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.     

Mating flights select for symmetry in honeybee drones (Apis mellifera)

Males of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) fly to specific drone congregation areas (DCAs), which virgin queens visit in order to mate. From the thousands of drones that are reared in a single colony, only very few succeed in copulating with a queen, and therefore, a strong selection is expected to act on adult drones during their mating flights. In consequence, the gathering of drones at DCAs may serve as an indirect mate selection mechanism, assuring that queens only mate with those individuals having a better flight ability and a higher responsiveness to the queen’s visual and chemical cues. Here, we tested this idea relying on wing fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a measure of phenotypic quality. By recapturing marked drones at a natural DCA and comparing their size and FA with a control sample of drones collected at their maternal hives, we were able to detect any selection on wing size and wing FA occurring during the mating flights. Although we found no solid evidence for selection on wing size, wing FA was found to be significantly lower in the drones collected at the DCA than in those collected at the hives. Our results demonstrate the action of selection during drone mating flights for the first time, showing that developmental stability can influence the mating ability of honeybee drones. We therefore conclude that selection during honeybee drone mating flights may confer some fitness advantages to the queens.     

Genetic diversity affects colony survivorship in commercial honey bee colonies

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens mate with unusually high numbers of males (average of approximately 12 drones), although there is much variation among queens. One main consequence of such extreme polyandry is an increased diversity of worker genotypes within a colony, which has been shown empirically to confer significant adaptive advantages that result in higher colony productivity and survival. Moreover, honey bees are the primary insect pollinators used in modern commercial production agriculture, and their populations have been in decline worldwide. Here, we compare the mating frequencies of queens, and therefore, intracolony genetic diversity, in three commercial beekeeping operations to determine how they correlate with various measures of colony health and productivity, particularly the likelihood of queen supersedure and colony survival in functional, intensively managed beehives. We found the average effective paternity frequency (m _e ) of this population of honey bee queens to be 13.6?±?6.76, which was not significantly different between colonies that superseded their queen and those that did not. However, colonies that were less genetically diverse (headed by queens with m _e ?≤?7.0) were 2.86 times more likely to die by the end of the study when compared to colonies that were more genetically diverse (headed by queens with m _e ?>?7.0). The stark contrast in colony survival based on increased genetic diversity suggests that there are important tangible benefits of increased queen mating number in managed honey bees, although the exact mechanism(s) that govern these benefits have not been fully elucidated.     

Cross-species correlation between queen mating numbers and worker ovary sizes suggests kin conflict may influence ovary size evolution in honeybees

During social evolution, the ovary size of reproductively specialized honey bee queens has dramatically increased while their workers have evolved much smaller ovaries. However, worker division of labor and reproductive competition under queenless conditions are influenced by worker ovary size. Little comparative information on ovary size exists in the different honey bee species. Here, we report ovariole numbers of freshly dissected workers from six Apis species from two locations in Southeast Asia. The average number of worker ovarioles differs significantly among species. It is strongly correlated with the average mating number of queens, irrespective of body size. Apis dorsata, in particular, is characterized by numerous matings and very large worker ovaries. The relation between queen mating number and ovary size across the six species suggests that individual selection via reproductive competition plays a role in worker ovary size evolution. This indicates that genetic diversity, generated by multiple mating, may bear a fitness cost at the colony level.     

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.     

基于P3-T3方法的飞机LTO阶段氮氧化物排放量计算与分析

飞机起飞着陆循环(LTO)阶段包含高推力的起飞和爬升阶段,具有排放强度高、排放特性不稳定的特点.同时,该阶段飞行高度低,尾气排放会直接影响机场周边人群.因此,本文依据机载快速存取记录器(QAR)数据中的低压转子转速等特征参数,对LTO进行精确的阶段划分.同时,建立发动机排放特性参数与推力关系模型,并使用P_3-T_3方法对国际民航组织公布的发动机各阶段排放指数进行修正,最终计算GE90-115B发动机某次LTO阶段的实际氮氧化物排放量.结果表明,该方法与国际民航组织推荐的标准LTO估算方法相比,总量相差约40%,与原有的BM2方法相比也存在一定差异.分析认为,这种依据QAR实际飞行数据并结合发动机排放特性参数的发动机排放量计算方法,可以更加真实地反映发动机性能对排放特性的影响,可很好地适用于具体航班氮氧化物排放量的精确估算,为近地面飞机排放评估乃至机场排放清单的编制提供更加准确的依据.     

Non-specific association between filamentous bacteria and fungus-growing ants

Fungus-growing ants and their fungal cultivar form a highly evolved mutualism that is negatively affected by the specialized parasitic fungus Escovopsis. Filamentous Pseudonocardia bacteria occurring on the cuticle of attine ants have been proposed to form a mutualistic interaction with these ants in which they are vertically transmitted (i.e. from parent to offspring colonies). Given a strictly vertical transmission of Pseudonocardia, the evolutionary theory predicts a reduced genetic variability of symbionts among ant lineages. The aim of this study was to verify whether actinomycetes, which occur on Acromyrmex octospinosus leaf-cutting ants, meet this expectation by comparing their genotypic variability with restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Multiple actinomycete strains could be isolated from both individual ant workers and colonies (one to seven strains per colony). The colony specificity of actinomycete communities was high: Only 15% of all strains were isolated from more than one colony, and just 5% were present in both populations investigated. Partial sequencing of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid of two of the isolated strains assigned both of them to the genus Streptomyces. Actinomycetes could also be isolated from workers of the two non-attine ant species Myrmica rugulosa and Lasius flavus. Sixty-two percent of the strains derived from attine ants and 80% of the strains isolated from non-attine ants inhibited the growth of Escovopsis. Our data suggest that the association between attine ants and their actinomycete symbionts is less specific then previously thought. Soil-dwelling actinomycetes may have been dynamically recruited from the environment (horizontal transmission), probably reflecting an adaptation to a diverse community of microbial pathogens.     

Gigantism in honeybees: Apis cerana queens reared in mixed-species colonies

The development of animals depends on both genetic and environmental effects to a varying extent. Their relative influences can be evaluated in the social insects by raising the intracolonial diversity to an extreme in nests consisting of workers from more than one species. In this study, we studied the effects of mixed honeybee colonies of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana on the rearing of grafted queen larvae of A. cerana. A. mellifera sealed worker brood was introduced into A. cerana colonies and on emergence, the adults were accepted. Then, A. cerana larvae were grafted for queen rearing into two of these mixed-species colonies. Similarly, A. cerana larvae and A. mellifera larvae were also grafted conspecifically as controls. The success rate of A. cerana queen rearing in the test colonies was 64.5%, surpassing all previous attempts at interspecific queen rearing. After emergence, all virgin queens obtained from the three groups (N=90) were measured morphometrically. The A. cerana queens from the mixed-species colonies differed significantly in size and pigmentation from the A. cerana control queens and closely approximated the A. mellifera queens. It is inferred that these changes in the A. cerana queens reared in the mixed-species colonies can be attributed to feeding by heterospecific nurse bees and/or chemical differences in royal jelly. Our data show a strong impact of environment on the development of queens. The results further suggest that in honeybees the cues for brood recognition can be learned by heterospecific workers after eclosion, thereby providing a novel analogy to slave making in ants.     

腾格里沙漠东南缘不同生境白刺(Nitraria)灌丛沙堆的空间分布格局

运用地统计学和数量生态学方法,从维持天然白刺灌丛稳定性和持久生态效益角度出发,对腾格里沙漠东南缘不同生境白刺灌丛沙堆的空间异质性进行了研究,分析了不同生境白刺固沙生态效益.结果表明,生境地下水埋深和白刺植株发育状况的差异直接影响了白刺耐沙埋的能力,间接地影响了白刺沙堆的固沙效应.湖盆低地白刺种群的植株盖度、密度和生物量显著高于山前冲积扇区（p<0.01）,植株高度则相反,且无显著差异（p>0.05）.湖盆低地的半固定生境沙堆高度平均为1.20 m,单个沙堆积沙体积平均为88.19 m³,固定生境的山前冲积扇沙堆高度平均为1.14 m,单个沙堆积沙体积平均为33.16 m³.不同生境条件下,白刺沙堆的斑块大小和分布存在明显差异（p<0.01）.湖盆低地的白刺灌丛沙堆趋向于大斑块、小密度,空间自相关距离较长,而山前冲积扇区相反.湖盆低地由自相关因素引起的沙堆大小和积沙体积空间异质性占主要部分,分别体现在1.2～84 m和1.2～505 m尺度;而山前冲积扇的随机因素引起的沙堆大小和积沙体积空间异质性占到100％,在100 m以下尺度该区白刺灌丛沙堆大小和积沙体积具有恒定的变异,其空间分布格局在这个尺度无规律体现呈随机分布.     

两种沉水植物对风浪及持续高水位胁迫的适应性研究

以两种沉水植物马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malainus)和狐尾藻(Myriophyllum spicatum)为研究对象,通过原位模拟试验,比较在相同水位变化幅度下不同高水位持续胁迫水平(分别以T0、T1、T2、T3表示恒静止、持续4 d、持续8 d和持续12 d)对沉水植物的生物量、植株伸长、具体形态指标和光合荧光特性的影响,并同步分析滆湖大洪港内两处风浪差异区(湖岸区M1和湖心区M2)两种沉水植物相应的适应性和形态变化的特征.结果表明,马来眼子菜和狐尾藻都表现出了较好的环境适应性,T0时任意两处的两种植物生物量和株高均最大;在风浪扰动较小区域(M2),持续高水位减弱了两种植物的伸长和生长(p0.01),并显著限制其在地上生物量的投资和茎干横向的分支(p0.05).在风浪扰动较大区域(M1),持续高水位对两种沉水植物产生了相同的形态变化,并显著降低各梯度下其Fv/Fm和快速光响应曲线(p0.05),但M1处两种沉水植物的光合能力均显著大于M2处.狐尾藻对风浪扰动和长时间水位胁迫能表现出更强抗弱光性和光合作用能力.因此,持续高水位胁迫下(小于8 d)两种沉水植物对一定程度水动力仍有较好的形态和生长适应性,对特定水文波动特征进行合理应对以保持沉水植物活力和维持湖泊生态系统具有指导作用.     

凤眼莲对富营养化水体中氨氧化和反硝化微生物的影响

凤眼莲近年来广泛应用于富营养化淡水湖泊的生态修复中,但其对微生物的相互作用和对水体中氮素的去除鲜有报道.本研究在氮素去除过程中对比凤眼莲和细菌的相对重要性,并且检测浮游植物对硝化细菌和反硝化细菌相对丰度及多样性的影响.水体中氮素的去除率以及硝化和反硝化作用的潜在能力使用定量聚合酶链式反应(qPCRs)对硝化作用基因amoA和反硝化作用基因nirS/K进行检测,从微观角度研究富营养化水体中是否会受到凤眼莲存在的影响.结果表明,TN的减少在70d的实验周期中所有处理组表现较为一致,但凤眼莲存在的实验组在24h内TN和NH_4~+-N的去除上有显著的降低,并且amoA的丰度有所增加,nirS/K的丰度有所降低.T-RFLP结果表明亚硝化单胞菌在氨氧化微生物中占优势.凤眼莲的种植可以实现富营养化水体中NH_4~+-N的快速有效减少,且微生物的相互作用可以充分利用到淡水生态系统的修复中.     

Hierarchy length in orphaned colonies of the ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Temnothorax nylanderi</Emphasis>

Workers of the ant Temnothorax nylanderi form dominance orders in orphaned colonies in which only one or a few top-ranking workers begin to produce males from unfertilized eggs. Between one and 11 individuals initiated 80% of all aggression in 14 queenless colonies. As predicted from inclusive fitness models (Molet M, van Baalen M, Monnin T, Insectes Soc 52:247–256, 2005), hierarchy length was found to first increase with colony size and then to level off at larger worker numbers. The frequency and skew of aggression decreased with increasing size, indicating that rank orders are less pronounced in larger colonies.     

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.     

A flow cytometer based protocol for quantitative analysis of bloom-forming cyanobacteria (Microcystis) in lake sediments

A quantitative protocol for the rapid analysis of Microcystis cells and colonies in lake sediment was developed using a modified flow cytometer, the CytoSense. For cell enumeration, diluted sediment samples containing Microcystis were processed with sonication to disintegrate colonies into single cells. An optimized procedure suggested that 5 mg dw (dry weight)/mL dilution combined with 200 W × 2 min sonication yielded the highest counting efficiency. Under the optimized determination conditions, the quantification limit of this protocol was 3.3×10⁴ cells/g dw. For colony analysis, Microcystis were isolated from the sediment by filtration. Colony lengths measured by flow cytometry were similar to those measured by microscopy for the size range of one single cell to almost 400 μupm in length. Moreover, the relationship between colony size and cell number was determined for three Microcystis species, including Microcystis flos-aquae, M. aeruginosa and M. wessenbergii. Regression formulas were used to calculate the cell numbers in different-sized colonies. The developed protocol was applied to field sediment samples from Lake Taihu. The results indicated the potential and applicability of flow cytometry as a tool for the rapid analysis of benthic Microcystis. This study provided a new capability for the high frequency monitoring of benthic overwintering and population dynamics of this bloom-forming cyanobacterium.     

NUA-DAS生态滤池脱氮效果与反硝化菌特征研究

构建小型酸中和残渣(neutralized-used acid residue,NUA)和脱水铝污泥(dewatered alum sludge,DAS)联合生态滤池,研究了NUA-DAS生态滤池的脱氮效果和反硝化菌特征.系统运行稳定后,装置总出水中COD、TN、NO_3~--N的平均去除率达到60%、70%和95%,出水中NO_3~--N的浓度范围只有0.02~0.55 mg·L~(-1).采用PCR-DGGE分子生物学技术检测系统运行30d和60d各滤料层中含3类基因(nirS、nirK和nosZ)的反硝化菌群落特征,包括丰富度及相似度.结果表明,系统运行30 d和60 d里,nirS、nirK和nosZ基因反硝化菌丰富度均有明显增加,且处在各个滤料层中的反硝化菌丰富度基本相同.NUA和DAS滤料中检测出3类基因丰富度指数大小均为nosZnirKnirS.运行时间对反硝化菌的群落结构影响并不明显,但空间位置有一定影响.反硝化菌在NUA中的适应能力优于DAS,3类基因中nirK基因对滤料环境的适应能力最强.     

解偶联剂邻氯苯酚作用下活性污泥微生物群落结构的演替规律研究

投加解偶联剂邻氯苯酚可以实现活性污泥系统的污泥减量,但邻氯苯酚长时间作用下系统中微生物群落结构及多样性的变化尚不清楚.因此,本研究利用2个序批式反应器（SBR）进行了63 d的实验,考察了未投加邻氯苯酚（R_A）和投加10 mg·L^-1邻氯苯酚（R_B）条件下,活性污泥系统中基质去除特性及微生物群落结构的变化规律.研究结果表明,投加10 mg·L^-1的邻氯苯酚使得污泥减量达41.3%,COD平均去除率下降10.4%.氨氮去除率在实验前期持续下降,在第28 d时下降至82.3%,而后逐渐恢复到93.2%.高通量测序结果表明,投加邻氯苯酚后系统中微生物丰度及多样性逐渐降低.R_B系统中主导菌门Proteobacteria的相对丰度一直保持在50%以上.硝化菌属中Nitrosomonas和Nitrospira的相对丰度最高降低了约88.3%和100%（第28 d）,但在实验后期有所恢复.在第63 d,R_B系统中絮凝菌Zoogloea的相对丰度下降了98.2%,而丝状菌Meganema丰度增加至33.8%,这导致系统污泥沉降性能略有下降.此外,Dokdonella的相对丰度由0.68%增加至1.33%,而Paracoccus的相对丰度增加了近36倍,这些参与难降解有机物的功能菌增加说明其可能参与了邻氯苯酚的降解.本研究结果对于解析解偶联剂长时间作用下活性污泥微生物的响应机制具有重要的指导意义.     

不同粒径纳米TiO2对大型溞的毒性效应及腐殖酸的调控作用

为评估纳米TiO₂在环境水体中的暴露风险,选用大型溞作为模式生物,研究了不同粒径纳米TiO₂（20、40、60和100 nm）对大型溞毒性效应的影响,并探究了腐殖酸对不同粒径纳米TiO₂毒性效应的调控作用.结果表明,粒径是影响纳米TiO₂颗粒毒性效应的重要因素,以大型溞半数致死时间（LT₅₀）为指标,不同粒径纳米TiO₂对大型溞的毒性作用强弱顺序依次为：20 nm颗粒 > 40 nm颗粒 > 60 nm颗粒 > 100 nm颗粒（p<0.05）.腐殖酸的存在可以显著降低纳米TiO₂颗粒对大型溞的毒性作用,腐殖酸对小尺寸纳米TiO₂颗粒的毒性抑制作用更为明显（p<0.05）.大型溞体内ROS水平与抗氧化系统相关酶活分析表明,纳米TiO₂导致大型溞体内活性氧自由基（ROS）浓度升高是其产生毒性作用的重要原因,腐殖酸的存在可以显著降低大型溞体内由于纳米TiO₂暴露而引起的ROS浓度上升（p<0.05）,进而减轻纳米TiO₂对大型溞的毒性作用.此外,腐殖酸可以减小不同粒径纳米TiO₂之间的毒性差异.本研究结果可为纳米TiO₂在环境水体中的暴露风险评估提供参考依据.     

菹草种群对湖泊水质空间分布的影响

对南京玄武湖菹草种群内外水体进行了26 h连续理化指标监测及分析,研究菹草种群对湖泊水体的环境效应.结果表明,表层水体DO最高值(11.85 mg/L)、最低值(9.90 mg//L)均出现在种群内,种群外水域DO含量随与种群距离增加而递减;种群内及开阔水域表层与底层DO差异较小,而种群与开阔水域交界处表层与底层DO差...     

Spatial heterogeneity of cyanobacterial communities and genetic variation of Microcystis populations within large, shallow eutrophic lakes (Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu, China)

Cyanobacteria, specifically Microcystis, usually form massive blooms in eutrophic freshwater lakes. Cyanobacterial samples were collected from eight sites of both Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu in late summer to determine the diversity and distribution pattern of cyanobacteria and Microcystis in large, shallow, entropic lakes with significant spatial heterogeneity and long-term Microcystis bloom. Molecular methods based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and clone library analysis were used. A similar heterogeneous distribution pattern of cyanobacteria in both lakes was observed. Most parts of these two lakes with high trophic level were dominated by Microcystis. However, in the regions with low trophic levels as well as low concentrations of chlorophyll a, Synechococcus occupied a considerable percentage. Different morphospecies and genotypes dominated the bloom-forming Microcystis populations in these two lakes. Microcystis viridis and Microcystis novacekii were dominant in Lake Chaohu, whereas Microcystis flos-aquae was dominant in Lake Taihu. Only 2 of the13 Microcystis operational taxonomic units were shared between these two lakes. Analysis of molecular variance based on 16S to 23S internal transcribed spacer sequences indicated the significant genetic differentiation of Microcystis between these two lakes (F_st = 0.19, p < 0.001). However, only 19.46% of the genetic variability was explained by the population variation between lakes, whereas most (80.54%) of the genetic variability occurred within the lakes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed no phylogeographic structure of Microcystis population in these two lakes, as illustrated by their cosmopolitan nature. Our results revealed that spatial heterogeneity within lakes has more impact on the cyanobacterial diversity than geographical isolation in a local scale.     

Responses of activities, abundances and community structures of soil denitrifiers to short-term mercury stress

The responses of activities, abundances and community structures of soil denitrifiers to mercury (Hg) stress were investigated through a short-term incubation experiment. Four soil treatments with different concentrations of Hg (CK, Hg25, Hg50, and Hg100, denoted as 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg Hg/kg dry soil, respectively) were incubated for 28 days. Soil denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) was measured at day 3, 7 and 28. The abundances and community structures of two denitrification concerning genes, nirS (cd₁-nitrite reductase gene) and nosZ (nitrous oxide reductase gene), were analyzed using real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Results showed that soil DEA was significantly stimulated in the treatments of Hg25 and Hg50 compared with others at day 7. Meanwhile, no difference in the abundances of soil nirS and nosZ was found between Hg spiked treatments and CK, except the lower abundance of nirS (P<0.05) in the Hg added treatments compared with that in the CK at day 28. The community structures of denitrifiers based on nirS gene presented obvious change at day 7 along with the Hg additions, however, no variation was found in all treatments based on the nosZ gene. The results indicated that Hg (Hg25 and Hg50) had a strongly short-term stimulation on soil DEA, and nirS gene is more sensitive than nosZ gene to Hg stress.