3,144 results
Search Results
2. Reanalysis of an oft-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception reveals random behavior.
- Author
-
Baltzley MJ and Nabity MW
- Subjects
- Animals, Behavior, Animal physiology, Probability, Research Design, Bees physiology, Magnetic Fields
- Abstract
While mounting evidence indicates that a phylogenetically diverse group of animals detect Earth-strength magnetic fields, a magnetoreceptor has not been identified in any animal. One possible reason that identifying a magnetoreceptor has proven challenging is that, like many research fields, magnetoreception research lacks extensive independent replication. Independent replication is important because a subset of studies undoubtedly contain false positive results and without replication it is difficult to determine whether the outcome of an experiment is a false positive. However, we report here a reanalysis of a well-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception demonstrating that the original paper represented a false positive finding caused by incorrect estimates of probability. We also point out how good experimental design practices could have revealed the error prior to publication. Hopefully, this reanalysis will serve as a reminder of the importance of good experimental design in order to reduce the likelihood of publishing false positive results., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Outcomes of bee sting injury: comparison of hornet and paper wasp.
- Author
-
Ono T, Iida M, Mori Y, Nejima R, Iwasaki T, Amano S, and Miyata K
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Animals, Child, Corneal Injuries complications, Eye Foreign Bodies complications, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Insect Bites and Stings complications, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Slit Lamp Microscopy, Time Factors, Vision, Low diagnosis, Young Adult, Bees, Corneal Injuries diagnosis, Eye Foreign Bodies diagnosis, Insect Bites and Stings diagnosis, Vision, Low etiology, Visual Acuity, Wasps
- Abstract
Purpose: To compare the outcomes of ocular injuries of hornets and paper wasps' stings., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Methods: Patients diagnosed with ocular injuries sustained by bee stings at Miyata Eye Hospital (Miyazaki, Japan) between August 2000 and July 2016 were enrolled. Retrospective data regarding type of bee, visual acuity, and treatment were collected from medical records. Outcomes of the hornet and wasp groups were compared., Results: Five eyes of 5 patients (3 men, 2 women; mean age 44.6±21.2 years [range 9-62 years]) were enrolled. The mean follow-up period was 50.6 ± 57.6 months (range 4 days to 121 months). The causative bee was hornet in 3 cases and wasp in 2. The anterior chamber was irrigated in 2 patients, both from the hornet group. The best-corrected visual acuity at the final visit was no light perception, light perception, and (0.02) in the hornet group, (1.5) and (1.2) in the wasp group., Conclusions: The hornet group exhibited significantly worse prognosis than the wasp group. Identifying the type of bee is important in establishing prognosis.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Honeybees could be biomonitors for AMR spread, suggests paper
- Subjects
Honeybee ,Drug resistance in microorganisms ,Bees ,Environmental issues ,Regional focus/area studies - Abstract
India, Sept. 6 -- The insects can carry genetic elements of key AMR drivers in their digestive tracts European honeybees can be an effective biomonitor for determining the spread of [...]
- Published
- 2023
5. Lake Sinai virus is a diverse, globally distributed but not emerging multi-strain honeybee virus.
- Author
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Hou C, Liang H, Chen C, Zhao H, Zhao P, Deng S, Li B, Yang D, Yang S, and Wilfert L
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, China epidemiology, Viruses, Bees parasitology, Bees virology, RNA Viruses genetics, Varroidae virology
- Abstract
Domesticated honeybees and wild bees are some of the most important beneficial insects for human and environmental health, but infectious diseases pose a serious risk to these pollinators, particularly following the emergence of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor as a viral vector. The acquisition of this novel viral vector from the Asian honeybee Apis ceranae has fundamentally changed viral epidemiology in its new host, the western honeybee A. mellifera. While the recently discovered Lake Sinai Viruses (LSV) have been associated with weak honeybee colonies, they have not been associated with vector-borne transmission. By combining a large-scale multi-year survey of LSV in Chinese A. mellifera and A. cerana honeybee colonies with globally available LSV-sequence data, we investigate the global epidemiology of this virus. We find that globally distributed LSV is a highly diverse multi-strain virus, which is predominantly associated with the western honeybee A. mellifera. In contrast to the vector-borne deformed wing virus, LSV is not an emerging disease. Instead, demographic reconstruction and strong global and local population structure indicates that it is a highly variable multi-strain virus in a stable association with its main host, the western honeybee. Prevalence patterns in China suggest a potential role for migratory beekeeping in the spread of this pathogen, demonstrating the potential for disease transmission with the man-made transport of beneficial insects., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Outcomes of bee sting injury: comparison of hornet and paper wasp
- Author
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Takashi Ono, Shiro Amano, Ryohei Nejima, Kazunori Miyata, Takuya Iwasaki, Yosai Mori, and Masaharu Iida
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Visual acuity ,Adolescent ,genetic structures ,Wasps ,Visual Acuity ,Vision, Low ,Slit Lamp Microscopy ,Retrospective data ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,Sting Injury ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Child ,Retrospective Studies ,Paper wasp ,business.industry ,Medical record ,fungi ,Insect Bites and Stings ,030208 emergency & critical care medicine ,Mean age ,General Medicine ,Bees ,Middle Aged ,Light perception ,Prognosis ,Bee stings ,medicine.disease ,eye diseases ,Ophthalmology ,Eye Foreign Bodies ,030221 ophthalmology & optometry ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Corneal Injuries ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
To compare the outcomes of ocular injuries of hornets and paper wasps’ stings. Retrospective case series. Patients diagnosed with ocular injuries sustained by bee stings at Miyata Eye Hospital (Miyazaki, Japan) between August 2000 and July 2016 were enrolled. Retrospective data regarding type of bee, visual acuity, and treatment were collected from medical records. Outcomes of the hornet and wasp groups were compared. Five eyes of 5 patients (3 men, 2 women; mean age 44.6±21.2 years [range 9–62 years]) were enrolled. The mean follow-up period was 50.6 ± 57.6 months (range 4 days to 121 months). The causative bee was hornet in 3 cases and wasp in 2. The anterior chamber was irrigated in 2 patients, both from the hornet group. The best-corrected visual acuity at the final visit was no light perception, light perception, and (0.02) in the hornet group, (1.5) and (1.2) in the wasp group. The hornet group exhibited significantly worse prognosis than the wasp group. Identifying the type of bee is important in establishing prognosis.
- Published
- 2018
7. Neuroanatomical differentiation associated with alternative reproductive tactics in male arid land bees, Centris pallida and Amegilla dawsoni.
- Author
-
Barrett M, Schneider S, Sachdeva P, Gomez A, Buchmann S, and O'Donnell S
- Subjects
- Animals, Male, Bees anatomy & histology, Bees physiology, Brain anatomy & histology, Brain physiology, Sexual Behavior, Animal physiology
- Abstract
Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) occur when there is categorical variation in the reproductive strategies of a sex within a population. These different behavioral phenotypes can expose animals to distinct cognitive challenges, which may be addressed through neuroanatomical differentiation. The dramatic phenotypic plasticity underlying ARTs provides a powerful opportunity to study how intraspecific nervous system variation can support distinct cognitive abilities. We hypothesized that conspecific animals pursuing ARTs would exhibit dissimilar brain architecture. Dimorphic males of the bee species Centris pallida and Amegilla dawsoni use alternative mate location strategies that rely primarily on either olfaction (large-morph) or vision (small-morph) to find females. This variation in behavior led us to predict increased volumes of the brain regions supporting their primarily chemosensory or visual mate location strategies. Large-morph males relying mainly on olfaction had relatively larger antennal lobes and relatively smaller optic lobes than small-morph males relying primarily on visual cues. In both species, as relative volumes of the optic lobe increased, the relative volume of the antennal lobe decreased. In addition, A. dawsoni large males had relatively larger mushroom body lips, which process olfactory inputs. Our results suggest that the divergent behavioral strategies in ART systems can be associated with neuroanatomical differentiation.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Data for paper Wind beneath my wings: Increasing wind speed causes increased hesitancy to take-off in foraging honeybees and bumblebees
- Author
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Hennessy, Georgia
- Subjects
Pollinators ,Behaviour ,Wind ,Bees - Abstract
Data set for a paper identifying that hesitancy to take off from a flower increases for both honeybees and Bumblebees in increasing wind speed on natural plants
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Vitellogenin expression in the ovaries of adult honeybee workers provides insights into the evolution of reproductive and social traits.
- Author
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Cardoso-Júnior CAM, Oldroyd BP, and Ronai I
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees genetics, Female, Insect Proteins metabolism, Ovary metabolism, Reproduction genetics, Social Behavior, Vitellogenins metabolism, Bees physiology, Biological Evolution, Gene Expression, Insect Proteins genetics, Life History Traits, Vitellogenins genetics
- Abstract
Social insects are notable for having two female castes that exhibit extreme differences in their reproductive capacity. The molecular basis of these differences is largely unknown. Vitellogenin (Vg) is a powerful antioxidant and insulin-signalling regulator used in oocyte development. Here we investigate how Royal Jelly (the major food of honeybee queens) and queen mandibular pheromone (a major regulator of worker fertility), affect the longevity and reproductive status of honey bee workers, the expression of Vg, its receptor VgR and associated regulatory proteins. We find that Vg is expressed in the ovaries of workers and that workers fed a queen diet of Royal Jelly have increased Vg expression in the ovaries. Surprisingly, we find that expression of Vg is not associated with ovary activation in workers, suggesting that this gene has potentially acquired non-reproductive functions. Therefore, Vg expression in the ovaries of honeybee workers provides further support for the Ovarian Ground Plan Hypothesis, which argues that genes implicated in the regulation of reproduction have been co-opted to regulate behavioural differences between queens and workers., (© 2021 The Royal Entomological Society.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. The simple beauty of paper.
- Subjects
SAMURAI ,BEES ,GLUE - Abstract
You might think paper is just something to draw or write on. Wrong! It can become a warrior, a flower or even a bee. Artist Juho Konkkola spent 50 hours folding a single sheet of paper into a samurai warrior with fingers, teeth and eyes. No glue or scissors were used. Daphne Lee turns thousands of strips of paper into a beautiful flower and Kate Kato creates paper sculptures of the natural world, such as bees and mushrooms. These are just three of the artists in a show, Pulp, at MAKE Southwest in Devon, England, until 13 April.Incredible paper craft. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
11. Genetic signatures of dominance hierarchies reveal conserved cis-regulatory and brain gene expression underlying aggression in a facultatively social bee.
- Author
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Steffen MA and Rehan SM
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees physiology, Genome, Insect, Aggression, Bees genetics, Brain metabolism, Gene Regulatory Networks, Social Dominance, Transcriptome
- Abstract
Agonistic interactions among individuals can result in the formation of dominance hierarches that can reinforce individual behavior and social status. Such dominance hierarches precede the establishment of reproductive dominance, division of labor and caste formation in highly social insect taxa. As such, deciphering the molecular basis of aggression is fundamental in understanding the mechanisms of social evolution. Assessing the proximate mechanisms of aggression in incipiently social bees can provide insights into the foundations of genomic mechanisms of social behavior. Here, we measured the effects of aggression on brain gene expression in the incipiently social bee, Ceratina australensis. We examine the brain transcriptomic differences between individuals who have experienced recurrent winning, losing, or a change in rank during repeated encounters. Using comparative analyses across taxa, we identify deeply conserved candidate genes, pathways, and regulatory networks for the formation of social hierarchies., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Reanalysis of an oft-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception reveals random behavior
- Author
-
Michael J. Baltzley and Matthew Nabity
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,False positive finding ,Behavior, Animal ,Physiology ,Computer science ,Magnetoreception ,Aquatic Science ,Bees ,Outcome (probability) ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Magnetic Fields ,Research Design ,Insect Science ,Replication (statistics) ,Animals ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Cognitive psychology ,Probability - Abstract
While mounting evidence indicates that a phylogenetically diverse group of animals detect Earth-strength magnetic fields, a magnetoreceptor has not been identified in any animal. One possible reason that identifying a magnetoreceptor has proven challenging is that, like many research fields, magnetoreception research lacks extensive independent replication. Independent replication is important because a subset of studies undoubtedly contain false positive results and without replication it is difficult to determine if the outcome of an experiment is a false positive. However, we report here a reanalysis of a well-cited paper on honeybee magnetoreception demonstrating that the original paper represented a false positive finding caused by a misunderstanding of probability. We also point out how good experimental design practices could have revealed the error prior to publication. Hopefully, this reanalysis will serve as a reminder of the importance of good experimental design in order to reduce the likelihood of publishing false positive results.
- Published
- 2018
13. Controlling Varroa destructor Infesting Honey Bee Apis mellifera using Essential Oils as Diet Supplements and as Impregnated Paper.
- Author
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H. A. A., Mesbah, El-Sayed, Nagda A., Mourad, A. K., and Abdel-Razik, B. A.
- Subjects
VARROA destructor ,DIETARY supplements ,HONEYBEES ,BEES ,ESSENTIAL oils ,FOOD safety ,MITES - Abstract
Copyright of Journal of Plant Protection & Pathology is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Expansion and Accelerated Evolution of 9-Exon Odorant Receptors in Polistes Paper Wasps.
- Author
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Legan, Andrew W, Jernigan, Christopher M, Miller, Sara E, Fuchs, Matthieu F, and Sheehan, Michael J
- Subjects
BEES ,ANTS ,OLFACTORY receptors ,COMPARATIVE genomics ,INSECT societies - Abstract
Independent origins of sociality in bees and ants are associated with independent expansions of particular odorant receptor (OR) gene subfamilies. In ants, one clade within the OR gene family, the 9-exon subfamily, has dramatically expanded. These receptors detect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), key social signaling molecules in insects. It is unclear to what extent 9-exon OR subfamily expansion is associated with the independent evolution of sociality across Hymenoptera, warranting studies of taxa with independently derived social behavior. Here, we describe OR gene family evolution in the northern paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus , and compare it to four additional paper wasp species spanning ∼40 million years of evolutionary divergence. We find 200 putatively functional OR genes in P. fuscatus , matching predictions from neuroanatomy, and more than half of these are in the 9-exon subfamily. Most OR gene expansions are tandemly arrayed at orthologous loci in Polistes genomes, and microsynteny analysis shows species-specific gain and loss of 9-exon ORs within tandem arrays. There is evidence of episodic positive diversifying selection shaping ORs in expanded subfamilies. Values of omega (d
N / dS ) are higher among 9-exon ORs compared to other OR subfamilies. Within the Polistes OR gene tree, branches in the 9-exon OR clade experience relaxed negative (relaxed purifying) selection relative to other branches in the tree. Patterns of OR evolution within Polistes are consistent with 9-exon OR function in CHC perception by combinatorial coding, with both natural selection and neutral drift contributing to interspecies differences in gene copy number and sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Soldier neural architecture is temporarily modality specialized but poorly predicted by repertoire size in the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula.
- Author
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Baudier KM, Bennett MM, Barrett M, Cossio FJ, Wu RD, O'Donnell S, Pavlic TP, and Fewell JH
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees, Behavior, Animal
- Abstract
Individual heterogeneity within societies provides opportunities to test hypotheses about adaptive neural investment in the context of group cooperation. Here, we explore neural investment in defense specialist soldiers of the eusocial stingless bee (Tetragonisca angustula) which are age subspecialized on distinct defense tasks and have an overall higher lifetime task repertoire than other sterile workers within the colony. Consistent with predicted behavioral demands, soldiers had higher relative visual (optic lobe) investment than nonsoldiers but only during the period when they were performing the most visually demanding defense task (hovering guarding). As soldiers aged into the less visually demanding task of standing guarding this difference disappeared. Neural investment was otherwise similar across all colony members. Despite having larger task repertoires, soldiers had similar absolute brain size and the smaller relative brain size compared to other workers, meaning that lifetime task repertoire size was a poor predictor of brain size. Both high behavioral specialization in stable environmental conditions and reassignment across task groups during a crisis occur in T. angustula. The differences in neurobiology we report here are consistent with these specialized but flexible defense strategies. This work broadens our understanding of how neurobiology mediates age and morphological task specialization in highly cooperative societies., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Buzzkill: Accusations are leveled at research on how dancing bees measure distances.
- Author
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Quaglia, Sofia
- Subjects
DANCE ,BEES ,HONEYBEES ,SCIENCE journalism ,BEE behavior ,FALSIFICATION of data ,TUNNEL lining ,BEES algorithm - Abstract
Accusations have been made against high-profile papers documenting honeybee navigation, specifically regarding the existence of an internal "odometer" that relies on visual cues. Two scientists have raised concerns about possible miscalculations, image reuse, and data manipulation in 10 key papers. The author of these papers, Mandyam Veerambudi "Srini" Srinivasan, denies the allegations and states that his conclusions remain firm and have been independently replicated. While some researchers support Srinivasan, others believe that the claims need to be revisited. The journal Science is evaluating the concerns, and further investigation may be necessary. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
17. When a Tritrophic Interaction Goes Wrong to the Third Level: Xanthoxylin From Trees Causes the Honeybee Larval Mortality in Colonies Affected by the River Disease.
- Author
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Rossini C, Almeida L, Arredondo D, Antúnez K, Santos E, Haralambides AR, and Invernizzi C
- Subjects
- Acetophenones pharmacology, Animals, Bees growth & development, Diet veterinary, Discriminant Analysis, Euphorbiaceae metabolism, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Larva drug effects, Larva physiology, Least-Squares Analysis, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Metabolomics methods, Plant Components, Aerial chemistry, Plant Components, Aerial metabolism, Plant Nectar chemistry, Acetophenones analysis, Bees physiology, Euphorbiaceae chemistry
- Abstract
The "River Disease" (RD), a disorder impacting honeybee colonies located close to waterways with abundant riparian vegetation (including Sebastiania schottiana, Euphorbiaceae), kills newly hatched larvae. Forager bees from RD-affected colonies collect honeydew excretions from Epormenis cestri (Hemiptera: Flatidae), a planthopper feeding on trees of S. schottiana. First-instar honeybee larvae fed with this honeydew died. Thus, we postulated that the nectars of RD-affected colonies had a natural toxin coming from either E. cestri or S. schottiana. An untargeted metabolomics characterization of fresh nectars extracts from colonies with and without RD allowed to pinpoint xanthoxylin as one of the chemicals present in higher amounts in nectar from RD-affected colonies than in nectars from healthy colonies. Besides, xanthoxylin was also found in the aerial parts of S. schottiana and the honeydew excreted by E. cestri feeding on this tree. A larva feeding assay where xanthoxylin-enriched diets were offered to 1
st instar larvae showed that larvae died in the same proportion as larvae did when offered enriched diets with nectars from RD-colonies. These findings demonstrate that a xenobiotic can mimic the RD syndrome in honeybee larvae and provide evidence of an interspecific flow of xanthoxylin among three trophic levels. Further, our results give information that can be considered when implementing measures to control this honeybee disease., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Tissue-Hersteller drängen nach vorne.
- Subjects
TOILET paper ,MARKET leaders ,MANUFACTURING industries ,CARDBOARD ,BEES - Abstract
Copyright of Lebensmittel Zeitung is the property of dfv Mediengruppe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2024
19. Transcriptional identification of differentially expressed genes associated with division of labor in Apis cerana cerana.
- Author
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Chen YJ, Li YJ, Wu S, Yang WC, Miao J, Gu SH, Li JH, Miao XQ, and Li X
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees metabolism, Gene Expression Profiling, Insect Proteins metabolism, Bees genetics, Insect Proteins genetics, Life History Traits, Transcriptome
- Abstract
Workers of Apis cerana cerana undergo an in-hive nursing to outdoor foraging transition, but the genes underlying this age-related transition remain largely unknown. Here, we sequenced the head transcriptomes of its 7-day-old normal nurses, 18- and 22-day-old normal foragers, 7-day-old precocious foragers and 22-day-old over-aged nurses to unravel the genes associated with this transition. Mapping of the sequence reads to Apis mellifera genome showed that the three types of foragers had a greater percentage of reads from annotated exons and intergenic regions, whereas the two types of nurses had a greater percentage of reads from introns. Pair- and group-wise comparisons of the five transcriptomes revealed 59 uniquely expressed genes (18 in nurses and 41 in foragers) and 14 nurse- and 15 forager-upregulated genes. The uniquely expressed genes are usually low-abundance long noncoding RNAs, transcription factors, transcription coactivators, RNA-binding proteins, kinases or phosphatases that are involved in signaling and/or regulation, whereas the nurse- or forager-upregulated genes are often high-abundance downstream genes that directly perform the tasks of nurses or foragers. Taken together, these results suggest that the nurse-forager transition is coordinated by a social signal-triggered epigenetic shift from introns to exons/intergenic regions and the resulting transcriptional shift between the nurse- and forager-associated genes., (© 2020 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Magnetosensitivity in the Stingless Bee Tetragonisca angustula: Magnetic Inclination Can Alter the Choice of the Flying Departure Angle From the Nest.
- Author
-
Vale JO and Acosta-Avalos D
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees, Magnetic Phenomena
- Abstract
It is known that animals are sensitive to the geomagnetic field. In the case of insects, magnetoreception has been reported in several ant species and in some bees and wasps. One study showed that the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula is able to sense the modification of the magnetic field inclination. The aim of the present manuscript is to continue that study in T. angustula, analyzing the nest arrival and departure angles in the presence of magnetic fields generated by magnets. The bees flying to and from the nest were recorded and the flying trajectories were obtained by analyzing the video frame by frame. The magnetic field was generated by 6, 9, or 12 magnets contained inside an Eppendorf tube and fixed near the nest. Our results show that T. angustula bees are sensitive to magnetic fields because the departure angles are influenced by the magnets. It was observed that these bees are sensitive to the polarization of the magnetic field vector that influences the choice of flying up or down, and this sensitivity has a window until about 80 μT (about four times the local geomagnetic field), with the magnetic field information for higher magnetic field intensities being ignored by the bees. Bioelectromagnetics. 2021;42:51-59. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society., (© 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. The sublethal effects of ethiprole on the development, defense mechanisms, and immune pathways of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.).
- Author
-
Liu Y, Wang C, Qi S, He J, and Bai Y
- Subjects
- Animals, Antioxidants metabolism, Bees metabolism, Gene Expression Regulation drug effects, Inactivation, Metabolic drug effects, Insect Proteins genetics, Larva drug effects, Larva growth & development, Oxidative Stress drug effects, Bees growth & development, Bees immunology, Insecticides toxicity, Pyrazoles toxicity
- Abstract
Ethiprole has been widely used in agriculture, but there have been few studies on the adverse effects of ethiprole on nontarget organisms. This study focused on the mechanism of the sublethal effects of ethiprole on the development, antioxidation mechanisms, detoxification mechanisms and immune-related gene expression of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Honeybee larvae were found to be more sensitive than pupae to ethiprole. It was found that ethiprole inhibited the pupation and eclosion of bee larvae in a dose-dependent manner, with ethiprole doses of 1 × 10
-3 mg/L decreasing pupation and eclosion rates to 50.00 ± 8.84% and 20.83 ± 10.62%, respectively. The activities of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and detoxification factors (glutathione and glutathione S-transferase) were also significantly increased in ethiprole-exposed honeybees, indicating that a sublethal dose of ethiprole also induced oxidative stress in honeybees. In the 1 × 10-3 mg/L ethiprole-exposure group, the expression of pathogen recognition-related gene PGRP-4300 was upregulated 11.10 ± 0.45-fold, and that of detoxification-related gene CYP4G11 was upregulated 8.84 ± 0.11-fold, indicating that ethiprole induced an immune reaction in honeybees. To the best our knowledge, this study represents the first demonstration that sublethal concentrations of ethiprole inhibit honeybee development and activate honeybee defense and immune systems.- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. The Use of Products with a Monitoring System for Remote Bee Detection in Beekeeping in Czechia.
- Author
-
Kaňovská, Lucie
- Subjects
BEES ,BEEKEEPING ,INFORMATION technology ,BEEKEEPERS ,SMART devices ,SEMI-structured interviews ,PRICES - Abstract
The use of modern technology is becoming part of both industry and agriculture. These technologies can also be used in beekeeping, where they can help to monitor the operation of the hive remotely. Beekeepers can remotely monitor the weight of their hives, their temperature, humidity, and other parameters. The aim of this paper is to map the beekeepers in the use of products with monitoring system for remote bee detection in beekeeping in Czechia. To map the issue, qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted with beekeepers, manufacturers/providers of smart devices in beekeeping, and other entities involved in beekeeping. The findings showed that the interest of manufacturers and sellers to offer these smart devices is significant, but the interest of beekeepers is rather less, due to e.g., the purchase price, weaker IT knowledge, traditional beekeeping practices, higher age of beekeepers and the joy of being personally with bees. The novelty of the paper is not to look at the provision of ICT in beekeeping from a technical perspective, but from the perspective of users (beekeepers) and manufacturers of these technologies. Through interviews with beekeepers as well as others in the apiculture sphere, a comprehensive view of the issue is developed. Moreover, this is the first piece of research on this area in Czechia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Low Strength Magnetic Fields Serve as a Cue for Foraging Honey Bees but Prior Experience is More Indicative of Choice.
- Author
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Chicas-Mosier AM, Radi M, Lafferrandre J, O'Hara JF, Vora HD, and Abramson CI
- Subjects
- Animals, Earth, Planet, Bees physiology, Behavior, Animal, Choice Behavior, Magnetic Fields
- Abstract
Species of migrating insects use magnetic fields as a navigational tool that is independent of current weather conditions and non-migrating species have been shown to discriminate anomalies in magnetic field from the earth's baseline. Honey bee discrimination of magnetic field has been studied in the context of associative learning, physiology, and whole hive responses. This article uses a combination of free-flight and laboratory studies to determine how small fluctuations from Earth's magnetic field affect honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) decision-making. Honey bees were tested in three experiments: (i) recruitment to an aqueous sucrose feeder, (ii) an artificial free-flight flower patch with floral color-dependent magnetic field strength, and (iii) a Y-maze with alternating colors on a stronger magnetic field. In free-flying feeder experiments, magnetic field served as a temporary cue, but when offered an equal caloric alternative with lesser magnetic field, the latter was preferred. Flower patch experiments showed initial color biases that were abandoned as a response to magnetic field induction. In laboratory experiments, bees showed a color-dependent behavioral response to the magnetic field. The results of this study indicate that bees may use small fluctuations in magnetic fields as a cue but that it is likely low-value as compared with other stimuli. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020;41:458-470. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society., (© 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. The prediction of swarming in honeybee colonies using vibrational spectra.
- Author
-
Ramsey MT, Bencsik M, Newton MI, Reyes M, Pioz M, Crauser D, Delso NS, and Le Conte Y
- Subjects
- Animals, Seasons, Spectrum Analysis, Bees, Behavior, Animal, Vibration
- Abstract
In this work, we disclose a non-invasive method for the monitoring and predicting of the swarming process within honeybee colonies, using vibro-acoustic information. Two machine learning algorithms are presented for the prediction of swarming, based on vibration data recorded using accelerometers placed in the heart of honeybee hives. Both algorithms successfully discriminate between colonies intending and not intending to swarm with a high degree of accuracy, over 90% for each method, with successful swarming prediction up to 30 days prior to the event. We show that instantaneous vibrational spectra predict the swarming within the swarming season only, and that this limitation can be lifted provided that the history of the evolution of the spectra is accounted for. We also disclose queen toots and quacks, showing statistics of the occurrence of queen pipes over the entire swarming season. From this we were able to determine that (1) tooting always precedes quacking, (2) under natural conditions there is a 4 to 7 day period without queen tooting following the exit of the primary swarm, and (3) human intervention, such as queen clipping and the opening of a hive, causes strong interferences with important mechanisms for the prevention of simultaneous rival queen emergence.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Current status and application of lactic acid bacteria in animal production systems with a focus on bacteria from honey bee colonies.
- Author
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Ramos OY, Basualdo M, Libonatti C, and Vega MF
- Subjects
- Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents metabolism, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Food Industry, Functional Food, Honey, Humans, Lactobacillales classification, Pollen, Probiotics, Bees microbiology, Lactobacillales isolation & purification, Lactobacillales metabolism
- Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely distributed in nature and, due to their beneficial effects on the host, are used as probiotics. This review describes the applications of LAB in animal production systems such as beekeeping, poultry, swine and bovine production, particularly as probiotics used to improve health, enhance growth and reproductive performance. Given the importance of honeybees in nature and the beekeeping industry as a producer of healthy food worldwide, the focus of this review is on the coexistence of LAB with honeybees, their food and environment. The main LAB species isolated from the beehive and their potential technological use are described. Evidence is provided that 43 LAB bacteria species have been isolated from beehives, of which 20 showed inhibition against 28 species of human and animal pathogens, some of which are resistant to antibiotics. Additionally, the presence of LAB in the beehive and their relationship with antibacterial properties of honey and pollen is discussed. Finally, we describe the use of lactic bacteria from bee colonies and their antimicrobial effect against foodborne pathogens and human health. This review broadens knowledge by highlighting the importance of honeybee colonies as suppliers of LAB and functional food., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. The flip side of the coin: ecological function of the bee-hawking Asian hornet.
- Author
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Chen G, Zhang Z, Chomicki G, and Sun W
- Subjects
- Animals, Beekeeping, Ecology, Europe, Seed Dispersal, Bees, Introduced Species, Predatory Behavior, Wasps
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. LIVESTOCK AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION IN ROMANIA - DYNAMICS AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE PERIOD 2007-2020.
- Author
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POPESCU, Agatha, DINU, Toma Adrian, STOIAN, Elena, ŞERBAN, Valentin, CIOCAN, Horia Nicolae, and STANCIU, Mirela
- Subjects
LIVESTOCK productivity ,STRUCTURAL dynamics ,MILK yield ,ANIMAL products ,AGRICULTURAL productivity ,BEES ,GOATS ,SHEEP milk ,GOAT milk - Abstract
The paper analyzed the evolution animal sector regarding livestock and production in Romania in the period 2007-2020. Two sub-periods: P1- 2007-2013 and P2 2014-2020 were compared for assessing if the achievements in P2 were superior. The data from the National Institute of statistics regarding livestock and production by species were processed using fixed basis index, structural index, regression equations, coefficient of determination, multi annual mean per decade, absolute and relative differences between P2 and P1, in order to emphasize the trends and changes during the studied period. The results emphasized the following: the number of bovines, pigs and poultry decreased, while the number of sheep and goats and bee families increased both in P2 and P1. The total animal live weight at slaughter diminished due to the lower and lower live weight of bovines and pigs. However, the increased live weight at slaughter of sheep, goats and poultry had a positive impact. Milk and egg production declined and continued in P2, while wool and honey production increased. Despite that agricultural production value in animal sector increased by +20,420 trillion Lei in 2020 versus 2007, it was by 68.61% smaller than the agricultural production value achieved in the vegetal sector. In consequence, the contribution of animal sector to agricultural output was just 31.39% in the year 2020. The gaps in domestic production have to be covered by imports to meet consumers' requirements and this will deepen the deficit in agro-food trade balance. The reduction of CO
2 emissions in agriculture, where 50% come from animal sector, obliges farmers to set up strategies destined to promote animal products obtained from more environment friendly technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
28. Fractionation of hexane extracts from Achyrocline satureioides and their biological activities against Paenibacillus larvae
- Author
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Tonello, Natalia, Pimentel Betancurt, Diana, Huallpa, Carlos Leonel, Marioli, Juan Miguel, Moressi, Marcela Beatriz, Oliva, María de las Mercedes, and D’Eramo, Fabiana
- Subjects
Achyrocline ,Anti-Infective Agents ,Larva ,Veterinary Microbiology - Research Paper ,Paenibacillus larvae ,Media Technology ,Animals ,Hexanes ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Bees ,Paenibacillus ,Microbiology ,United States - Abstract
Previous studies carried out in our laboratory described the antimicrobial activity of the whole hexanic extract (HE) of Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC against Paenibacillus larvae, the causal agent of American Foulbrood (AFB) a disease of the honey bee larvae. In this study, the HE was partitioned into five main fractions by chromatographic techniques leading to the isolation of four known compounds: two prenylated phloroglucinol α-pyrones (1 and 3), 5,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyflavone (gnaphaliin A) (2), and 23-methyl-6-O-demethylauricepyrone (4). Isolated compounds were further analyzed towards structural elucidation using (1)H RMN and (13)C RMN spectroscopic techniques. For the first time, the antimicrobial activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against P. larvae strains by broth microdilution method and compared with that of the whole HE. Compounds 1–4 displayed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranging between 0.07 and 62.5 μg/mL and 0.26 and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively. The lowest MIC and MBC values were obtained with compounds 3 and 4, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of each single compound and the combination of them showed that the presence of all compounds is needed for the antimicrobial efficacy of whole HE.
- Published
- 2022
29. Establishment and management of wildflower areas for insect pollinators in commercial orchards
- Author
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Claire Carvell, Rory S. O'Connor, Marek Nowakowski, Richard F. Pywell, Nadine Mitschunas, Rachel McDonald, Dinara Sadykova, Michael P.D. Garratt, Michael Edwards, Michelle T. Fountain, Lucy Hulmes, Simon G. Potts, John W. Redhead, and S. Hulmes
- Subjects
orchard management ,Wildflower ,Plant community ,Context (language use) ,Apidae ,Ecological succession ,Biology ,Insects ,sustainable agriculture ,Agriculture and Soil Science ,agri-environment ,Habitat ,Agronomy ,Abundance (ecology) ,Pollinator ,flower mix ,Dominance (ecology) ,bees ,Syrphidae ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Research Paper - Abstract
Sown wildflower areas are increasingly recommended as an agri-environmental intervention measure, but evidence for their success is limited to particular insect groups or hampered by the challenges of establishing seed mixes and maintaining flower abundance over time. We conducted a replicated experiment to establish wildflower areas to support insect pollinators in apple orchards. Over three years, and across 23 commercial UK orchards with and without sown wildflowers, we conducted 828 transect surveys across various non-crop habitats. We found that the abundance of flower-visiting solitary bees, bumblebees, honeybees, and beetles was increased in sown wildflower areas, compared with existing non-crop habitats in control orchards, from the second year following floral establishment. Abundance of hoverflies and other non-syrphid flies was increased in wildflower areas from the first year. Beyond the effect of wildflower areas, solitary bee abundance was also positively related to levels of floral cover in other local habitats within orchards, but neither local nor wider landscape-scale context affected abundance of other studied insect taxa within study orchards. There was a change in plant community composition on the sown wildflower areas between years, and in patterns of flowering within and between years, showing a succession from unsown weedy species towards a dominance of sown species over time. We discuss how the successful establishment of sown wildflower areas and delivery of benefits for different insect taxa relies on appropriate and reactive management practices as a key component of any such agri-environment scheme.
- Published
- 2022
30. Modeling scale up of anthropogenic impacts from individual pollinator behavior to pollination systems
- Author
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Robert J. Gegear, Kevin N. Heath, and Elizabeth F. Ryder
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,memoria ,búsqueda de alimento ,Pollination ,Biodiversity ,记忆 ,01 natural sciences ,memory ,Pollinator ,Abundance (ecology) ,Contributed Papers ,interacciones planta‐polinizador ,Bumblebee ,plant–pollinator interactions ,行为 ,education.field_of_study ,Ecology ,biology ,Population size ,food and beverages ,bumblebee ,Bees ,simulation ,花粉转移 ,模拟 ,Pollen ,pollen transfer ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,植‐传粉者相互作用 ,基于主体的模型 ,Population ,simulación ,Flowers ,010603 evolutionary biology ,comportamiento ,foraging ,觅食 ,Animals ,Ecosystem ,education ,modelo basado en el agente ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,behavior ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,abejorro ,fungi ,15. Life on land ,biology.organism_classification ,Contributed Paper ,13. Climate action ,transferencia de polen ,agent‐based model ,大黄蜂 - Abstract
Understanding how anthropogenic disturbances affect plant–pollinator systems has important implications for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Previous laboratory studies show that pesticides and pathogens, which have been implicated in the rapid global decline of pollinators over recent years, can impair behavioral processes needed for pollinators to adaptively exploit floral resources and effectively transfer pollen among plants. However, the potential for these sublethal stressor effects on pollinator–plant interactions at the individual level to scale up into changes to the dynamics of wild plant and pollinator populations at the system level remains unclear. We developed an empirically parameterized agent‐based model of a bumblebee pollination system called SimBee to test for effects of stressor‐induced decreases in the memory capacity and information processing speed of individual foragers on bee abundance (scenario 1), plant diversity (scenario 2), and bee–plant system stability (scenario 3) over 20 virtual seasons. Modeling of a simple pollination network of a bumblebee and four co‐flowering bee‐pollinated plant species indicated that bee decline and plant species extinction events could occur when only 25% of the forager population showed cognitive impairment. Higher percentages of impairment caused 50% bee loss in just five virtual seasons and system‐wide extinction events in less than 20 virtual seasons under some conditions. Plant species extinctions occurred regardless of bee population size, indicating that stressor‐induced changes to pollinator behavior alone could drive species loss from plant communities. These findings indicate that sublethal stressor effects on pollinator behavioral mechanisms, although seemingly insignificant at the level of individuals, have the cumulative potential in principle to degrade plant–pollinator species interactions at the system level. Our work highlights the importance of an agent‐based modeling approach for the identification and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts on plant–pollinator systems., Article impact statement: Sublethal effects of pesticides and disease on pollinator foraging behavior threaten the stability of pollination systems.
- Published
- 2021
31. Connective appendages in Huberia bradeana (Melastomataceae) affect pollen release during buzz pollination
- Author
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Vinícius Lourenço Garcia de Brito, Renato Goldenberg, Fabián A. Michelangeli, Agnes S. Dellinger, Lucas F. Bacci, and Thuane Bochorny
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,carpenter bees ,sonication ,Buzz pollination ,Pollination ,Stamen ,pollen release ,Zoology ,Plant Science ,Flowers ,Biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,buzz pollination ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Pollinator ,Pollen ,medicine ,Animals ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Appendage ,Reproductive success ,Reproduction ,fungi ,food and beverages ,General Medicine ,Bees ,Attraction ,Research Papers ,Melastomataceae ,010606 plant biology & botany ,Research Paper - Abstract
Floral structures, such as stamen appendages, play crucial roles in pollinator attraction, pollen release dynamics and, ultimately, the reproductive success of plants. The pollen‐rewarding, bee buzz‐pollinated flowers of Melastomataceae often bear conspicuous staminal appendages. Surprisingly, their functional role in the pollination process remains largely unclear. We use Huberia bradeana Bochorny & R. Goldenb. (Melastomataceae) with conspicuously elongated, twisted stamen appendages to investigate their functional role in the pollination process.We studied the effect of stamen appendages on pollinator behaviour and reproductive success by comparing manipulated flowers (appendages removed) with unmanipulated flowers. To assess bee pollinator behaviour, we measured three properties of buzzes (vibrations) produced by bees on Huberia flowers: frequency, duration and number of buzzes per flower visit. We measured male and female reproductive success by monitoring pollen release and deposition after single bee visits. Finally, we used artificial vibrations and laser vibrometry to assess how flower vibrational properties change with the removal of stamen appendages.Our results show that the absence of staminal appendages does not modify bee buzzing behaviour. Pollen release was higher in unmanipulated flowers, but stigmatic pollen loads differ only marginally between the two treatments. We also detected lower vibration amplitudes in intact flowers as compared to manipulated flowers in artificial vibration experiments.The presence of connective appendages are crucial in transmitting vibrations and assuring optimal pollen release. Therefore, we propose that the high diversity of colours, shapes and sizes of connective appendages in buzz‐pollinated flowers may have evolved by selection through male fitness., Huberia bradeana (Melastomataceae) has poricidal flowers with specialized stamen appendages that are crucial in transmitting vibrations and assuring optimal pollen release in buzz‐pollinated flowers.
- Published
- 2021
32. Effect of landscape complexity, nesting substrate, and nest orientation on cavity-nesting solitary bees in southern Punjab, Pakistan.
- Author
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Khan, Danyal Haider, Ali, Mudssar, Khan, Fawad Z. A., Mehmood, Mirza Abid, and Saeed, Shafqat
- Subjects
NESTS ,BEES ,PARASITIC wasps ,LANDSCAPES ,CLIMATE change - Abstract
Solitary bees are in constant decline due to climate change, pesticide toxicity, and habitat loss. Provision of nesting sites is an important conservation strategy. Various factors affect bee nesting, including parasitism, entrance orientation, nesting substrate type, and diameter. This study explored the impact of nesting substrate, cavity diameter, and entrance orientation on solitary bee nesting preferences. Additionally, it investigated the influence of landscape type and seasonality on bee nesting efficiency which is the ability of a bee to successfully establish nest. Trap nests were placed at eight locations, representing five landscapes (forest, desert, agriculture, peri-urban, and urban). These trap nests had five different nesting substrates (bamboo reeds, wooden blocks, wooden logs, mud blocks, and paper tubes). At each location, four traps were set in all directions. The results showed maximum cavity occupation in south-facing nests. Peri-urban landscapes were the most favored for nesting, followed by forests. Solitary bees primarily preferred bamboo reeds for nesting, with peak occupation from April to June. Bees favored cavities with 6- and 8-mm entrance diameters, while wasps occupied smaller diameters (< 5 mm). Overall, bee species occupied fewer nests compared to parasitic wasps. Future research should explore brood chamber numbers and species-specific nesting preferences for bees, along with the impact of cavity microclimate on bee growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Sensorizing a Beehive: A Study on Potential Embedded Solutions for Internal Contactless Monitoring of Bees Activity.
- Author
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Micheli, Massimiliano, Papa, Giulia, Negri, Ilaria, Lancini, Matteo, Nuzzi, Cristina, and Pasinetti, Simone
- Subjects
VARROA destructor ,PRECISION farming ,BEES ,MITES ,HONEYBEES ,BEEHIVES - Abstract
Winter is the season of main concern for beekeepers since the temperature, humidity, and potential infection from mites and other diseases may lead the colony to death. As a consequence, beekeepers perform invasive checks on the colonies, exposing them to further harm. This paper proposes a novel design of an instrumented beehive involving color cameras placed inside the beehive and at the bottom of it, paving the way for new frontiers in beehive monitoring. The overall acquisition system is described focusing on design choices towards an effective solution for internal, contactless, and stress-free beehive monitoring. To validate our approach, we conducted an experimental campaign in 2023 and analyzed the collected images with YOLOv8 to understand if the proposed solution can be useful for beekeepers and what kind of information can be derived from this kind of monitoring, including the presence of Varroa destructor mites inside the beehive. We experimentally found that the observation point inside the beehive is the most challenging due to the frequent movements of the bees and the difficulties related to obtaining in-focus images. However, from these images, it is possible to find Varroa destructor mites. On the other hand, the observation point at the bottom of the beehive showed great potential for understanding the overall activity of the colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. A Swarm Intelligence Solution for the Multi-Vehicle Profitable Pickup and Delivery Problem.
- Author
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Alhujaylan, Abeer I. and Hosny, Manar I.
- Subjects
METAHEURISTIC algorithms ,SWARM intelligence ,ALGORITHMS ,MOBILE commerce ,BEES - Abstract
Delivery apps are experiencing significant growth, requiring efficient algorithms to coordinate transportation and generate profits. One problem that considers the goals of delivery apps is the multi-vehicle profitable pickup and delivery problem (MVPPDP). In this paper, we propose eight new metaheuristics to improve the initial solutions for the MVPPDP based on the well-known swarm intelligence algorithm, Artificial Bee Colony (ABC): K-means-GRASP-ABC(C)S1, K-means-GRASP-ABC(C)S2, Modified K-means-GRASP-ABC(C)S1, Modified K-means-GRASP-ABC(C)S2, ACO-GRASP-ABC(C)S1, ACO-GRASP-ABC(C)S2, ABC(S1), and ABC(S2). All methods achieved superior performance in most instances in terms of processing time. For example, for 250 customers, the average times of the algorithms was 75.9, 72.86, 79.17, 73.85, 76.60, 66.29, 177.07, and 196.09, which were faster than those of the state-of-the-art methods that took 300 s. Moreover, all proposed algorithms performed well on small-size instances in terms of profit by achieving thirteen new best solutions and five equal solutions to the best-known solutions. However, the algorithms slightly lag behind in medium- and large-sized instances due to the greedy randomised strategy and GRASP that have been used in the scout bee phase. Moreover, our algorithms prioritise minimal solutions and iterations for rapid processing time in daily m-commerce apps, while reducing iteration counts and population sizes reduces the likelihood of obtaining good solution quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm with Pretrained Model Functional Weight and Modified Selection Strategy for Text Classification.
- Author
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Ige, Oluwaseun Peter and Keng Hoon Gan
- Subjects
METAHEURISTIC algorithms ,BEES algorithm ,SEARCH algorithms ,DYNAMIC balance (Mechanics) ,BEES - Abstract
Previous works have proposed various techniques to address the premature convergence problem, where candidate solutions get trapped in local optima instead of reaching the global optimum. This has been tackled using different selection methods in metaheuristic search algorithms. However, while much of the literature focuses on either the search operators or the creation of algorithm variants, research indicates that the effectiveness of the search procedure depends on both the search operators and the selection methods. Incorporating problem-specific functional weights enhances dynamic adaptation to data patterns, reflects data relevance, and improves generalization. This paper offers an enhanced Artificial Bee Colony algorithm including functional weights and a modified selection strategy (ABC-FWMSS) to prioritize features, aiming to achieve an optimal solution and a dynamic balance between exploration and exploitation. The exploration ability of the Artificial Bee Colony is enhanced using pretrained model functional weights during the employed bee phase, while its exploitative capabilities are boosted using tournament selection and employed bee index during the onlooker bee phase. This approach dynamically balances exploration and exploitation. The proposed method achieved 96% precision on the 20 Newsgroups dataset, with the highest fitness score and a 48.8% drop in the number of selected features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Microbial communities associated with honey bees in Brazil and in the United States
- Author
-
Carlos A. Rosa, Jay D. Evans, Jeffery S. Pettis, Esther Margarida Alves Ferreira Bastos, Denise de Oliveira Scoaris, Frederic Mendes Hughes, and Milton Adolfo Silveira
- Subjects
Bacteria ,Firmicutes ,Microbiota ,fungi ,Beta diversity ,Zoology ,Honey bee ,Bees ,Biology ,Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ,biology.organism_classification ,Microbiology ,United States ,Microbial ecology ,Yeasts ,Mycology ,Lactobacillus ,Debaryomyces hansenii ,Media Technology ,Animals ,Pollen ,Nestedness ,Education in Microbiology - Research Paper ,Symbiosis ,Brazil - Abstract
Honey bee colony losses worldwide call for a more in-depth understanding of the pathogenic and mutualistic components of the honey bee microbiota and their relation with the environment. In this descriptive study, we characterized the yeast and bacterial communities that arise from six substrates associated with honey bees: corbicular pollen, beebread, hive debris, intestinal contents, body surface of nurses and forager bees, comparing two different landscapes, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Maryland, United States. The sampling of five hives in Brazil and four in the USA yielded 217 yeast and 284 bacterial isolates. Whereas the yeast community, accounted for 47 species from 29 genera, was dominated in Brazil by Aureobasidium sp. and Candida orthopsilosis, the major yeast recovered from the USA was Debaryomyces hansenii. The bacterial community was more diverse, encompassing 65 species distributed across 31 genera. Overall, most isolates belonged to Firmicutes, genus Bacillus. Among LAB, species from Lactobacillus were the most prevalent. Cluster analysis evidenced high structuration of the microbial communities, with two distinguished microbial groups between Brazil and the United States. In general, the higher difference among sites and substrates were dependents on the turnover effect (~ 93% of the beta diversity), with a more pronounced effect of nestedness (~ 28%) observed from Brazil microbiota change. The relative abundance of yeasts and bacteria also showed the dissimilarity of the microbial communities between both environments. These results provide a comprehensive view of microorganisms associated with A. mellifera, highlighting the importance of the environment in the establishment of the microbiota associated with honey bees. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42770-021-00539-7.
- Published
- 2021
37. Review of the Maltese and European Laws related to the Genetic Protection of the Endemic Maltese Honey Bee (Apis mellifera ruttneri).
- Author
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Dimech, David Chetcuti, Borg, Simone, Buttigieg, Abner Joe, and Farrugia, Dylan
- Subjects
HONEYBEES ,BEES ,BIODIVERSITY conservation ,WILDLIFE conservation ,EUROPEAN Union law ,PHYSICAL distribution of goods ,OBEDIENCE (Law) - Abstract
This paper is intended to study the legal protection of the Maltese honey bee (Apis mellifera ruttneri) from the point of view of preserving Maltese biodiversity, and more specifically the honey bee's genetic status. The primary aim is to establish whether and how theMaltese honey bee can be protected, specifically through the banning of imports of foreign Apis mellifera subspecies. States are under the general legal obligation of protecting their biodiversity. Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) EU MS have more specific obligations to do so under EU law. However, Yet conservation of biodiversity under EU law cannot be used to restrict the freedom of movement of goods unless this is done for very restrictive and specific reasons outlined under the EU treaties. This paper will be split into three broad sections. The first establishes whether there are legal obligations to protect the Maltese honey bee imposed on the Maltese government. The second considers whether such protection can be legally justified under EU law, including through banning imports of foreign subspecies of the Apis mellifera species. The third reviews the different methods available to protect the honey bee through the banning of imports of foreign bees. It also incorporates a comparative study of three EU MS that have protected, or are in the process of protecting, a bee native to their territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
38. Different effects of reward value and saliency during bumblebee visual search for multiple rewarding targets
- Author
-
Vivek Nityananda and Lars Chittka
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Reward value ,Flower constancy ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,Flowers ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Reward ,Animals ,Attention ,Reinforcement ,Bee ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Bumblebee ,Visual search ,Original Paper ,biology ,Bees ,biology.organism_classification ,030104 developmental biology ,Salient ,Colour contrast ,Psychology ,Reinforcement, Psychology ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Cognitive psychology - Abstract
Several animals, including bees, use visual search to distinguish targets of interest and ignore distractors. While bee flower choice is well studied, we know relatively little about how they choose between multiple rewarding flowers in complex floral environments. Two factors that could influence bee visual search for multiple flowers are the saliency (colour contrast against the background) and the reward value of flowers. We here investigated how these two different factors contribute to bee visual search. We trained bees to independently recognize two rewarding flower types that, in different experiments, differed in either saliency, reward value or both. We then measured their choices and attention to these flowers in the presence of distractors in a test without reinforcement. We found that bees preferred more salient or higher rewarding flowers and ignored distractors. When the high-reward flowers were less salient than the low-reward flowers, bees were nonetheless equally likely to choose high-reward flowers, for the reward and saliency values we used. Bees were also more likely to attend to these high-reward flowers, spending higher inspection times around them and exhibiting faster search times when choosing them. When flowers differed in reward, we also found an effect of the training order with low-reward targets being more likely to be chosen if they had been encountered during the more immediate training session prior to the test. Our results parallel recent findings from humans demonstrating that reward value can attract attention even when targets are less salient and irrelevant to the current task. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10071-021-01479-3.
- Published
- 2021
39. A Hybrid Discrete Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm Based on Label Similarity for Solving Point-Feature Label Placement Problem.
- Author
-
Cao, Wen, Xu, Jiaqi, Zhang, Yong, Zhao, Siqi, Xu, Chu, and Wu, Xiaofeng
- Subjects
BEES algorithm ,METAHEURISTIC algorithms ,BEES ,METROPOLIS ,BEE venom - Abstract
The artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) is a promising metaheuristic algorithm for continuous optimization problems, but it performs poorly in solving discrete problems. To address this issue, this paper proposes a hybrid discrete artificial bee colony (HDABC) algorithm based on label similarity for the point-feature label placement (PFLP) problem. Firstly, to better adapt to PFLP, we have modified the update mechanism for employed bees and onlooker bees. Employed bees learn the label position of the better individuals, while onlooker bees perform dynamic probability searches using two neighborhood operators. Additionally, the onlooker bees' selection method selects the most promising solutions based on label similarity, which improves the algorithm's search capabilities. Finally, the Metropolis acceptance strategy is replaced by the original greedy acceptance strategy to avoid the premature convergence problem. Systematic experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the neighborhood solution generation method, the selection operation based on label similarity, and the Metropolis acceptance strategy in this paper. In addition, experimental comparisons were made at different instances and label densities. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper is better or more competitive with the compared algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Investigation of pesticides on honey bee carbonic anhydrase inhibition
- Author
-
Ercan Soydan, Murat Şentürk, Ömer Taş, Claudiu T. Supuran, Deniz Ekinci, Ahmet Can Olcay, Gürkan Bilir, and Belirlenecek
- Subjects
01 natural sciences ,Apis-Mellifera ,Catalytic Domain ,Drug Discovery ,Pyrethrins ,Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors ,Purification ,Carbonic Anhydrases ,Carbonic anhydrase ,biology ,Chemistry ,Esters ,General Medicine ,Residues ,Bees ,inhibition ,Zinc ,Biochemistry ,Diazinon ,Research Article ,Research Paper ,Protein Binding ,Isoforms-I ,Methomyl ,Bumblebees ,RM1-950 ,Conservation ,DDT ,Phosphates ,Structure-Activity Relationship ,pyrethroids ,Phenols ,Nitriles ,Animals ,Pollinator Declines ,Ion transporter ,Cyanate ,Pharmacology ,Toxicity ,010405 organic chemistry ,Honey bee ,pesticides ,Pesticide ,0104 chemical sciences ,010404 medicinal & biomolecular chemistry ,Ph regulation ,biology.protein ,Therapeutics. Pharmacology ,Carbamates ,bee - Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) plays crucial physiological roles in many different organisms, such as in pH regulation, ion transport, and metabolic processes. CA was isolated from the European bee Apis mellifera (AmCA) spermatheca and inhibitory effects of pesticides belonging to various classes, such as carbamates, thiophosphates, and pyrethroids, were investigated herein. The inhibitory effects of methomyl, oxamyl, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and diazinon on AmCA were analysed. These pesticides showed effective in vitro inhibition of the enzyme, at sub-micromolar levels. The IC50 values for these pesticides ranged between of 0.0023 and 0.0385 μM. The CA inhibition mechanism with these compounds is unknown at the moment, but most of them contain ester functionalities which may be hydrolysed by the enzyme with the formation of intermediates that can either react with amino acid residues or bid to the zinc ion from the active site.
- Published
- 2020
41. Microbiological investigation study for Apis mellifera yemenitica and Apis mellifera carnica bee venoms on selected bacterial strains
- Author
-
Reem A. Alajmi, Ibrahim A. H. Barakat, Loloa Alfozan, Amany Mahmoud, Laila Layqah, Hany M. Yehia, and Dina M. Metwally
- Subjects
Bee Venoms ,Staphylococcus aureus ,Bacteria ,Clinical Microbiology - Research Paper ,Gram-Negative Bacteria ,Escherichia coli ,Media Technology ,Animals ,Correction ,Bees ,Gram-Positive Bacteria ,Microbiology ,Anti-Bacterial Agents - Abstract
Bees are one of the ancient and the most social insects worldwide. They are of great economic and medical importance. Bee venom (BV) has many therapeutic effects and has been used since ancient times for the treatment of many diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the antibacterial effect of BV from two different bee subspecies Apis mellifera yemenitica (A. m. yemenitica) (indigenous strain) and Apis mellifera carnica (A. m. carnica) (carniolan strain) against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Experimentally, venoms were extracted using an electrical venom collector from honey bee colonies of the subspecies, A. m. yemenitica and A. m. carnica, in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Each venom was tested against selected medically important Gram-negative strains, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, while Staphylococcus aureus was selected as Gram-positive test organism. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method was used to compare the effect of BV from the two subspecies on the growth of the selected bacterial strains. Results showed that BV from both subspecies could equally inhibit the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli at an MIC of 10 mg/ml. However, S. aureus was inhibited by an MIC of 5 and 10 mg/ml of BV from A. m. carnica and A. m. yemenitica, respectively. This suggested that the BV of the carnica subspecie was more inhibitory to this Gram-positive pathogen than its counterpart produced by the yemenitica subspecies. The present study shows that bee venom has a promising antibacterial effect.
- Published
- 2022
42. Identification of quantitative trait loci associated with calmness and gentleness in honey bees using whole‐genome sequences
- Author
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Guichard, Matthieu, Dainat, Benjamin, Eynard, Sonia, Vignal, Alain, Servin, Bertrand, Beestrong Consortium, the, Neuditschko, Markus, Mahla, Rachid, Poquet, Yannick, Guillaume, François, Le Conte, Yves, Basso, Benjamin, Phocas, F., Olivier, Bouchez, Agroscope, Génétique Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (GenPhySE ), Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-École nationale supérieure agronomique de Toulouse [ENSAT]-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), UMT PrADE, Bundesamt für Landwirschaft BLW (Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG), FranceAgrimer (Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir), Labogena, and ANR-10-INBS-0009,France-Génomique,Organisation et montée en puissance d'une Infrastructure Nationale de Génomique(2010)
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0301 basic medicine ,Quantitative Trait Loci ,Genome-wide association study ,Quantitative trait locus ,Biology ,lap4 protein ,Genome ,03 medical and health sciences ,[SDV.BBM.GTP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN] ,Genetic variation ,Genetics ,Animals ,GWAS ,Abscam ,Domestication ,Gene ,Genetic association ,[SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE] ,Full Paper ,Whole Genome Sequencing ,0402 animal and dairy science ,food and beverages ,[SDV.BBM.BM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Molecular biology ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,Full Papers ,Bees ,040201 dairy & animal science ,Phenotype ,pool sequences ,Aggression ,[SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology ,030104 developmental biology ,behavior and behavior mechanisms ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Apis mellifera ,Beekeeping ,Genome-Wide Association Study - Abstract
International audience; The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is a powerful method for unravelling the genetic background of selected traits and improving early-stage predictions. In honey bees (Apis mellifera), past genetic analyses have particularly focused on individual queens and workers. In this study, we used pooled wholegenome sequences to ascertain the genetic variation of the entire colony. In total, we sampled 216 Apis mellifera mellifera and 28 Apis mellifera carnica colonies. Different experts subjectively assessed the gentleness and calmness of the colonies using a standardised protocol. Conducting a GWAS for calmness on 211 purebred A. m. mellifera colonies, we identified three QTL, on chromosomes 8, 6, and 12. The two first QTL correspond to LOC409692 gene, coding for a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10, and to Abscam gene, coding for a Dscam family member Abscam protein, respectively. The last gene has been reported to be involved in the domestication of A. mellifera. The third QTL is located 13 kb upstream of LOC102655631, coding for a trehalose transporter. For gentleness, two QTL were identified on chromosomes 4 and 3. They are located within gene LOC413669, coding for a lap4 protein, and gene LOC413416, coding for a bicaudal C homolog 1-B protein, respectively. The identified positional candidate genes of both traits mainly affect the olfaction and nervous system of honey bees. Further research is needed to confirm the results and to better understand the genetic and phenotypic basis of calmness and gentleness.
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- 2021
43. The Bumble Bee Seafood Company Achieves 98% Readily Recyclable Packaging with Industry-First Shift to Paperboard Cartons on Multipack Can Products
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Bees ,Seafood industry -- Product introduction ,Packaging industry -- Product introduction ,Paper products industry -- Product introduction ,Seafood -- Product introduction ,Packaging -- Product introduction ,Business ,Business, international - Abstract
SAN DIEGO -- The Bumble Bee Seafood Company is eliminating an estimated 23 million pieces of plastic waste per year by becoming the first shelf-stable seafood brand to change its [...]
- Published
- 2022
44. Selfing rates vary with floral display, pollinator visitation and plant density in natural populations of Mimulus ringens
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Dorothy A. Christopher, Dorset W. Trapnell, Randall J. Mitchell, Patrick A Smallwood, Jeffrey D. Karron, and Wendy R. Semski
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pollination ,Pollination ,geitonogamy ,Mimulus ,Flowers ,Self-Fertilization ,Geitonogamy ,Herkogamy ,Pollinator ,Animals ,mating system ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,biology ,Mimulus ringens ,Ecology ,fungi ,pollinator visitation rate ,plant density ,Selfing ,food and beverages ,Bees ,biology.organism_classification ,Mating system ,Research Papers ,floral display ,selfing rate ,Bombus ,pollen limitation ,Research Paper - Abstract
Variation in selfing rates within and among populations of hermaphroditic flowering plants can strongly influence the evolution of reproductive strategies and the genetic structure of populations. This intraspecific variation in mating patterns may reflect both genetic and ecological factors, but the relative importance of these factors remains poorly understood. Here, we explore how selfing in 13 natural populations of the perennial wildflower Mimulus ringens is influenced by (a) pollinator visitation, an ecological factor, and (b) floral display, a trait with a genetic component that also responds to environmental variation. We also explore whether genetically based floral traits, including herkogamy, affect selfing. We found substantial variation among populations in selfing rate (0.13–0.55). Selfing increased strongly and significantly with floral display, among as well as within populations. Selfing also increased at sites with lower pollinator visitation and low plant density. However, selfing was not correlated with floral morphology. Overall, these results suggest that pollinator visitation and floral display, two factors that interact to affect geitonogamous pollinator movements, can influence the selfing rate. This study identifies mechanisms that may play a role in maintaining selfing rate variation among populations., Selfing rates vary widely among natural populations of the perennial wildflower Mimulus ringens. Increased selfing is positively correlated with floral display size and negatively correlated with pollinator visitation and plant density. This suggests that among‐population variation in selfing rate reflects the interaction between ecological and genetic factors.
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- 2021
45. Engineering Gut Symbionts: A Way to Promote Bee Growth?
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Sattayawat, Pachara, Inwongwan, Sahutchai, Noirungsee, Nuttapol, Li, Jilian, Guo, Jun, and Disayathanoowat, Terd
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HONEYBEES ,BEES ,POISONS ,GENETIC engineering ,ESSENTIAL nutrients ,BIFIDOBACTERIUM ,POLLINATORS ,PATHOGENIC microorganisms - Abstract
Simple Summary: Bees are important pollinators that play a role in balancing ecosystems; however, their survival rates have decreased due to many factors, including pathogens and exposure to pesticides. Bees have native mechanisms to help them tackle such challenges, and yet, these may not be enough. To this end, gut symbionts are beneficial, as they can help stimulate bees' immune systems and detoxify ingested toxic chemicals. To enhance the efficiency of these mechanisms, genetic engineering is proposed in this work to further optimize the ability of bee gut symbionts, particularly in the dominant bacteria Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola. Engineering strategies are discussed according to the gut symbiotic bacteria's main roles in digestion, essential nutrient provision, and pesticide detoxification. Bees play a crucial role as pollinators, contributing significantly to ecosystems. However, the honeybee population faces challenges such as global warming, pesticide use, and pathogenic microorganisms. Promoting bee growth using several approaches is therefore crucial for maintaining their roles. To this end, the bacterial microbiota is well-known for its native role in supporting bee growth in several respects. Maximizing the capabilities of these microorganisms holds the theoretical potential to promote the growth of bees. Recent advancements have made it feasible to achieve this enhancement through the application of genetic engineering. In this review, we present the roles of gut symbionts in promoting bee growth and collectively summarize the engineering approaches that would be needed for future applications. Particularly, as the engineering of bee gut symbionts has not been advanced, the dominant gut symbiotic bacteria Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola are the main focus of the paper, along with other dominant species. Moreover, we propose engineering strategies that will allow for the improvement in bee growth with listed gene targets for modification to further encourage the use of engineered gut symbionts to promote bee growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Wing Coupling in Bees and Wasps: From the Underlying Science to Bioinspired Engineering
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Abolfazl Darvizeh, Sepehr H. Eraghi, Hamed Rajabi, Arman Toofani, Mohammad Khorsandi, Stanislav N. Gorb, and Ali Khaheshi
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General Chemical Engineering ,Science ,Wasps ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,Models, Biological ,bee‐inspired joint ,functional diptery ,biomechanics ,Biomimetics ,Animals ,Wings, Animal ,General Materials Science ,Coupling ,Wing ,Full Paper ,Tension (physics) ,Characteristics of common wasps and bees ,General Engineering ,Robustness (evolution) ,Bees ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Compression (physics) ,0104 chemical sciences ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Mechanical joint ,natural joint ,0210 nano-technology ,Biological system ,asymmetry ,hamuli - Abstract
Wing‐to‐wing coupling mechanisms synchronize motions of insect wings and minimize their aerodynamic interference. Albeit they share the same function, their morphological traits appreciably vary across groups. Here the structure–material–function relationship of wing couplings of nine castes and species of Hymenoptera is investigated. It is shown that the springiness, robustness, and asymmetric behavior augment the functionality of the coupling by reducing stress concentrations and minimizing the impacts of excessive flight forces. A quantitative link is established between morphological variants of the coupling mechanisms and forces to which they are subjected. Inspired by the coupling mechanisms, a rotating‐sliding mechanical joint that withstands tension and compression and can also be locked/unlocked is fabricated. This is the first biomimetic research of this type that integrates approaches from biology and engineering., Although wing‐to‐wing coupling mechanisms have a common function, i.e., synchronizing motions of insect wings and preventing their aerodynamic interference, they are morphologically diverse. Quantitative links are established between the design of coupling mechanisms and forces to which they are subjected. The underlying design strategies are then used to develop a bioinspired mechanical joint for industrial and robotic applications.
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- 2021
47. Bee surveys in Brazil in the last six decades: a review and scientometrics.
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PEREIRA, Felipe Walter, GONÇALVES, Rodrigo Barbosa, and RAMOS, Kelli dos Santos
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APIDAE ,SCIENTOMETRICS ,SCIENTIFIC literature ,BEES ,HOST plants ,SPECIES distribution ,HONEYBEES - Abstract
Bee surveys bring valuable information regarding species distribution, phenology, and their interactions with host plants, and thus are important to bee conservation, especially in the present scenario of drastic declines reported worldwide. The Brazilian bee fauna has been surveyed intensively since the late 1960s, but the state-of-the-art of this research topic has not been explored in detail. Our main goal is to analyze the scientific literature through a systematic review of Brazilian bee surveys, describing (i) spatial sampling gaps; (ii) preferred sampling frequency and methods; (iii) species identification and vouchering practices; (iv) gender participation; and (v) how the studies are distributed among scientific journals. Our review includes 213 published studies, of which half targeted the entire bee fauna (Apoidea: Apidae sensu lato) while the other half targeted the orchid bees (Euglossini). Sampling sites are predominant in eastern Brazil, particularly within the Atlantic Forest. Hand netting bees for 1 year long was the most frequent sampling protocol to capture bees. Taxonomic identification and voucher deposition practices were mentioned in most of the papers. Men and women published almost the same number of papers, but women were less frequent as lead or senior authors and appeared less as prolific researchers. Most papers were published in a few Brazilian journals. We highlight that surveys in understudied areas are needed, especially in Amazon. Monitoring bees in previously surveyed locations is also encouraged to investigate temporal changes in bee assemblages, such as population declines, impacts of land-use changes, and effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. An elitist seasonal artificial bee colony algorithm for the interval job shop.
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Díaz, Hernán, Palacios, Juan J., González-Rodríguez, Inés, and Vela, Camino R.
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BEES algorithm ,PRODUCTION scheduling ,JOB shops ,SPRING ,BEES - Abstract
In this paper, a novel Artificial Bee Colony algorithm is proposed to solve a variant of the Job Shop Scheduling Problem where only an interval of possible processing times is known for each operation. The solving method incorporates a diversification strategy based on the seasonal behaviour of bees. That is, the bees tend to explore more at the beginning of the search (spring) and be more conservative towards the end (summer to winter). This new strategy helps the algorithm avoid premature convergence, which appeared to be an issue in previous papers tackling the same problem. A thorough parametric analysis is conducted and a comparison of different seasonal models is performed on a set of benchmark instances from the literature. The results illustrate the benefit of using the new strategy, improving the performance of previous ABC-based methods for the same problem. An additional study is conducted to assess the robustness of the solutions obtained under different ranking operators, together with a sensitivity analysis to compare the effect that different levels of uncertainty have on the solutions' robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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49. De la apicultura fijista a la movilista: Políticas públicas y dinámicas de la modernización del sector apícola español (1867-1980).
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COPENA, DAMIÁN
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BEEKEEPING ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations ,GEOGRAPHY ,HONEY ,BEE products - Abstract
Copyright of Historia Agraria is the property of Historia Agraria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Cross-modal transfer in visual and nonvisual cues in bumblebees
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David A. Lawson, Heather M. Whitney, Michael J. M. Harrap, and Sean A. Rands
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Physiology ,Computer science ,Cross modality ,030310 physiology ,Cross modal transfer ,Bumblebees ,03 medical and health sciences ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,0302 clinical medicine ,Stimulus modality ,Cross-modality ,Animals ,Learning ,Pattern learning ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Original Paper ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,business.industry ,Temperature ,Pattern recognition ,Bees ,biology.organism_classification ,Spatial patterns ,Pattern Recognition, Visual ,Bombus terrestris ,Visual patterns ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Differential conditioning ,Artificial intelligence ,Cues ,business ,Transfer of learning ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Floral temperature - Abstract
Bumblebees Bombus terrestris are good at learning to distinguish between patterned flowers. They can differentiate between flowers that differ only in their patterning of scent, surface texture, temperature, or electrostatic charge, in addition to visual patterns. As recently shown, bumblebees trained to discriminate between nonvisual scent patterns can transfer this learning to visually patterned flowers that show similar spatial patterning to the learnt scent patterns. Bumblebees can, therefore, transfer learnt patterns between different sensory modalities, without needing to relearn them. We used differential conditioning techniques to explore whether cross-modal transfer of learnt patterns also occurred between visual and temperature patterns. Bumblebees that successfully learnt to distinguish rewarding and unrewarding temperature patterns did not show any preferences for the corresponding unlearnt visual pattern. Similarly, bumblebees that learnt visual patterns did not transfer these to temperature patterns, suggesting that they are unable to transfer learning of temperature and visual patterns. We discuss how cross-modality pattern learning may be limited to modalities that have potentially strong neurological links, such as the previously demonstrated transfer between scent and visual patterns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00359-019-01320-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
- Published
- 2019
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