Plant origin of Okinawan propolis: honeybee behavior observation and phytochemical analysis

Propolis is a natural resinous product collected by honeybees from certain plants. It has gained popularity as a food and alternative medicine. Poplar and Baccharis are well known as the source plants of European and Brazilian propolis, respectively. However, the propolis from Okinawa, Japan, contains some prenylflavonoids not seen in other regions such as Europe and Brazil, suggesting that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is a particular plant that grows in Okinawa. To identify the plant origin of Okinawan propolis, we observed the behavior of honeybees as they collected material from plants and caulked it inside the hive. Honeybees scraped resinous material from the surface of plant fruits of Macaranga tanarius and brought it back to their hive to use it as propolis. We collected samples of the plant and propolis, and compared their constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography with a photo-diode array detector. We also compared their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The chemical constituents and biological activity of the ethanol extracts of the plant did not differ from those of propolis. This indicates directly that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is M. tanarius. S. K. and J. N. contributed equally to this work.     

Bee-hawking by the wasp, <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Vespa velutina</Emphasis>, on the honeybees <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Apis cerana</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">A</Emphasis>. <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">mellifera</Emphasis>

The vespine wasps, Vespa velutina, specialise in hawking honeybee foragers returning to their nests. We studied their behaviour in China using native Apis cerana and introduced A. mellifera colonies. When the wasps are hawking, A. cerana recruits threefold more guard bees to stave off predation than A. mellifera. The former also utilises wing shimmering as a visual pattern disruption mechanism, which is not shown by A. mellifera. A. cerana foragers halve the time of normal flight needed to dart into the nest entrance, while A. mellifera actually slows down in sashaying flight manoeuvres. V. velutina preferentially hawks A. mellifera foragers when both A. mellifera and A. cerana occur in the same apiary. The pace of wasp-hawking was highest in mid-summer but the frequency of hawking wasps was three times higher at A. mellifera colonies than at the A. cerana colonies. The wasps were taking A. mellifera foragers at a frequency eightfold greater than A. cerana foragers. The final hawking success rates of the wasps were about three times higher for A. mellifera foragers than for A. cerana. The relative success of native A. cerana over European A. mellifera in thwarting predation by the wasp V. velutina is interpreted as the result of co-evolution between the Asian wasp and honeybee, respectively.     

RNAi-mediated silencing of vitellogenin gene function turns honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers into extremely precocious foragers

The switch from within-hive activities to foraging behavior is a major transition in the life cycle of a honeybee (Apis mellifera) worker. A prominent regulatory role in this switch has long been attributed to juvenile hormone (JH), but recent evidence also points to the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin as a major player in behavioral development. In the present study, we injected vitellogenin double-stranded RNA (dsVg) into newly emerged worker bees of Africanized genetic origin and introduced them together with controls into observation hives to record flight behavior. RNA interference-mediated silencing of vitellogenin gene function shifted the onset of long-duration flights (>10 min) to earlier in life (by 3–4 days) when compared with sham and untreated control bees. In fact, dsVg bees were observed conducting such flights extremely precociously, when only 3 days old. Short-duration flights (<10 min), which bees usually perform for orientation and cleaning, were not affected. Additionally, we found that the JH titer in dsVg bees collected after 7 days was not significantly different from the controls. The finding that depletion of the vitellogenin titer can drive young bees to become extremely precocious foragers could imply that vitellogenin is the primary switch signal. At this young age, downregulation of vitellogenin gene activity apparently had little effect on the JH titer. As this unexpected finding stands in contrast with previous results on the vitellogenin/JH interaction at a later age, when bees normally become foragers, we propose a three-step sequence in the constellation of physiological parameters underlying behavioral development. David Santos Marco Antonio and Karina Rosa Guidugli-Lazzarini contributed equally to the present study.     

Behavioral genomics of honeybee foraging and nest defense

The honeybee has been the most important insect species for study of social behavior. The recently released draft genomic sequence for the bee will accelerate honeybee behavioral genetics. Although we lack sufficient tools to manipulate this genome easily, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that influence natural variation in behavior have been identified and tested for their effects on correlated behavioral traits. We review what is known about the genetics and physiology of two behavioral traits in honeybees, foraging specialization (pollen versus nectar), and defensive behavior, and present evidence that map-based cloning of genes is more feasible in the bee than in other metazoans. We also present bioinformatic analyses of candidate genes within QTL confidence intervals (CIs). The high recombination rate of the bee made it possible to narrow the search to regions containing only 17–61 predicted peptides for each QTL, although CIs covered large genetic distances. Knowledge of correlated behavioral traits, comparative bioinformatics, and expression assays facilitated evaluation of candidate genes. An overrepresentation of genes involved in ovarian development and insulin-like signaling components within pollen foraging QTL regions suggests that an ancestral reproductive gene network was co-opted during the evolution of foraging specialization. The major QTL influencing defensive/aggressive behavior contains orthologs of genes involved in central nervous system activity and neurogenesis. Candidates at the other two defensive-behavior QTLs include modulators of sensory signaling (Am5HT ₇ serotonin receptor, AmArr4 arrestin, and GABA-B-R1 receptor). These studies are the first step in linking natural variation in honeybee social behavior to the identification of underlying genes.     

Interspecific utilisation of wax in comb building by honeybees

Beeswaxes of honeybee species share some homologous neutral lipids; but species-specific differences remain. We analysed behavioural variation for wax choice in honeybees, calculated the Euclidean distances for different beeswaxes and assessed the relationship of Euclidean distances to wax choice. We tested the beeswaxes of Apis mellifera capensis, Apis florea, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata and the plant and mineral waxes Japan, candelilla, bayberry and ozokerite as sheets placed in colonies of A. m. capensis, A. florea and A. cerana. A. m. capensis accepted the four beeswaxes but removed Japan and bayberry wax and ignored candelilla and ozokerite. A. cerana colonies accepted the wax of A. cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata but rejected or ignored that of A. m. capensis, the plant and mineral waxes. A. florea colonies accepted A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea wax but rejected that of A. m. capensis. The Euclidean distances for the beeswaxes are consistent with currently prevailing phylogenies for Apis. Despite post-speciation chemical differences in the beeswaxes, they remain largely acceptable interspecifically while the plant and mineral waxes are not chemically close enough to beeswax for their acceptance.     

Temporal genetic structure of a drone congregation area of the giant Asian honeybee (Apis dorsata)

The giant Asian honeybee (Apis dorsata), like all other members of the genus Apis, has a complex mating system in which the queens and males (drones) mate at spatially defined drone congregation areas (DCAs). Here, we studied the temporal genetic structure of a DCA of A. dorsata over an 8-day time window by the genotyping of sampled drones with microsatellite markers. Analysis of the genotypic data revealed a significant genetic differentiation between 3 sampling days and indicated that the DCA was used by at least two subpopulations at all days in varying proportions. The estimation of the number of colonies which used the DCA ranged between 20 and 40 colonies per subpopulation, depending on the estimation procedure and population. The overall effective population size was estimated as high as N _e=140. The DCA seems to counteract known tendencies of A. dorsata for inbreeding within colony aggregations by facilitating gene flow among subpopulations and increasing the effective population size.     

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.     

A bee in the corridor: centering and wall-following

In an attempt to better understand the mechanism underlying lateral collision avoidance in flying insects, we trained honeybees (Apis mellifera) to fly through a large (95-cm wide) flight tunnel. We found that, depending on the entrance and feeder positions, honeybees would either center along the corridor midline or fly along one wall. Bees kept following one wall even when a major (150-cm long) part of the opposite wall was removed. These findings cannot be accounted for by the “optic flow balance” hypothesis that has been put forward to explain the typical bees’ “centering response” observed in narrower corridors. Both centering and wall-following behaviors are well accounted for, however, by a control scheme called the lateral optic flow regulator, i.e., a feedback system that strives to maintain the unilateral optic flow constant. The power of this control scheme is that it would allow the bee to guide itself visually in a corridor without having to measure its speed or distance from the walls.     

Floral odor learning within the hive affects honeybees’ foraging decisions

Honeybees learn odor cues quickly and efficiently when visiting rewarding flowers. Memorization of these cues facilitates the localization and recognition of food sources during foraging flights. Bees can also use information gained inside the hive during social interactions with successful foragers. An important information cue that can be learned during these interactions is food odor. However, little is known about how floral odors learned in the hive affect later decisions of foragers in the field. We studied the effect of food scent on foraging preferences when this learning is acquired directly inside the hive. By using in-hive feeders that were removed 24 h before the test, we showed that foragers use the odor information acquired during a 3-day stimulation period with a scented solution during a food-choice situation outside the nest. This bias in food preference is maintained even 24 h after the replacement of all the hive combs. Thus, without being previously collected outside by foragers, food odors learned within the hive can be used during short-range foraging flights. Moreover, correct landings at a dual-choice device after replacing the storing combs suggests that long-term memories formed within the colony can be retrieved while bees search for food in the field.     

Heat-balling wasps by honeybees

Defensiveness of honeybee colonies of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera (actively balling the wasps but reduction of foraging) against predatory wasps, Vespa velutina, and false wasps was assessed. There were significantly more worker bees in balls of the former than latter. Core temperatures in a ball around a live wasp of A. cerana were significantly higher than those of A. mellifera, and also significantly more when exposed to false wasps. Core temperatures of bee balls exposed to false wasps were significantly lower than those exposed to V. velutina for both A. cerana and for A. mellifera. The lethal thermal limits for V. velutina, A. cerana and A. mellifera were significantly different, so that both species of honeybees have a thermal safety factor in heat-killing such wasp predators. During wasps attacks at the hives measured at 3, 6 and 12 min, the numbers of Apis cerana cerana and Apis cerana indica bees continuing to forage were significantly reduced with increased wasp attack time. Tropical lowland A. c. indica reduced foraging rates significantly more than the highland A. c. cerana bees; but, there was no significant effect on foraging by A. mellifera. The latency to recovery of honeybee foraging was significantly greater the longer the duration of wasp attacks. The results show remarkable thermal fine-tuning in a co-evolving predator–prey relationship.     

Caps and gaps: a computer model for studies on brood incubation strategies in honeybees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera carnica</Emphasis>)

In addition to heat production on the comb surface, honeybee workers frequently visit open cells (“gaps”) that are scattered throughout the sealed brood area, and enter them to incubate adjacent brood cells. We examined the efficiency of this heating strategy under different environmental conditions and for gap proportions from 0 to 50%. For gap proportions from 4 to 10%, which are common to healthy colonies, we find a significant reduction in the incubation time per brood cell to maintain the correct temperature. The savings make up 18 to 37% of the time, which would be required for this task in completely sealed brood areas without any gaps. For unnatural high proportions of gaps (>20%), which may be the result of inbreeding or indicate a poor condition of the colony, brood nest thermoregulation becomes less efficient, and the incubation time per brood cell has to increase to maintain breeding temperature. Although the presence of gaps is not essential to maintain an optimal brood nest temperature, a small number of gaps make heating more economical by reducing the time and energy that must be spent on this vital task. As the benefit depends on the availability, spatial distribution and usage of gaps by the bees, further studies need to show the extent to which these results apply to real colonies. M. Fehler and M. Kleinhenz contributed equally to this work.     

Indirect interactions between invasive and native plants via pollinators

In generalised pollination systems, the presence of alien plant species may change the foraging behaviour of pollinators on native plant species, which could result in reduced reproductive success of native plant species. We tested this idea of indirect interactions on a small spatial and temporal scale in a field study in Mauritius, where the invasive strawberry guava, Psidium cattleianum, provides additional floral resources for insect pollinators. We predicted that the presence of flowering guava would indirectly and negatively affect the reproductive success of the endemic plant Bertiera zaluzania, which has similar flowers, by diverting shared pollinators. We removed P. cattleianum flowers within a 5-m radius from around half the B. zaluzania target plants (treatment) and left P. cattleianum flowers intact around the other half (control). By far, the most abundant and shared pollinator was the introduced honey bee, Apis mellifera, but its visitation rates to treatment and control plants were similar. Likewise, fruit and seed set and fruit size and weight of B. zaluzania were not influenced by the presence of P. cattleianum flowers. Although other studies have shown small-scale effects of alien plant species on neighbouring natives, we found no evidence for such negative indirect interactions in our system. The dominance of introduced, established A. mellifera indicates their replacement of native insect flower visitors and their function as pollinators of native plant species. However, the pollination effectiveness of A. mellifera in comparison to native pollinators is unknown. Christine B. Müller, deceased 7 March 2008.     

Heat and carbon dioxide generated by honeybees jointly act to kill hornets

We have found that giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) are killed in less than 10 min when they are trapped in a bee ball created by the Japanese honeybees Apis cerana japonica, but their death cannot be solely accounted for by the elevated temperature in the bee ball. In controlled experiments, hornets can survive for 10 min at the temperature up to 47°C, whereas the temperature inside the bee balls does not rise higher than 45.9°C. We have found here that the CO₂ concentration inside the bee ball also reaches a maximum (3.6 ± 0.2%) in the initial 0–5 min phase after bee ball formation. The lethal temperature of the hornet (45–46°C) under conditions of CO₂ concentration (3.7 ± 0.44%) produced using human expiratory air is almost the same as that in the bee ball. The lethal temperature of the honeybee is 50–51°C under the same air conditions. We concluded that CO₂ produced inside the bee ball by honeybees is a major factor together with the temperature involved in defense against giant hornets.     

Density and nutritional condition of carabid beetles in wildflower areas of different age

Density and nutritional condition of the five carabid beetle species Agonum mülleri, Anchomenus dorsalis, Anisodactylus binotatus, Pterostichus vernalis and Poecilus cupreus was studied. Carabids were caught in sixteen 1–4-year-old wildflower areas, identified and counted, their nutritional condition was calculated and calculations were related to habitat parameters (i.e. wildflower area age, vegetation cover, soil water content, habitat size, surrounding landscape composition) and sex.Whereas the number of Anisodactylus binotatus caught responded positively to succession in wildflower areas, A. mülleri numbers tended to decrease and the other three species were unaffected. In a stepwise multiple regression species affiliation, sex and age of wildflower area explained together 98.5% of the variance in the pooled nutritional condition of Anchomenus dorsalis, Anisodactylus binotatus, A. mülleri and P. vernalis. Age of wildflower area alone explained 61.7% of the variance and age increased the nutritional condition of carabids. Correspondingly, nutritional condition of Poecilus cupreus was positively correlated with the age of wildflower area. Overall, the nutritional condition of the carabid assemblage studied increased from the first to the second year and then remained stable. To keep the proportion of 1-year-old wildflower areas low, wildflower areas should therefore be maintained for several years to improve the life conditions of carabid beetles and to enhance their beneficial effects in agroecosystems.     

Reproductive disturbance of Japanese bumblebees by the introduced European bumblebee Bombus terrestris

The European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is an invasive eusocial species whose distribution is expanding greatly beyond its native range because numerous colonies are imported to or locally produced in non-native countries for pollination of agricultural crops. Closely related species exist in Japan where the unrestricted import and use of B. terrestris has resulted in the establishment of wild colonies. Laboratory studies previously showed that B. terrestris and Japanese native species can copulate and produce fertilized eggs. Although these eggs do not hatch, the interspecific mating can cause a serious reproductive disturbance to native bumblebees. In this study, we determined the frequencies of interspecies mating between B. terrestris males and native bumblebee queens in the wild on the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu by analyzing the DNA sequences of spermatozoa stored in spermathecae of native queens. We found that 20.2% of B. hypocrita hypocrita queens and 30.2% of B. hypocrita sapporoensis queens had spermatozoa of B. terrestris males in their spermathecae. Given that a Bombus queen generally mates only once in her life, such high frequencies of interspecific mating with B. terrestris pose serious threats to the populations of native bumblebees in Japan.     

黄土高原两种针叶树种不同器官水碳氮磷分配格局及其生态化学计量特征

植物不同器官水、碳、氮、磷等元素含量及其生态化学计量特征能够反映植物的生态策略及其环境适应性。本研究以黄土高原两种乡土树种油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)和柴松(Pinus tabulaefirmis f.shekanensis)为研究对象,分析了研究区两种树种水、碳、氮和磷在不同器官的含量及其生态化学计量特征,探讨了两种树种基于水、碳、氮和磷分配格局的生态适应策略。结果表明:(1)油松和柴松对水分和碳素的分配格局总体表现为根和叶最大,其次为枝和干,树皮最小;对氮、磷的分配格局则表现为叶片显著高于其他器官。(2)油松将更多的水和氮分配给叶、根等生产性器官,而柴松将更多的水和碳分配给枝、干等防御性器官,反映了柴松较油松具有更加保守的生长策略,能够更好适应逆境条件。(3)植物器官不同元素间通过相互耦合后可以表现出较好的相关性,反映了植物元素之间具有高度复杂的协同关系,这种协同关系的体现形式可能与植物类型及其对外界环境变化的生长适应策略密切相关。     

北京市典型土著沉水植物对水体中硝酸盐和正磷酸盐的耐受性研究

以北京市3种典型土著沉水植物轮叶黑藻、狐尾藻和金鱼藻为研究对象,构建模拟水生生态系统,研究3种沉水植物对水体中NO₃^-和PO₄^3-的耐受性并确定其耐受范围.同时,对植物体内过氧化氢酶、丙二醛、叶绿素和蛋白质4种指标进行检测.结果表明,轮叶黑藻对NO₃^-具有较强的耐受性,耐受浓度可达8 mg·L^-1,金鱼藻和狐尾藻次之,耐受浓度为3~5 mg·L^-1;狐尾藻对PO₄^3-的耐受性最差,耐受浓度约为0.2 mg·L^-1,轮叶黑藻和金鱼藻的耐受性相当,当PO₄^3-浓度达到0.4 mg·L^-1时开始出现显著胁迫.因此,在本研究的实验条件下,当水体NO₃^-浓度<5 mg·L^-1、PO₄^3-浓度<0.2 mg·L^-1时,建议3种沉水植物同时种植;当NO₃^-浓度>5 mg·L^-1时,建议种植轮叶黑藻;当PO₄^3-浓度为0.2~0.4 mg·L^-1时,建议种植轮叶黑藻和金鱼藻.研究结果可为北京市再生水补给河湖水库的水生态修复及其沉水植物群落的构建提供一定的理论指导.     

多壁碳纳米管分阶段暴露对热带爪蛙胚胎发育的毒性

近年来,碳纳米管（CNTs）的产量和使用量不断增大,提高了其释放到环境中的可能性.尽管碳纳米管的水生生态毒性有所报道,但对两栖动物胚胎的发育毒性研究仍比较少.本研究采用分阶段暴露的方式,以热带爪蛙胚胎的死亡率、孵化率、畸形率、畸形类型、心率、体长等作为毒性评价指标,研究不同浓度多壁碳纳米管（25、50 mg·L^-1）对爪蛙胚胎发育的胚胎毒性与敏感窗口.结果显示,多壁碳纳米管可导致爪蛙胚胎死亡率升高,孵化率降低,但对其心率、体长没有显著性影响（p>0.05）.产生的畸形类型包括心腔水肿、脊索弯曲、泄殖腔畸形、眼睛畸形等,其中,心腔水肿占的比例最大为28.7%.另外,根据死亡率、孵化率、畸形率等指标综合评价爪蛙胚胎对多壁碳纳米管的敏感程度,由强到弱的顺序依次是：原肠胚期、囊胚期、神经胚期、尾芽期.研究表明,浓度为25 mg·L^-1和50 mg·L^-1的多壁碳纳米管对热带爪蛙胚胎发育具有一定的毒性作用,其作用机理与胚胎卵膜粘附碳纳米管有间接关系,研究结果可为合理评价碳纳米管对水生生物胚胎的影响提供一定的理论参考.     

不同氮磷比条件下绿球藻对猪场污水的净化效率

采用添加NaH_2PO_4的方法调节猪场污水中氮磷比(N∶P)分别为8∶1、16∶1、32∶1和64∶1,以未添加NaH_2PO_4的污水为对照(氮磷比为532∶1),探讨一株耐污绿球藻(Chlorococcum sp.)在不同氮磷比污水中的生长性能及其对猪场污水(初始氨氮浓度为291.31 mg·L~(-1))的净化效果.结果表明:经过12 d的培养,绿球藻(接种密度为400×104cells·m L~(-1))在N∶P为64∶1的污水中生长最好,且对污水中氨态氮和总氮的去除效果最佳,细胞密度和生物量分别为3393×104cells·m L~(-1)和0.49 g·L~(-1),对氨态氮和总氮的去除率分别为74.94%和48.78%,显著高于对照组,氨态氮浓度降低到73.01 mg·L~(-1),总氮浓度降低到148.96 mg·L~(-1).培养期间各试验组污水中硝态氮浓度均升高.培养12 d后,N∶P为64∶1组污水中总磷浓度降低为3.07 mg·L~(-1),去除率为71.86%.综上,绿球藻在N∶P为64∶1的污水中生长性能及其对污水中氨态氮和总氮的去除效果均最佳,可使污水中的氨态氮和总磷浓度基本达到相关排放标准.     

生物炭对华北农田土壤N2O通量及相关功能基因丰度的影响

为了探寻施用生物炭对农田土壤氧化亚氮(N_2O)的减排效果和机制,于2015年3月27日至6月5日,利用盆栽实验研究了施用生物炭(CK,C1:5%,C2:10%,C3:15%,C4:30%)(质量分数)对华北农田土壤N_2O通量、氨单加氧酶(amo A)、亚硝酸盐还原酶(nir S、nir K)以及氧化亚氮还原酶(nos Z)基因丰度的影响.结果表明:(1)施用低量生物炭(5%)能够促进N_2O排放,施用中、高量生物炭可以起到抑制N_2O排放的效果,且生物炭用量为15%时减排效果最佳.(2)实验初期,施用生物炭对土壤硝化反硝化基因丰度影响较大,AOA和nir S基因丰度与生物炭施用量呈极显著正相关关系,nir K基因丰度与生物炭施用量呈显著正相关关系,AOB和nos Z基因丰度与生物炭施用量呈显著负相关关系;实验末期,AOA丰度与生物炭施用量表现为显著负相关关系,AOB丰度与生物炭施用量表现为显著正相关关系.(3)实验初期,N_2O排放通量与AOA、nir S基因呈现极显著的负相关关系,说明在土壤含水量较高的条件下,N_2O的产生受AOA、nir S基因丰度控制调节;实验末期,N_2O排放通量与nos Z基因呈现极显著正相关关系,说明在土壤含水量较低的条件下,N_2O的产生受nos Z基因丰度控制调节.本研究结果表明施用生物炭能够增加硝化反硝化功能基因丰度,并降低N_2O的排放,为华北农田合理施用生物炭提供了一定的理论依据.