中华蜜蜂与意大利蜜蜂混合蜂群不同行为的比较

摘要

Honey bees are eusocial insects and provide model to study sociobiology. They have characteristics of cooperative brood caring, reproductive division of labor, and overlapping of generations in a single colony. The workers of honey bee also have age-related division of labor, workers generally change their works as they age in a normal colony. Workers perform cell cleaning and brood caring during first two weeks and shift to comb building and food storing during the third week, and foraging at their final stage of life. Several factors such as nutritional status, population, age demography, social contacts and genetic composition of a colony influence the behavioral development of workers. Among 11 species of honey bees, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana have been exploited for many products and commercial crop pollination. They have their own species-specific characteristics, significantly different biological, morphological and genetic traits.Although the division of labor has been extensively studied in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), there is very little research about the division of labor in eastern honey bee (Apis cerana). In this study the average frequency of performing different behaviors between A. cerana and A. mellifera was compared. Mixed-species colony was used to provide identical condition for both species. Three different cohorts (3-8, 14-19 and 20-25 day-old group) of tagged bees (N=50 for each species and each cohort) from both species were introduced in a mixed-species colony to compare the behavioral development at the same time. The behavioral observation was carried for 6 days and 8 hours per day. The experiment was replicated in three different mixed-species observational colonies.There were significant differences in the average frequency of 7 behaviors out of 25 studied behaviors between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The Apis cerana workers had significantly higher average frequency of attending dances of Apis cerana dancers, cleaning dance, dancing and walking with pollen. Whereas, the average frequency of attending queen, head in brood cells (nursing behavior) and walking were significantly higher for Apis mellifera workers. This study could be the model to compare any differences between A. mellifera and A. cerana workers in the identical condition.

目录

声明

致谢

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Literature review

1.2 Significance of research

2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Experimental design

2.2 Selection of experimental colonies

2.3 Establishment of mixed-species colony

2.4 Management of mixed-species colony

2.5 Introduction of tagged bees

2.6 Observation of behaviors

2.7 Recording data

2.8 Data Analysis

3 RESULTS

3.1 Attending dances of A. cerana dancers

3.2 Attending dances of A. mellifera dancers

3.3 Attending the queen

3.4 Cleaning dance

3.5 Incoming from entrance without pollen

3.6 Cleaning proboscis

3.7 Dancing

3.8 Feeding A. cerana nest-mates

3.9 Feeding A. mellifera nest-mates

3.10 Being fed by A. cerana nest-mates

3.11 Being fed by A. mellifera nest-mates

3.12 Self-grooming

3.13 Grooming A. cerana nest-mates

13.14 Grooming A. mellifera nest-mates

3.15 Being groomed by A. cerana nest-mates

3.16 Being groomed by A. mellifera nest-mates

3.17 Head in brood cells \(nursing behavior\)

3.18 Head in empty cells

3.19 Head in honey cells

3.20 Feeding pollen

3.21 Walking with pollen \(pollen foragers\)

3.22 Inspecting cells

3.23 Standing

3.24 Walking

3.25 Wax working

4 DISCUSSION

4.1 Attending dances

4.2 Attending the queen

4.3 Cleaning dance

4.4 Incoming from entrance without pollen

4.5 Cleaning proboscis

4.6 Dancing

4.7 Feeding A. cerana nest-mates

4.8 Feeding A. mellifera nest-mates

4.9 Being fed by A. cerana nest-mates

4.10 Being fed by A. mellifera nest-mates

4.11 Self-grooming

4.12 Grooming A. cerana nest-mates

4.13 Grooming A. mellifera nest-mates

4.14 Being groomed by A. cerana nest-mates

4.15 Being groomed by A. mellifera nest-mates

4.16 Head in brood cells \(nursing behavior\)

4.17 Head in honey cells

4.18 Head in empty cells

4.19 Feeding pollen

4.20 Walking with pollen \(pollen foragers\)

4.21 Inspecting cells

4.22 Standing

4.19 Walking

4.20 Wax working

5 CONCLUSION

参考文献