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Effective waterfowl management relies on the collection of relevant demographic data to inform land management decisions; however, some types of data are difficult to obtain. For waterfowl, brood surveys are difficult to conduct because wetland habitats often obscure ducklings from being visually assessed. Here, we used Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) to assess what wetland habitat characteristics influenced brood abundance in Suisun Marsh, California, USA. Using a thermal imaging camera, we surveyed 17 wetland units encompassing 332 ha of flooded area on seven waterfowl hunting clubs during the waterfowl breeding season. Additionally, using a combination of multispectral imagery collected from the UAS flights and LiDAR data from the previous year, we mapped habitat composition within each unit to relate to brood observation counts. From June 3-7, 2019, we identified 113 individual broods comprised of 827 ducklings. We found a positive relationship between the number of broods observed and the proportion of the unit that was flooded. We also found a positive relationship between the number of broods observed and the area of effective habitat, a metric of flooded habitat within a specific distance of flooded vegetation. Brood surveys using UAS could complement the traditional Breeding Population Survey and provide local managers with fine-scale and timely information regarding shifts in brood abundance in the region.

The effects of feeding frequency on Hippocampus reidi broodstock were examined using oocyte fatty acid profile, reproduction, and larval resistance to starvation as evaluation criteria. Twelve breeding pairs (approx. 27 g; 18 cm per individual) were fed to satiation with defrosted enriched caridean shrimp Palaemon sp. in one (F1), two (F2), three (F3), or four (F4) meals per day. Three broodstock pairs were subjected to each feeding regime and treatments were continued for 101 days. Fish of both sexes fed once a day had lower weight gain and specific growth rates than broodstock from the other treatments (p < 0.05). Newly born larvae produced by the pairs in F3 and F4 treatments presented similar weight and length (mean 2.06 ± 0.11 mg; 7.9 ± 0.06 mm, respectively) and were larger than those produced by pairs that received one or two daily feedings (mean 1.62 ± 0.17 mg; 6.7 ± 0.05 mm) (p < 0.05). Mean number of larvae per parturition in F3 and F4 (928.5) was almost two times the mean number of larvae in F1 and F2. The total mortality of the starved larvae was observed after 72 h in the couples of treatments F1 and F2, while in treatments F3 and F4 it occurred after 96 h. The highest concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid (AA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were observed in the oocytes produced by fish subjected to the F4 treatment. It is recommended that when broodstock H. reidi are given defrosted enriched shrimp to apparent satiation, they should be fed three to four times per day to promote egg production and to give good quality larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bee colonies rapidly decline when confined to greenhouses, increasing pollination rental costs as they need to be replaced frequently. We tested a hive system with entrances that can be manipulated to direct bees inside or outside greenhouses containing a zucchini crop. In one greenhouse, the bees could only forage inside for 15 days; in another, bees were directed to the inside from 5 to 9 a.m., after which they only foraged outside. This procedure was repeated two more times in each greenhouse with new hives. Data were collected on how the number of bee flower visits affected fruit production, the frequency of flower visits, and the amount of bee brood and food in the hives. Flowers visited by bees four times or more set more and larger fruit. The frequency of flower visits by bees from the hives confined to the greenhouse was reduced after eight days; it was not reduced in the greenhouse with bees that could forage outside. The bee brood area was reduced in the colonies that were confined to the greenhouse, while it was maintained in the semi-confined hives. The hives with controllable entrances proved effective for pollination, while causing less damage to the bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larviculture of fish and shellfish is inevitably dependent on live feed such as Artemia, and one of the most critical issues in rearing Artemia is the food supply. Artemia franciscana and Artemia parthenogenetica were raised at two concentrations of vinasse (62.5 and 125 µl L−1). The control diet was algae + wheat bran. The results demonstrated significant differences in the survival of Artemia species grown in different concentrations of vinasse on diets (P <.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the length of 125 µl L−1 and 20% algae with the A. franciscana control (P >.05). The total length in A. parthenogenetica was significantly higher than those received in vinasse (P <.05). The percentage of encysted in A. franciscana and A. parthenogenetica that fed vinasse in any concentration showed significant differences (P <.05) but not for other reproductive and lifespan characteristics (P >.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by Lotmaria passim, Crithidia mellificae, Nosema spp. are frequently observed in bee colonies. The aim of this study was to determine the age at which honey bee worker larvae are most susceptible to the above parasites. Three apiaries (group C—central Poland, group E—north-eastern Poland, group S—southern Poland) with the highest number of colonies infected with Nosema spp. were chosen for the study. Six bee colonies were selected in each apiary, and bee workers of different developmental stages were sampled. The presence of parasites was determined by real-time PCR. The results were processed statistically by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the least significant difference post-hoc test. The relationship between the presence of the parasites and larval age within groups was analyzed statistically. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in the presence of L. passim were found between 10-day-old larvae vs. 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 21-day-old bee brood. Differences in the presence of the analyzed parasites in differently aged larvae were also determined between groups. The presence of N. apis in 10-day-old larvae differed significantly (p < 0.05) between groups C and E. The study revealed that apparently, healthy bee colonies can be a source of infection for other colonies and larvae. C. mellificae was not identified in any of the analyzed groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen substitutes are alternatives to natural pollens during dearth periods. In this study, three pollen substitutes prepared using simple materials were compared. The first one contained yeast as protein source (yeast), the second one contained corn flour (corn flour), and the third one contained corn flour plus turmeric (turmeric). These pollen substitutes were presented to bee colonies beside sugar candy without any protein source as a control group. Some parameters were subsequently measured under apiary and laboratory conditions. All feeding types were attractive to bee colonies but bees consumed significantly more yeast and sugar candy within 72h than corn and turmeric. All feeding types did not impair the ability of young larvae to develop into pupae. Bee colonies had high sealed brood area and number of bees in yeast group followed by sugar candy and corn flour. Each of corn flour and turmeric affected the survival ability of bee workers negatively unlike yeast and sugar candy. All the feeding types showed approximately the same effect on the ability of bees to tolerate low temperature. Some morphological characteristics (head width, forewing length and width, wax mirror longitudinal and wax mirror transversal) used as indicators to body size and the development of glands. These characteristics showed higher values in yeast group than the other groups. In light of this study, yeast feeding is promising and recommended as a simple pollen substitute followed by corn flour while turmeric is not preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of military actions, some territories of Ukraine have suffered technogenic loading on the environment. Of special concern is disturbed agricultural soils that are significant for food safety of the country. Soils affected by military actions require control of contamination and restoration of fertility. The studies revealed the advantages of cultivating honey clover (Melilotus albus) in war-affected soils and controlling content of heavy metals in soils and corbicular pollen from honey clover cultivated in those soils. In gray forest average-loamy soils that had been affected by military actions, nitrogen content increased 6.3% thanks to cultivation of M. albus. High nitrogen content in soil improves its fertility. Cultivation of M. albus in affected soils promoted more intensive growth of the bee families, encouraging them to gather nectar more actively. As a result, this apiary produced greater amounts of honey, corbicular pollen, and bee pollen. The conducted studies revealed heightened levels of lead, cadmium, and zinc in the war-impacted agricultural land, compared with the territory beyond the impact zone. This caused increased content of heavy metals in corbicular pollen from M. albus. Contamination of corbicular pollen from M. albus manifested in excess over the allowable norms of cadmium, lead, and zinc. At the same time, the highest coefficient of transfer from soil into corbicular pollen was found for zinc. The high degree of contamination of the soil with heavy metals as a result of military action promoted a high level of ingress of lead and cadmium into the corbicular pollen, compared with the situation in clean territory. The study results expand the available data on biomonitoring of apiary products and foraging lands in contaminated areas. Analysis of the corbicular pollen and pollen can give information about the level of environmental contamination and help evaluate the ecological state of melliferous sites. Such a monitoring can be useful for decision making regarding the protection of the environment and healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the influence of the use of supplementary feedings on the development of bee colonies and venom production. We evaluated the venom production during harvests of rapeseed, acacia and sunflower. The research was carried out in the apiary of the Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources within the ULST. The biological material was represented by 40 colonies of bees (Apis mellifera carpatica), divided into 8 experimental groups, each group consisting of 5 colonies with equal strength and a queen of the same age. During the spring, bee colonies were fed sugar syrup into which we introduced probiotic products and/or essential oils. Counting of brood cells was performed at 7, 14 and 21 days during supplementary feeding. At the end of the additional feeding period, as well as during rapeseed, acacia and sunflower harvests, venom was collected using the BeeWhisper v.5.1 venom collector, model 2016. Regarding venom production, the best results were observed in the case of additional feedings with the products used. Batches using Colobiotic (2.2 g venom), Oregano essential oil (2.1 g venom) and Lacium (2.1 g venom) had the highest amounts of venom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ring‐necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) demographic response is sensitive to chick survival and nest success. The establishment and management of grasslands within agricultural landscapes, often through cropland conversion programs (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program [CRP]), have positive impacts on survival and nest success. Newly established CRP and early successional habitat can provide vegetative structure selected by pheasant chicks. Ideal brood habitat provides an abundance of arthropods, an open understory promoting efficient chick movement, and a protective canopy cover. However, the natural succession of grasslands changes desired vegetative structure and challenges managers with providing adequate habitat for pheasant chicks. We investigated the efficacy of different methods of CRP management, including haying, burning, herbicide application, interseeding, and grazing, to provide adequate brood rearing habitat in cool‐ and warm‐season grasslands. We assessed chick body mass change using human‐imprinted ring‐necked pheasant chicks and investigated changes in vegetation composition and structure in relation to various habitat treatments in north‐central and north‐eastern South Dakota during mid‐June and mid‐July of 2013, 2014, and 2015. Generally, treatments that incorporated interseeding, herbicide application, or their combination had the greatest chick mass gain, reduced litter cover and depth, and increased bare ground and forb cover. Effective management for brood habitat may require more aggressive techniques than simple haying or prescribed fire techniques.

Animals exhibit pronounced age‐based shifts in habitat selection, often because of increasing body size. Body size affects how animals access resources, traverse landscapes, and perceive predation risk. While adults may be habitat generalists, offspring may be constrained by diet, predation avoidance methods, and mobility given smaller body size, and thus be more specialized. Observed declines in eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) productivity and recruitment across the southeastern United States has necessitated evaluations of availability and composition of brood habitat. As poults are smaller and have more specialized resource requirements than adults, selection of vegetation likely changes as poults age. We evaluated aged‐based shifts in selection relative to vegetation communities, normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), and distances to trails by eastern wild turkey brooding females in a pine (Pinus spp.)‐dominated landscape in Georgia, USA, from April–July during 2017–2020. We used step‐selection functions and conditional logistic regression to evaluate resource selection of 36 brooding females. Of 175 nests monitored, 36 (20.6%) successfully hatched a brood and only 12 broods had at least 1 poult survive ≥28 days post‐hatch (i.e., 6.9% of nests produced a poult that was recruited into the population). Overall, brooding females selected for pastures (β = 0.730; 95% CI = 0.5144–0.9452), hardwoods (β = 0.324; 95% CI = 0.1608–0.4865), areas closer to trails (β = −0.002; 95% CI = −0.0023–−0.0014), and areas with greater NDVI values (β = 2.714; 95% CI = 1.7897–3.6380). Habitat selection shifted as broods aged, suggesting resource needs shift to scale allometrically with body size as broods get older. For example, selection strength waned as broods aged and broods were 2.47 times less likely to select pastures on day 28 relative to day 1 post‐hatch. Pastures were selected for after broods hatched, whereas selection for young pines increased as poults aged. Despite pine‐dominated cover types comprising nearly a third of the usable landscape, young pine communities were avoided by females with recently hatched broods. Managers may create better brood habitat by promoting early successional vegetation communities amidst a diversity of other land cover types to account for changing resource needs and predator avoidance capabilities as poults age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social animals, and ants, in particular, exhibit a range of cooperative behaviors. One such behavior is the rescue of group members, which cannot return to the nest by themselves. However, if several group members need to be rescued, how do ants prioritize whom to save first? Furthermore, when food is offered in parallel, do ants prioritize feeding over rescuing? We studied the rescue behavior of the desert ant Cataglyphis niger. Workers invest more time in rescuing pupae than adult workers, perhaps because the value of brood is higher than that of older workers serving as foragers. Specific rescue behaviors, pulling the trapped individual or digging around it, differed when directed toward adults or pupae: rescuing workers more often pulled pupae whereas they dug more around trapped adults. Rescuing workers did not prioritize living individuals over dead ones or intact workers over injured ones indicating that trapped individuals were recognized chemically rather than by their morphology or behavior. Finally, workers prioritized foraging over rescuing, perhaps because fewer workers specialize in rescue behavior than in foraging. Our analysis indeed revealed that fewer workers both foraged and rescued trapped workers than expected by chance. In conclusion, ants that rescue others exhibit a complex set of behaviors, with varying attention and specific behaviors targeted at different individuals, perhaps according to the colony's needs. Our study is important for emphasizing a relatively neglected aspect of sociality (rescue of group members) and demonstrates that the attentions of rescues differ based on the trapped nestmate's life stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is the most economically important parasitic pest of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that causes global colony decline and loss. Since its first detection in Ethiopia in 2010, little is known about the current infestation levels and contributing factors to the mite's distribution across the country. In this study, we conducted a large‐scale assessment of varroa prevalence and infestation levels in managed colonies across three potential beekeeping regions of Ethiopia; Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). A total of 360 samples from 39 apiaries were collected following standard protocols and the mite prevalence and infestation levels were determined using the established method of varroa research. Overall, 89% of sampled colonies were infested by the mite, with varying prevalence rates across the regions: 95.8% in Oromia, 85.2% in Amhara and 71.9% in SNNPR, indicating the widespread nature of the parasite throughout the country. The varroa infestation levels were lower in local hives (2.6 ± 5.9) than in frame hives (5.0 ± 0.9), and significantly higher in brood bees (5.6 ± 0.8) than in adult bees (1.93 ± 0.17) (p < 0.001). Possible factors contributing to the varied mite prevalence and infestation levels in the country include differences in agro‐ecology, beekeeping practices, host age preference and the nature of bee hives. Therefore, our study provides insights into the current status of varroa prevalence and associated factors across regions in Ethiopia. Further investigation is required to explore the probable impact of the parasite on the health and productivity of local honey bees, in order to design future monitoring strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bee colonies rapidly decline when confined to greenhouses, increasing pollination rental costs as they need to be replaced frequently. We tested a hive system with entrances that can be manipulated to direct bees inside or outside greenhouses containing a zucchini crop. In one greenhouse, the bees could only forage inside for 15 days; in another, bees were directed to the inside from 5 to 9 a.m., after which they only foraged outside. This procedure was repeated two more times in each greenhouse with new hives. Data were collected on how the number of bee flower visits affected fruit production, the frequency of flower visits, and the amount of bee brood and food in the hives. Flowers visited by bees four times or more set more and larger fruit. The frequency of flower visits by bees from the hives confined to the greenhouse was reduced after eight days; it was not reduced in the greenhouse with bees that could forage outside. The bee brood area was reduced in the colonies that were confined to the greenhouse, while it was maintained in the semi-confined hives. The hives with controllable entrances proved effective for pollination, while causing less damage to the bees.

The article describes the previously undocumented behavior of post-hatch egg laying by American Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus), citing two instances in western Kentucky, U.S., during nest monitoring. Topics include the rarity of such behavior, potential explanations, and the need for further research to understand the factors influencing this phenomenon in Black Vultures.

In most ant species, workers have retained functional ovaries, allowing them to potentially lay viable unfertilized eggs that develop into males. Mechanisms (ex.: queen and/or worker policing) have nevertheless evolved to control worker reproduction when the queen is present. In many species with a high degree of polygyny, especially in tramp species, complete sterility of workers has evolved, presumably to “trap” them within their “worker phenotype”. Our study showed for the first time that in the highly polygynous and polydomous ant Crematogaster pygmaea, workers retained the full capacity to produce reproductive eggs in queenless colonies, with at least some of them developing in adult males. We provide evidence that worker-produced males are reproductively functional. Although most queenless colonies produced eggs, few larvae developed into pupae and adult males. We conclude that workers strongly police the worker-produced offspring, even in the queen's absence. Probable high relatedness between queens of C. pygmaea colonies and strong genetic proximity between brood and workers could force the workers in their helper, non-reproductive function even if they keep the ability to reproduce. Our observations indicate that the production of adult males and gynes in C. pygmaea is controlled by seasonal factors related to the rainy season.

The morphology of larvae is a key factor influencing their behaviour, performance and ultimately their survival. There is evidence indicating a significant morphological variability among broods, and that this may be related to the size or conditions of the mother. However, this maternal influence is not consistent across decapod crustaceans. Using 35 broods from different mothers of the crab Hemigrapsus takanoi collected in the same locality of inner Tokyo Bay and at the same time, we tested the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between the size of the mother and the progeny’s morphology. Our results indicate that different patterns in the length of the lateral, rostral and dorsal spines differentiated two distinct morphogroups of larvae. These morphogroups were linked to the size of the mother, showing that larger mothers produced bigger larvae with longer carapace spines. It is possible that larger size and longer spines can influence swimming performance and predator avoidance, respectively. These relationships should be tested in future experimental studies.

The ability of a single genome to express multiple phenotypes is key to understanding social systems. In social insects, caste and task-specific morphologies are typically determined by the social environment during larval development. Here, we used the bumble bee Bombus impatiens to examine the social regulation of body size and caste by manipulating the identity (queen/worker) and the number of caretakers tending for the brood. Eggs of females and males were kept in cages with (1) a queen, (2) one worker, (3) three workers or (4) 10 workers. We measured larval weight, developmental duration and the resulting caste (in females) throughout the development of >2000 individuals. We found differences in larval mass when reared by varying number of workers, but not when reared by a single worker compared to a queen. Additionally, in contrast with previous findings in Bombus terrestris , none of the female eggs reared by workers developed into queens, indicating the existence of multiple mechanisms for caste determination in bumble bees. Adult males were slightly larger than workers and took longer to develop in the presence of the queen. The hypothesis that the queen's presence manipulates female development and caste was not supported by our data. Overall, we suggest that body size in B. impatiens is determined by the number of caretakers and is likely mediated by the amount of provision. • Body size and development in B. impatiens are determined by the number of caretakers. • Body size and development do not depend on the caretaker identity. • Body size is likely mediated by the amount of provision provided to larvae. • The queen is unlikely to be the sole regulator of gyne production. • Caste determination mechanisms likely vary across bumble bee species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid potential adverse side effects of chemical plant protection products, microbial pest control products (MPCP) are commonly applied as biological alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the biosafety of a MPCP with the active organism Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. aizawai (strain: ABTS-1857). An in-hive feeding experiment was performed under field-realistic conditions to examine the effect of B. thuringiensis (B. t.) on brood development and the bacterial abundance of the core gut microbiome (Bifidobacterium asteroids, Gilliamella apicola, the group of Lactobacillus and Snodgrasella alvi) in Apis mellifera worker bees. We detected a higher brood termination rate and a non-successful development into worker bees of treated colonies compared to those of the controls. For the gut microbiome, all tested core members showed a significantly lower normalized abundance in bees of the treated colonies than in those of the controls; thus, a general response of the gut microbiome may be assumed. Consequently, colony exposure to B. t. strain ABTS-1857 had a negative effect on brood development under field-realistic conditions and caused dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Further studies with B. t.–based products, after field-realistic application in bee attractive crops, are needed to evaluate the potential risk of these MPCPs on honey bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed the energy and reproductive cycles of female and male Gymnodactylus geckoides in the Caatinga area of northeast Brazil. We investigated whether these proxies of body condition, such as reproductive cells maturation and cellular structures changed in response to variation in abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., humidity, temperature, seasonality, body temperature, growing rate and gonad volume), using individuals stored under scientific conditions collected between September 2018 and December 2021. The condition factor showed an isometric growth pattern in the population studied. Meanwhile, the lipid, hepatic, and gonad factors correlated with body growth and showed monthly and seasonal variations, as well as reproductive cell maturation and cellular structure morphology. The cycles displayed constant replacement of energy reserves and mature reproductive cells, indicating constant and acyclic reproduction in G. geckoides. Energy reserves appear to be used for many reproductive activities, including meeting, gestation, and egg laying that occur at different frequencies during different periods in the dry and rainy seasons. Therefore, the reproductive cycle is likely to be strongly controlled by biotic factors, which are modeled using abiotic factors and environmental conditions (environmental patterns which proportionate greater resource availability). Our study is the first to investigate energy cycles and reproductive strategies in G. geckoides. It has shown that this species stores greater amounts of energy during the rainy season and then depletes these reserves during the dry period, since the rainy season correspond to the increase in energy consumption, mainly because of gestation and egg laying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Honeybee colonies differ in performance due to variations in their traits in terms of production, productivity and behaviour. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate the performance of honey bee race at their geographical location. Methods A total of 20 honey bee colonies from traditional hives were transferred into frame hives and arranged randomly with enough space between the colonies. Colonies were evaluated for aggressiveness, hygienic behaviour, brood area, pollen and nectar stores, absconding and honey yield. Results The results indicated that colonies were generally aggressive, and the majority of colonies at 2.3‐m away from the entrance reacted to the external body. They removed 95.7% ± 0.75% of the pin‐killed pupae in 24 h, and there was significant (p < 0.05) variation among the different observations. The average population of the brood was 24.925 ± 7.714 unit area of brood/hive during the honey flow period. Similarly, the area allocated for storing pollen grains could reach up to 11.46 ± 3.96‐unit area of pollen/hive. The swarming and absconding behaviour of the race was on average 3.39 ± 0.6, and 25% queen cells were found during the breeding season and dearth period, respectively. On average, the 8.85 ± 0.54 kg honey yield per colony per harvest on one honey chamber box was nearly similar to the national average (19.4 kg/hive/year) when harvested two times per year. Conclusion In general, the Apis mellifera secutellata race is good in hygienic tendency and also performs well for honey yield under optimal management practices. The absconding and aggressive behaviour was high; the main reasons were extreme weather condition, and different pest and disease, seasonality of bee flora were the major ones. So, based on the current findings A. m. scutellata was predominantly available in the area and highly productive if well‐managed. On the other hand, we are recommended on dearth period management and on the height of shade bee colonies.

Simple Summary: The Varroa destructor mite is a severe problem for the development of beekeeping in many parts of the world. The presented study concerns the control of this harmful nuisance mite via a disease management protocol for the first time. Poor field conditions made it possible to evaluate the protocol's effectiveness against mites in a natural and uncontrolled way. "Personalised" (tailored) applications consist of adjusting the number of control agents with different doses of amitraz to the number of detected parasite females in a given colony, taking into account a specific brood of queen bees (sisters) with a specific brood area. We showed that the number of treatments did not affect egg laying (brood surface) by mother sisters. We confirmed that amitraz should be increased by more than the number of mites found. The best results were obtained by repeating the procedure four times. We confirmed that effectiveness depends on the degree of Varroa infestation in a given family and the treatment of mites before the procedure. This procedure enables the protocol (personalisation) to effectively control of the impact of parasites on the bee colony. In such a procedure, one of the reasons for efficacy is the genetic conditions related to the reproductive potential of queens resulting from the bee breed. Based on new research, the presented study may change the overall effects of Varroa treatment in bee colonies. The requirement for the protection of bee colonies against Varroa destructor invasions has been noted by many breeders and is included as an aspect of the development of beekeeping. This research aimed to check the effect of the development of a colony exposed to laying eggs (brood surface) by queen bees with similar chemical potential (sisters) on the effect of a preparation combating V. destructor depending on the number of mites found in a given colony. We chose this as a standard model of conduct that treats each bee colony as one organism subjected to individual parasite control. For this purpose, we created a bee colony with a mother-of-one breeding line and fertilised drones from one colony. Infection with V. destructor occurred naturally and uncontrollably. Without interfering with the colony's development, the frame insulator helped each colony's brood (mothers' reproductive potential) and the initial and final individuals from the mites themselves. The study was carried out in four species (two control species and two species with up to 20 and over 21 mites, respectively). Treatments with amitraz to combat damage were divided into four treatment subgroups: two treatments every four days or four treatments every two days. We observed the number of individuals that were protected in all subgroups in the average brood area. The reproductive potential of the sisters' mothers did not change after the treatments with amitraz, which indicated that amitraz did not affect the delegation of egg laying. The invasion rate was also tracked relative to the control group, which allowed us to conclude that a two-time treatment with amitraz reduced the frequency of mites and a four-time treatment checked the effectiveness. Tailoring the control of V. destructor in bee colonies may be an effective measure in the fight against this parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is globally important for breeding waterfowl but has been altered via wetland drainage and grassland conversion to accommodate agricultural land use. Thus, understanding the ecology of waterfowl in these highly modified landscapes is essential for their conservation. Brood occurrence is the cumulative outcome of key life‐history events including pair formation and territory establishment, nest success, and early brood survival. We applied new technological advances in brood surveying methods to understand brood use of wetlands and how land use and wetland‐specific factors influenced brood use of 413 wetlands in crop‐dominated landscapes in the PPR of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, USA, during summers of 2018–2020. Dynamic occupancy models combining information from 2 visits throughout the year revealed no difference among the 4 states or between private and public lands, resulting in a region‐wide annual wetland occupancy estimate of 0.41 (95% credible interval [CrI] = 0.26, 0.58). We assessed aquatic invertebrate forage availability, wetland and upland vegetation communities, and various water chemistry metrics in a subset (n = 225) of these wetlands to evaluate how landscape and wetland‐specific factors influenced occupancy. The amount of grassland surrounding wetlands was the only variable to influence occupancy at a landscape scale, while wetland size, invertebrates, fish, and vegetation communities influenced occupancy at finer scales. Closer scrutiny of wetland area revealed occupancy was greater in small wetlands after controlling for total wetland area. Our results indicate the greatest constraint on brood occupancy across crop‐dominated landscapes of the PPR in the United States was the occurrence of semipermanent wetlands suitable for brood rearing. Other factors, such as wetland vegetation or surrounding land use, had minor intervening influences on duck brood use and ducks were distributed invariant of wetland ownership or broad spatial processes occurring among states. These results demonstrated wetland conservation and restoration strategies are likely to yield gains in annual duck broods across this vast, altered, and highly modified landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors that limit successful nest-founding by ant queens are not well understood. Predation has been hypothesized to be limiting to founding queens but there has been very little work on impacts under natural conditions. We experimentally reduced Solenopsis thief ant populations (5 species of subterranean ants) to test if belowground predation by ants is a factor affecting survivorship of founding fire ant queens (Solenopsis invicta). Results showed that there was no difference in survival rates of founding queens whether thief ant populations had been reduced or not. This outcome suggests that belowground predation by thief ants is not a strong factor shaping the ability of fire ants to found colonies, even in areas with robust populations of subterranean ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the effect of the surrounding environmental conditions during winter on a number of beehives inside three different apiaries (closed, half-closed, and open) designed for beekeeping under cold conditions. The closed apiary maintains the acquired temperatures and appropriate humidity better compared to the half-closed and open apiaries, where the average temperature and humidity inside the beehives were (21.85 °C, 67%), (18 °C, 78.33%) and (19.26°C, 82.33%) respectively during the experimental period. The results did not show any significant differences among the apiaries' beehives with regard to honey, pollen, and brood area. However, the closed apiary was found to be more active than the rest of the apiaries, as the average brood area was (36.00 sq. in.), the total amount of honey consumption was (176 sq. in.), and the maximum consumption of pollen found at the end of January 2020 was (29 sq. in.), compared to the half-closed and open apiaries, where the average brood area was (32.93, 35.33 sq. in.), honey consumption (95.7, 172.4 sq. in.) and pollen consumption (24.66, 28.67 sq. in.) respectively. In addition, the closed apiary and its beehives outperformed the rest of the apiaries and their beehives in terms of the daily temperature and humidity when taking the hourly records per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxicity of neem oil on developmental stages of Apis mellifera L. was evaluated by applying three concentrations within the marked comb cells with micropipette as single (applied only once) and multiple exposures (at one day interval up to capping of cells) on different age groups of larvae (1-2, 3-4 and 5-6 days). Results revealed that maximum survival was observed in controls (both negative and positive) and at par with 0.05% (T1) and 0.1 % (T2) concentrations. Minimum survival of larval stage was found in 1% (T3). Same trend was also observed in emerged pupae (CD=17.9) and in mortality of adult bees (CD=15.3). Significant difference in the survival of larval (p<0.05), emerged pupae (p<0.05) and mortality of adult (p<0.05) honey bees was found within stages originating from treated larvae. Both in single or multiple doses, it was found that larvae treated at 1-2 days age group was significantly affected as compared to other stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the EE0.6 molecular genetic sex marker, the gender of 155 chicks of a monogamous bird species, Demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo Linneaus, 1758), from the Azov-Black Sea, Caspian, Volga-Ural, Trans-Ural, Altai, Khakassian, and Transbaikal breeding groups was established. It was demonstrated that complete broods with two chicks represented by a male and a female were found more frequently than the broods with two chicks of the same sex. The broods in which both chicks were females prevailed over the broods out of two male chicks, although the differences were statistically insignificant. In total, out of 155 chicks, 69 males and 86 females were determined. Out of 112 chicks in the complete broods, 48 individuals were males and 64 were females. Despite a trend of female predominance among chicks in the total sample and in most breeding groups, the ratio of males and females in the Demoiselle crane offspring in general (0.445, P = 0.181) and in complete broods (0.429, P = 0.174) was parity, which reflects the adaptive and reproductive strategy of this monogamous bird species with a long life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Honeybee colonies differ in performance due to variations in their traits in terms of production, productivity and behaviour. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate the performance of honey bee race at their geographical location. Methods: A total of 20 honey bee colonies from traditional hives were transferred into frame hives and arranged randomly with enough space between the colonies. Colonies were evaluated for aggressiveness, hygienic behaviour, brood area, pollen and nectar stores, absconding and honey yield. Results: The results indicated that colonies were generally aggressive, and the majority of colonies at 2.3‐m away from the entrance reacted to the external body. They removed 95.7% ± 0.75% of the pin‐killed pupae in 24 h, and there was significant (p < 0.05) variation among the different observations. The average population of the brood was 24.925 ± 7.714 unit area of brood/hive during the honey flow period. Similarly, the area allocated for storing pollen grains could reach up to 11.46 ± 3.96‐unit area of pollen/hive. The swarming and absconding behaviour of the race was on average 3.39 ± 0.6, and 25% queen cells were found during the breeding season and dearth period, respectively. On average, the 8.85 ± 0.54 kg honey yield per colony per harvest on one honey chamber box was nearly similar to the national average (19.4 kg/hive/year) when harvested two times per year. Conclusion: In general, the Apis mellifera secutellata race is good in hygienic tendency and also performs well for honey yield under optimal management practices. The absconding and aggressive behaviour was high; the main reasons were extreme weather condition, and different pest and disease, seasonality of bee flora were the major ones. So, based on the current findings A. m. scutellata was predominantly available in the area and highly productive if well‐managed. On the other hand, we are recommended on dearth period management and on the height of shade bee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nano-particle of zinc oxide (nZn) and selenium (nSe) has recently attracted in animal feeding because of their high absorbability, catalytic efficiency, and low toxicity than organic and non-organic forms. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of nZn and nSe supplementation in the honey bee's diet under heat stress on antioxidant status, aminotransferase activity, and the relative gene expression of vg and sod-1. Materials and methods: Fifty honey bee colonies were randomly divided into five treatments and 10 replicates. Treatments were sugar syrup without or with nanoparticle supplementation, as: i) the control group (no additives); ii) 100 µgL−1 nano-zinc oxide (nZn-1); iii) 200 µg L − 1 of nano-zinc oxide (nZn-2); iv) 100 µg L − 1 nano-selenium (nSe-1); v) 200 µg L − 1 nano-selenium (nSe-2). On days 30 and 60 of experiment, the bee's samples were taken and antioxidant status, aminotransferase activities and relative genes expression of vg and sod-1 were measured. Results: The highest (P

Resource heterogeneity across the landscape prompts animals to make behavioral tradeoffs to survive and reproduce. Behavioral thermoregulation can buffer organisms from thermal extremes but may conflict with other essential activities such as predator avoidance or foraging, and necessitate tradeoffs among resource requirements. We evaluated patterns of habitat selection relative to thermal conditions, forage availability, and concealment cover for female eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) with broods to assess potential tradeoffs among resource requirements. We quantified air temperature (°C), vegetation characteristics (e.g., visual obstruction), and arthropod biomass (g/m2) at locations used by broods across 5 study sites in the southeastern United States during May–July 2019–2020. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate brooding female resource selection at the second (home range) and third (within home range) orders. Specifically, we identified differences in selection between brooding and non‐brooding females (second order), and factors influencing selection of sites used by brooding females during the day (when loafing and foraging) and night (roosting; third order). Brooding females selected sites with cooler temperatures (β = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.338–−0.102) and greater ground cover vegetation (β = 0.02; 95% CI = 0.013–0.033) than non‐brooding females. Additionally, biomass of large prey (Orthoptera) was positively related to ambient temperature, suggesting that use of thermal refuge by brooding females may limit availability of large prey. Brooding females appeared to balance the tradeoff between thermal refuge and forage availability by altering habitat selection patterns within home ranges. Brooding females selected for herbaceous areas that provided greater biomass of large arthropods during the day, and avoided areas dominated by woody vegetation during both the day and night. We did not observe brooding females using locations where woody cover exceeded 27% of understory vegetation. Thermal refuge is an important component of brood habitat, but within thermally suitable areas brooding females can select sites with greater availability of large prey to meet energetic demands of broods. Evaluation of multiple spatial scales is key when assessing tradeoffs among resource needs and determining the potential of behavioral thermoregulation to buffer an organism's thermal environment and allow persistence in a warming climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have attempted to build QSAR models on tumor-associated carbonic anhydrase, hCA IX inhibitory activity. The quality of prediction is high enough (Se = 0 .2306, r² = 0.9027, F = 40.1919, rcv² = 0.7716). The virtual molecular fragment that leads to a significant increase in the inhibitory activity of hCA IX is C2HN3. The virtual fragments, Br atom and NO2 lead to a significant decrease of the inhibitory activity value. The innovation of this work consists in not only exploring the structural attributes of bioactive molecules, but also in its ability to predict in silico the structures of 28 new (not yet synthesised) compounds which may show tumor-associated carbonic anhydrase IX (hCAIX) inhibitory activity. This apart, search for more suitable compounds was made based on their pharmacokinetic behaviour and ease of synthesis. The molecules of the prediction set include many molecules having high computed activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sensors, such as accelerometers, in tracking devices allow for detailed bio-logging to understand animal behaviour, even in remote places where direct observation is difficult. To study breeding in birds remotely, one needs to understand how to recognise a breeding event from tracking data, and ideally validate this by direct observation. We tagged 49 adult female pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) with transmitter neckbands in Finland in spring of 2018 and 2019, and in Svalbard in summer 2018, and validated inferences from tracking by field observations of nesting sites and family status in 2018–2020 (54 spring–summer tracks). We estimated nesting locations by taking the median coordinates of GPS-fixes at which the goose was motionless (overall dynamic body acceleration, ODBA 75% of time within 50 m of the nest, because nest site attendances steeply increased within one day to above this threshold. Nesting duration (number of consecutive days with > 75% nest site attendance) ranged between 3 and 44 days (n = 28), but was 30–34 days in confirmed successful nests (n = 9). The prolonged nesting of 39–44 days (n = 3) suggested incubation on unhatchable egg(s). Nest losses before hatching time occurred mostly in day 3–10 and 23–29 of nesting, periods with an increased frequency of nest site recesses. As alternative method, allowing for non-simultaneous GPS and accelerometer data, we show that nesting days were classified with 98.6% success by two general characteristics of breeding: low body motion (daily median ODBA) and low geographic mobility (daily SD of latitude). Median coordinates on nesting days approached real nest sites closely (within 0.8–3.6 m, n = 6). When considering only geographic mobility (allowing for GPS data only) nesting locations were similarly accurate, but some short nesting attempts were undetected and non-breeding tracks misclassified. We show that nesting attempts, as short as 3 days, and nesting success can be detected remotely with good precision using GPS-tracking and accelerometry. Our method may be generalised to other (precocial) bird species with similar incubation behaviour.

American Foulbrood (AFB) is a major endemic disease affecting the bee brood and the absence of chemical therapeutic treatments leads beekeepers to develop alternative management plans, based mainly on the prevention and accurate diagnosis of symptoms. One of the main symptoms of the disease is the unpleasant odor caused by the rot of dead larvae. In the present comparative study, we analyzed the odor profile of bee larvae and the presence of characteristic volatile compounds (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectometry), in an effort to discriminate healthy and AFB-infected brood. A greater number of volatile compounds was identified in the affected brood than the healthy. The presence of (Ε)-β-ocimene was prominent in healthy brood samples in percentages from 85.25 to 99.14%, a compound also detected in all samples of infected brood but in lower percentages (37%). The compounds toluene, xylene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 2-nonanone, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide were detected in 100% of the diseased brood samples, with the latter three being absent from the healthy brood, while 2-undecanone was found in some samples of diseased brood (40.0%). Further investigation of volatile markers may contribute significantly to the successful diagnosis of the disease, aiming at its rapid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Success in egg incubation and chick rearing in 18 passerine bird species has been analyzed based on the results of observations on the survival of 12 610 eggs in 2083 nests found in the Ob forest tundra and the southern, central, and northern Yamal peninsula. It has been found that a northward increase in nest success is observed in the direction from the Southern Urals and Kazakhstan to Yamal but not from the Baltic Sea to Yamal. In the total forest tundra–subarctic tundra space, nest success increases to the north in one group of species (the common redpoll, Lapland longspur, and common chiffchaff) but decreases in another group (the horned lark, red-throated pipit, bluethroat, and willow warbler). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was achieved in a private apiary located in a banana farm in Sa El Hagar, Basioun, Gharbia, Egypt from August 15, 2019 to May 25, 2020, including the banana (Musa sp., Musaceae) flow season (August and September) and extend to Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L., Fabaceae) flow season (May). The study aimed to evaluate the effect of confining the queen during the banana flow season on the brood rearing, honey yield, and activation of worker's ovaries. Also, we determined the negative impact of caging the queen during the banana flow season on the activity of the colony in brood rearing, storing pollen, and honey yield after releasing the queen on 5 October, extending to the next flow season in May. The obtained results showed that the honeybee colonies with the caged queen produced significantly more honey yield and less brood production than the free queen ones during the banana flow season. Also, the caging of the queen did not affect the colony strength after releasing the queen despite the partial development of the ovaries of some workers, but they did not lay eggs. In addition, releasing the queens suppressed the ovaries of the laying workers. It can be concluded that caging the queen during the banana flow season helps the colonies to produce more honey yield without effect on the colony strength after releasing the queen despite the ovaries development of few workers without egg-laying.

Abstract Background Microbiota development is a critical aspect of turkey poult maturation, and the succession of microbes in the turkey gut has been shown to correlate with poult performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the fate of the microbiota in turkey poults after movement of birds first raised in an isolated hatch brood system into a more traditional commercial brood facility with pre-existing birds. Turkey poults were first divided into groups raised in conventional brood pens from day-of-hatch and those raised in an experimental hatch brood system. After 11 days of growth, hatch brood birds were moved into pens within the conventional brood barn and monitored for an additional 18 days. Sampling of both hatch brood and conventional pen birds was performed at multiple timepoints throughout the study, and cecal content was used to analyze the bacterial microbiota using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results Alpha diversity tended to be higher in samples from conventional pen birds compared to those from hatch brood birds prior to the day 11 move, but the difference between systems was not observed post-move. Using beta diversity metrics, bacterial community succession appeared delayed in the hatch brood system birds pre-move, but post-move community composition quickly converged with that of the conventional pen birds. This was validated through assessment of significantly different genera between hatch brood system and conventional pen birds, where numbers of significantly different taxa quickly decreased following the move. Some key taxa previously associated with poult performance were delayed in their appearance and relative abundance in hatch brood birds. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrates that the use of isolated hatch brood systems has an impact on the poult gut microbiota, but its impact is resolved quickly once the birds are introduced into a conventional brood environment. Therefore, the benefits of pathogen reduction with hatch brood systems may outweigh negative microbiota impacts due to isolation.

Sugar feeding is crucial to bee colonies during periods without natural nectar resources. The health and the development of bee colonies are affected by the sugar feeding type. Also, some materials can be added to the sugar feeding to boost the ability of bee colonies to withstand parasites. Three materials (mint, cinnamon, and chamomile) are used commonly to control bee parasites (e.g. Varroa mites). In the present study, the effects of these materials on the development and health of bee colonies were assessed. Sugar candy supplemented with these materials plus sugar candy only as a control group were tested. Bee colonies were fed with these feeding types weekly. Then, some parameters were evaluated. The results showed the suitability of the tested feeding types to bee colonies. Building of wax foundations was accelerated in cinnamon group. This group had also the lowest infestation rates with Varroa mites, suggesting a specific role of cinnamon in Varroa control. The colony development was significantly better in chamomile group than the other groups. Mint group showed no variations than the control group in most parameters. All feeding types showed safety to bees based on morphological characteristics and bee survival results. Practically, cinnamon is advised when building of wax combs is required while chamomile is recommended when increasing strength of colonies is needed. The role of cinnamon in controlling Varroa is recommended for further investigations.

The requirement for the protection of bee colonies against Varroa destructor invasions has been noted by many breeders and is included as an aspect of the development of beekeeping. This research aimed to check the effect of the development of a colony exposed to laying eggs (brood surface) by queen bees with similar chemical potential (sisters) on the effect of a preparation combating V. destructor depending on the number of mites found in a given colony. We chose this as a standard model of conduct that treats each bee colony as one organism subjected to individual parasite control. For this purpose, we created a bee colony with a mother-of-one breeding line and fertilised drones from one colony. Infection with V. destructor occurred naturally and uncontrollably. Without interfering with the colony’s development, the frame insulator helped each colony’s brood (mothers’ reproductive potential) and the initial and final individuals from the mites themselves. The study was carried out in four species (two control species and two species with up to 20 and over 21 mites, respectively). Treatments with amitraz to combat damage were divided into four treatment subgroups: two treatments every four days or four treatments every two days. We observed the number of individuals that were protected in all subgroups in the average brood area. The reproductive potential of the sisters’ mothers did not change after the treatments with amitraz, which indicated that amitraz did not affect the delegation of egg laying. The invasion rate was also tracked relative to the control group, which allowed us to conclude that a two-time treatment with amitraz reduced the frequency of mites and a four-time treatment checked the effectiveness. Tailoring the control of V. destructor in bee colonies may be an effective measure in the fight against this parasite.

1. Semiclaustral ant queens must pay the price of foraging to guarantee their survival and also that of their brood through the nest foundation phase. For leaf‐cutting ant species, the challenge is even greater, as they also need to cultivate their symbiont fungus. 2. We hypothesised that suppressing foraging activity could reflect in larger offspring and higher survival, as queens would be entirely dedicated to rearing the brood and initial fungus. 3. By providing easy access to leaves or completely denying it, we evaluated how foraging runs interfere in Acromyrmex subterraneus queens' survival, productivity, and variation of body mass components. 4. Three foraging conditions were simulated: Starved – no leaves, Spoiled – leaves inside the nest chamber, and Walker – leaves 3 m away from the nest chamber. We registered the number of dead queens, offspring, weight of the fungus garden, fresh and lean dry mass of the queens, as well as their lipid and water contents. 5. Survival of Starved queens, which did not oviposit, was lower than that of Spoiled and Walker queens, although weight loss, water content, and lean dry mass were similar. While lipid content reduction was similar for Spoiled and Walker queens, the former had more larvae and pupae, and a heavier fungus garden than the latter, suggesting a greater rearing effort of Spoiled queens toward them both. 6. The simulated foraging conditions provided novel data for a semiclaustral leaf‐cutting ant species that evidences that fungus garden cultivation is definitively the main driving force for the colony founding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we followed the way in which evolves the behaviour of some honeybee families (Apis mellifera carpathica, Linnaeus), maintained in vertical beehives (modified Dadant type), in conditions of stationary bee keeping, having in view the natural queen cell’s build rhythm after the second acacia tree harvest (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in Jucu area of Cluj County. There were taken into observation 20 biological units with queen bees of different ages. It was monitored the development rhythm of natural queen cells, which are in attendance by the working bees, and to put into evidence the swarming instinct strength, so in bee keeping practice to be known and to be avoided the natural swarming. The determination of occupied surfaces with covered brood and larval was effected with the Netz framework. The aim of our study was to understand how the swarming in honeybees occurs. By detailed observation, we want to describe and to explain the behaviour of honeybees before the swarming process. The obtained results are quantified in absolute values and expressed graphically in relative values, but in the next three apicultural years (2020, 2021 and 2022), the experiment will be repeated for a variance analysis, which will provide a statistical assurance. We hope that these data will give contribution for the apicultural practice, keeping attention on queen bees’ importance during active season and on careful supervision on development rhythm of the honeybee units during the natural swarming.