also initiated foraging at earlier ages than the other task groups. These results suggest
that undertakers and guards may be slightly developmentally advanced compared to food storers and wax workers. There also
was evidence for lifetime differences in behavioral preferences which could not be explained by differences in adult development.
Bees tagged as undertakers were more likely to subsequently remove a dead bee during their entire pre-foraging career compared
to other task groups or members of their general age cohort. Differences in both the rate of adult development and individual
behavioral preferences, both of which may be subject to genetic and environmental influences, are important determinants of
inter-individual variation among honey bees of middle age.
Received: 5 February 1997 / Accepted after revision: 27 May 1997 相似文献
4.
Timekeeping in the honey bee colony: integration of circadian rhythms and division of labor 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Darrell Moore Jennifer E. Angel Iain M. Cheeseman Susan E. Fahrbach Gene E. Robinson 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1998,43(3):147-160
The daily patterns of task performance in honey bee colonies during behavioral development were studied to determine the
role of circadian rhythmicity in age-related division of labor. Although it is well known that foragers exhibit robust circadian
patterns of activity in both field and laboratory settings, we report that many in-hive tasks are not allocated according
to a daily rhythm but rather are performed 24 h per day. Around-the-clock activity at the colony level is accomplished through
the performance of some tasks by individual workers randomly with respect to time of day. Bees are initially arrhythmic with
respect to task performance but develop diel rhythmicity, by increasing the occurrence of inactivity at night, prior to becoming
foragers. There are genotypic differences for age at onset of rhythmicity and our results suggest that these differences are
correlated with genotypic variation in rate of behavioral development: genotypes of bees that progressed through the age polyethism
schedule faster also acquired behavioral rhythmicity at an earlier age. The ontogeny of circadian rhythmicity in honey bee
workers ensures that essential in-hive behaviors are performed around the clock but also allows the circadian clock to be
engaged before the onset of foraging.
Received: 6 October 1997 / Accepted after revision: 28 March 1998 相似文献
5.
T. D. Seeley Susanne Kühnholz Anja Weidenmüller 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1996,39(6):419-427
If a forager bee returns to her hive laden with high-quality nectar but then experiences difficulty finding a receiver bee
to unload her, she will begin to produce a conspicuous communication signal called the tremble dance. The context in which
this signal is produced suggests that it serves to stimulate more bees to function as nectar receivers, but so far there is
no direct evidence of this effect. We now report an experiment which shows that more bees do begin to function as nectar receivers
when foragers produce tremble dances. When we stimulated the production of tremble dances in a colony and counted the number
of bees engaged in nectar reception before and after the period of intense tremble dancing, we found a dramatic increase.
In two trials, the number of nectar receivers rose from 17% of the colony’s population before tremble dancing to 30–50% of
the population after the dancing. We also investigated which bees become the additional nectar receivers, by looking at the
age composition of the receiver bees before and after the period of intense tremble dancing. We found that none of the bees
recruited to the task of nectar reception were old bees, most were middle-aged bees, and some were even young bees. It remains
unclear whether these auxiliary nectar receivers were previously inactive (as a reserve supply of labor) or were previously
active on other tasks. Overall, this study demonstrates that a honey bee colony is able to rapidly and strongly alter its
allocation of labor to adapt to environmental changes, and it further documents one of the communication mechanisms underlying
this ability.
Received: 31 May 1996/Accepted after revision: 9 August 1996 相似文献
6.
The age at which worker honey bees begin foraging varies under different colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that
juvenile hormone (JH) mediates this behavioral plasticity, and that worker-worker interactions influence both JH titers and
age at first foraging. These results also indicated that the age at first foraging is delayed in the presence of foragers,
suggesting that colony age demography directly influences temporal division of labor. We tested this hypothesis by determining
whether behavioral or physiological development can be accelerated, delayed, or reversed by altering colony age structure.
In three out of three trials, earlier onset of foraging was induced in colonies depleted of foragers compared to colonies
depleted of an equal number of bees across all age classes. In two out of three trials, delayed onset of foraging was induced
in colonies in which foragers were confined compared to colonies with free-flying foragers. Finally, in three out of three
trials, both endocrine and exocrine changes associated with reversion from foraging to brood care were induced in colonies
composed of all old bees and devoid of brood; JH titers decreased and hypopharyngeal glands regenerated. These results demonstrate
that plasticity in age-related division of labor in honey bee colonies is at least partially controlled by social factors.
The implications of these results are discussed for the recently developed ‘‘activator-inhibitor” model for honey bee behavioral
development.
Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted after revision: 10 May 1996 相似文献
7.
Tanya Pankiw Robert E. Page Jr M. Kim Fondrk 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1998,44(3):193-198
Foraging and the mechanisms that regulate the quantity of food collected are important evolutionary and ecological attributes
for all organisms. The decision to collect pollen by honey bee foragers depends on the number of larvae (brood), amount of
stored pollen in the colony, as well as forager genotype and available resources in the environment. Here we describe how
brood pheromone (whole hexane extracts of larvae) influenced honey bee pollen foraging and test the predictions of two foraging-regulation
hypotheses: the indirect or brood-food mechanism and the direct mechanism of pollen-foraging regulation. Hexane extracts of
larvae containing brood pheromone stimulated pollen foraging. Colonies were provided with extracts of 1000 larvae (brood pheromone),
1000 larvae (brood), or no brood or pheromone. Colonies with brood pheromone and brood had similar numbers of pollen foragers,
while those colonies without brood or pheromone had significantly fewer pollen foragers. The number of pollen foragers increased
more than 2.5-fold when colonies were provided with extracts of 2000 larvae as a supplement to the 1000 larvae they already
had. Within 1 h of presenting colonies with brood pheromone, pollen foragers responded to the stimulus. The results from this
study demonstrate some important aspects of pollen foraging in honey bee colonies: (1) pollen foragers appear to be directly
affected by brood pheromone, (2) pollen foraging can be stimulated with brood pheromone in colonies provided with pollen but
no larvae, and (3) pollen forager numbers increase with brood pheromone as a supplement to brood without increasing the number
of larvae in the colony. These results support the direct-stimulus hypothesis for pollen foraging and do not support the indirect-inhibitor,
brood-food hypothesis for pollen-foraging regulation.
Received: 5 March 1998 / Accepted after revision: 29 August 1998 相似文献
8.
In an experimental set-up, a colony of the stingless bee Melipona fasciata demonstrated its ability to choose the better of two nectar sources. This colony pattern was a result of the following individual
behavioural decisions: continue foraging, abandon the feeder, restart foraging and initiate foraging. Only very rarely did
individuals switch from one feeder to the other. With the first combination of a rich (2.7 M) and a poor (0.8 M) feeder M. fasciata behaved differently from Apis mellifera. Recruitment occurred to both feeders and the poor feeder was not abandoned completely. When the poor feeder was set to 0.4 M,
M. fasciata abandoned the poor feeder rapidly and allocated more foragers to the rich feeder. These patterns were similar to those reported
for A. mellifera with the first combination of feeders. Over a sequence of 4 days, experienced bees increasingly determined the colony patterns,
and the major function of communication between workers became the reactivation of experienced foragers. The foragers modulated
their behaviour not only according to the profitability of the feeder, but also according to previous experience with profitability
switches. Thus, experience and communication together regulated colony foraging behaviour. These findings and the results of studies with honeybees suggest
that M. fasciata and honeybees use similar decision-making mechanisms and only partly different tools.
Received: 21 December 1998 / Accepted: 5 January 1999 相似文献
9.
Thomas D. Seeley 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1989,24(3):181-199
Summary A honey bee colony operates as a tightly integrated unit of behavioral action. One manifestation of this in the context of foraging is a colony's ability to adjust its selectivity among nectar sources in relation to its nutritional status. When a colony's food situation is good, it exploits only highly profitable patches of flowers, but when its situation is poor, a colony's foragers will exploit both highly profitable and less profitable flower patches. The nectar foragers in a colony acquire information about their colony's nutritional status by noting the difficulty of finding food storer bees to receive their nectar, rather than by evaluating directly the variables determining their colony's food situation: rate of nectar intake and amount of empty storage comb. (The food storer bees in a colony are the bees that collect nectar from returning foragers and store it in the honey combs. They are the age group (generally 12–18 day old bees) that is older than the nurse bees but younger than the foragers. Food storers make up approximately 20% of a colony members.) The mathematical theory for the behavior of queues indicates that the waiting time experienced by nectar foragers before unloading to food storers (queue length) is a reliable and sensitive indicator of a colony's nutritional status. Queue length is automatically determined by the ratio of two rates which are directly related to a colony's nutritional condition: the rate of arrival of loaded nectar foragers at the hive (arrival rate) and the rate of arrival of empty food storers at the nectar delivery area (service rate). These two rates are a function of the colony's nectar intake rate and its empty comb area, respectively. Although waiting time conveys crucial information about the colony's nutritional status, it has not been molded by natural selection to serve this purpose. Unlike signals, which are evolved specifically to convey information, this cue conveys information as an automatic by-product. Such cues may prove more important than signals in colony integration. 相似文献
10.
Reproductive success among clonal taxa is often portrayed as a simple function of clone size, but reproduction in Pseudoplexaura porosa (Houtuyn), a common Caribbean gorgonian, reflects a more complex relationship between size and gamete production. Tagged
colonies were sampled at two reefs in the San Blas Islands, Panama during the 1995 spawning season to determine the colony
size at first reproduction, size-dependent polyp fecundities, and whole colony gonad production, and to follow the gametogenic
cycle. Additional data were obtained during non-spawning months in 1984 and 1985. Of 120 colonies ranging in height from 20
to 250 cm, only colonies taller than 50 cm were reproductive. An average of 4.33 oocytes polyp−1, 560 to 800 μm in diameter, were released during monthly synchronous spawning events from June to September. Oocytes released
each month developed from a group of intermediate size oocytes present at the end of the preceding month. Almost all oocytes
>560 μm were released during each spawning event. Spermatogenesis was a shorter process than oogenesis. During each spawning
month, mature spermaries developed from a group of <125 μm spermaries. Virtually all spermaries >190 μm were released each
month, and most of the spermary volume in mature male polyps was generated anew each month of spawning. Among reproductive
colonies, polyp fecundity increased with colony height from 50 to 200 cm. Per capita fecundity of >200 cm tall female colonies
was lower than for 150 to 200 cm colonies, but whole colony fecundity of large colonies was greater due to the exponential
increase in the number of polyps that occurs with increasing colony height. In male colonies, both polyp and colony reproductive
output increased with colony height. The large amounts of sperm produced by large male colonies probably contributes to the
high rates of in situ fertilization observed in P. porosa. Differences in fecundity as a function of colony size and sex suggest differences in some combination of the cost of reproduction
and/or allocation of resources to reproduction.
Received: 9 September 1998 / Accepted: 7 June 1999 相似文献
11.
In this paper we have two goals. First, we examine the effects of sample size on the statistical power to detect a given amount
of inbreeding in social insect populations. The statistical power to detect a given level of inbreeding is largely a function
of the number of colonies sampled. We explore two sampling schemes, one in which a single individual per colony is sampled
for different sample sizes and a second sampling scheme in which constant sampling effort is maintained (the product of the
number of colonies and the number of workers per colony is constant). We find that adding additional workers to a sample from
a colony makes it easier to detect inbreeding in samples from given number of colonies; however, adding more colonies rather
than more workers per colony always gives greater power to detect inbreeding. Because even relatively large amounts of sib-mating
generate relatively small inbreeding coefficients, detection of even substantial deviations from random mating will require
very large samples. Second, we look at the amount of inbreeding in a large population of the western harvest ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis. We find deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equivalent to approximately 27% sib-mating in our population ( f = 0.09). Review of past studies on the population structure of other Pogonomyrmex species suggests that inbreeding may be a regular feature of the mating system of these ants. Although P. occidentalisis a swarm-mating species, there are a number of features of its population biology which suggest that the effective population
size may be small. These include topographical variation that potentially breaks the population into demes, variation in the
reproductive output of colonies, and variation in the size of reproductives produced by colonies.
Received: 6 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 6 October 1996 相似文献
12.
A fundamental requirement of task regulation in social groups is that it must allow colony flexibility. We tested assumptions
of three task regulation models for how honeybee colonies respond to graded changes in need for a specific task, pollen foraging.
We gradually changed colony pollen stores and measured behavioral and genotypic changes in the foraging population. Colonies
did not respond in a graded manner, but in six of seven cases showed a stepwise change in foraging activity as pollen storage
levels moved beyond a set point. Changes in colony performance resulted from changes in recruitment of new foragers to pollen
collection, rather than from changes in individual foraging effort. Where we were able to track genotypic variation, increases
in pollen foraging were accompanied by a corresponding increase in the genotypic diversity of pollen foragers. Our data support
previous findings that genotypic variation plays an important role in task regulation. However, the stepwise change in colony
behavior suggests that colony foraging flexibility is best explained by an integrated model incorporating genotypic variation
in task choice, but in which colony response is amplified by social interactions.
Received: 17 October 1998 / Received in revised form: 11 March 1999 / Accepted: 12 March 1999 相似文献
13.
We examined whether the quality (concentration) of incoming sucrose solutions returned by foraging honey bees affected the response thresholds of pre-foraging members of the colony. Six pairs of colonies were given ad libitum access to sucrose solution feeders. A colony from each pair was switched from 20–50% sugar concentration feeders while the other continued to have access to 20% sucrose feeders. Proboscis extension response (PER) scores to an increasing series of sucrose concentrations were significantly higher in pre-foragers of colonies foraging on 20% sucrose throughout compared to pre-foragers in colonies where foraging was switched to 50% sucrose. Although all colonies had honey stores, the concentration of sugar solution in non-foraging bees crops were significantly lower in bees from colonies foraging on 20% sucrose compared to those from colonies foraging on 50% sucrose. Because response thresholds to sugar of young bees were modulated by the concentration of sucrose solution returned to colonies, we repeated the 2000 study of Pankiw and Page that potentially confounded baseline response thresholds with modulated scores due to experience in the colony. Here, we examined PER scores to sucrose in bees within 6 h of emergence, prior to feeding experience, and their forage choice 2 to 3 weeks later. Pollen foragers had higher PER scores as newly emerged bees compared to bees that eventually became nectar foragers. These results confirm those of the 2000 study by Pankiw and Page. Combined, these experiments demonstrate that variation in pre-forager sucrose response thresholds are established prior to emerging as adults but may be modulated by incoming resources later on. Whether this modulation has long-term effects on foraging behavior is unknown but modulation has short-term effects and the potential to act as a means of communication among all bees in the colony.Communicated by M. Giurfa 相似文献
14.
Stephen C. Pratt 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1998,42(3):193-205
Honey bee colonies furnish their nests with two types of comb distinguished by cell size: large cells for rearing males (drone
comb) and small cells for rearing workers (worker comb). The bees actively regulate the relative quantity of each type, a
behavior likely to be important in setting a colony's sex ratio. Experimental analysis of the information pathways and control
mechanisms responsible for this regulation found the following results. The amount of drone comb in a nest is governed by
negative feedback from drone comb already constructed. This feedback depends on the workers having direct contact with the
drone comb in their nest, but does not depend on the queen's contact with the comb. The comb itself, rather than the brood
within it, is sufficient to provide the negative feedback, although the brood may also contribute to the effect. These findings
show that drone comb regulation does not depend on the queen acting as a centralized information gatherer and behavioral controller.
Instead, the evidence points to a decision-making process distributed across the population of worker bees, a control architecture
typical of colony organization in honey bees and other large-colony insect societies.
Received: 24 May 1997 / Accepted after revision: 30 August 1997 相似文献
15.
Kin conflict over caste determination in social Hymenoptera 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
We argue that caste determination, the process whereby females in the social Hymenoptera develop into either queens or workers,
is subject to kin-selected conflict. Potential conflict arises because developing females are more closely related to their
would-be offspring than to those of other females. Therefore, they may favour becoming queens contrary to the interests of
other developing females and of existing queens and workers. We suggest two contexts leading to potential caste conflict.
The first occurs when queens are reared in a reproductive phase following an ergonomic phase of worker production, while the
second occurs when queens and workers are reared simultaneously. The first context assumes that workers' per capita contribution
to colony survival and productivity falls with rising colony size. A critical feature influencing whether potential conflict
is realized is the extent to which developing females can determine their own caste (“self-determination”). Self-determination
is facilitated when female larvae control their own food intake and when queen-worker size dimorphism is low. We know of no
strong evidence for actual conflict over caste fate arising in the first context. However, stingless bees and polygynous ants
with excess queen-potential larvae that are either forced to develop as workers or are culled as adults demonstrate actual
caste conflict in the second context. Caste conflict does not preclude caste regulation for “the good of the colony”, but
such regulation is contingent on either the absence of potential conflict or on developing females losing control of their
caste fate.
Received: 22 March 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 June 1999 / Accepted: 19 June 1999 相似文献
16.
Claudia Dreller 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1998,43(3):191-196
Every recruitment system in social insects requires some individuals that serve as scouts, foragers that search independently
for food sources. It is not well understood which factors influence whether an individual becomes a scout or a recruit, nor
how the division of labor between the two forager groups is regulated. It is shown here for honeybees (Apis mellifera), using two different molecular techniques, that there is a genetically based difference in the probability that individuals
will scout independently for food. In contrast to earlier suggestions, experimental tests showed that the age of a bee does
not seem to influence its probability of becoming a scout or a recruit. Furthermore, scout bees do not search opportunistically
for either pollen or nectar but, rather, individuals have preferences that are genetically based. These findings are discussed
in the framework of foraging regulation by specialization in honeybees and the adaptive significance of polyandry.
Received: 23 October 1997 / Accepted after revision: 10 April 1998 相似文献
17.
Dorte Bekkevold Jane Frydenberg Jacobus J. Boomsma 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(2):103-109
Queen mating frequency of the facultatively polygynous ant Acromyrmex echinatior was investigated by analysing genetic variation at an (AG)n repeat microsatellite locus in workers and sexuals of 20 colonies from a single Panamanian population. Thirteen colonies
were found to be monogynous, 5 colonies contained multiple queens, whereas the queen number of 2 colonies remained unresolved.
Microsatellite genotypes indicated that 12 out of 13 queens were inseminated by multiple males (polyandry). The mean queen
mating frequency was 2.53 and the mean genetically effective paternity frequency was 2.23. These values range among the highest
found in ants, and the results are in keeping with the high mating frequencies reported for other species of leafcutter ants.
Consistent skew in the proportional representation of different patrilines within colonies was found, and this remained constant
in two consecutive samples of offspring. Dissections showed that all examined queens from multiple-queen colonies were mated
egg-layers. The mean relatedness value among nestmate workers in polygynous colonies was lower than that for monogynous colonies.
No diploid males were detected in a sample of 70 genotyped males. Worker production of males was detected in one queenless
colony. We discuss our findings in relation to known patterns of multiple maternity and paternity in other eusocial Hymenoptera.
Received: 2 September 1998 / Received in revised form: 3 February 1999 / Accepted: 7 February 1999 相似文献
18.
Benjamin P. Oldroyd Thomas E. Rinderer Steven M. Buco 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1992,30(5):291-295
Summary Colonies of honey bees with two identifiable subfamilies were established. Returning foragers were captured and killed at two different sampling times. The mean volume and per cent soluble solids of crop contents were determined for each subfamily, as was the mean weight of the pollen pellets. No significant differences in nectar volume or concentration were detected between subfamilies within colonies. However, in a few colonies, significant subfamily by sampling-time interactions were present, suggesting that in these colonies subfamilies differed in their nectar and pollen collecting behavior at different times of day. The plant genera worked by pollen foragers were also determined. In four of six colonies, bees of different subfamilies were found to be majoring on different plant species (Fig. 1). Implications of this intra-colonial variance in foraging behavior for colony fitness are discussed.
Offprint requests to: B.P. Oldroyd 相似文献
19.
The concept of a suite of foraging behaviors was introduced as a set of traits showing associative directional change as a characterization of adaptive evolution. I report how naturally selected differential sucrose response thresholds directionally affected a suite of honey bee foraging behaviors. Africanized and European honey bees were tested for their proboscis extension response thresholds to ascending sucrose concentrations, reared in common European colonies and, captured returning from their earliest observed foraging flight. Race constrained sucrose response threshold such that Africanized bees had significantly lower sucrose response thresholds. A Cox proportional hazards regression model of honey bee race and sucrose response threshold indicated that Africanized bees were 29% (P<0.01) more at risk to forage over the 30-day experimental period. Sucrose response threshold organized age of first foraging such that each unit decrease in sucrose response threshold increased risk to forage by 14.3% (P<0.0001). Africanized bees were more likely to return as pollen and water foragers than European foragers. Africanized foragers returned with nectar that was significantly less concentrated than European foragers. A comparative analysis of artificial and naturally selected populations with differential sucrose response thresholds and the common suite of directional change in foraging behaviors is discussed. A suite of foraging behaviors changed with a change in sucrose response threshold that appeared as a product of functional ecological adaptation.Communicated by R.F.A. Moritz 相似文献
20.
Walter M. Farina 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1996,38(1):59-64
Dancing and trophallactic behaviour of forager honey bees, Apis mellifera ligustica >Spinola, that returned from an automatic feeder with a regulated flow rate of 50% weight-to-weight sucrose solution (range:
0.76–7.65 μl/min) were studied in an observation hive. Behavioural parameters of dancing, such as probability, duration and
dance tempo, increased with the nectar flow rate, though with very different response curves among bees. For trophallaxis
(i.e. mouth-to-mouth exchange of food), the frequency of giving-contacts and the transfer rate of the nectar increased with
the nectar flow rate. After unloading, foragers often approached other nest mates and begged for food before returning to
the food source. This behaviour was less frequent at higher nectar flow rates. These results show that the profitability of
a food source in terms of nectar flow rate had a quantitative representation in the hive through quantitative changes in trophallactic
and dancing behaviour. The role of trophallaxis as a communication channel during recruitment is discussed.
Received: 14 January 1995/Accepted after revision: 14 August 1995 相似文献