The effects of artificial rearing environment on the behavior of adult honey bees, Apis mellifera L

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are obligate eusocial organisms and receive intensive parental care from their nestmates during larval and pupal development. The importance of the juvenile environment to adult behavior has been well documented in vertebrate species. However, the extent to which the d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral ecology and sociobiology 2018-06, Vol.72 (6), p.1-10, Article 92
Main Authors: Mortensen, Ashley N., Ellis, James D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal Ecology
Apis mellifera
Bees
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Colonies
Environmental impact
FEATURED STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER
Food
Honey
Laboratory tests
Life Sciences
Pesticides
Recognition
Risk assessment
Sucrose
Sugar
Zoology
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Summary:Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are obligate eusocial organisms and receive intensive parental care from their nestmates during larval and pupal development. The importance of the juvenile environment to adult behavior has been well documented in vertebrate species. However, the extent to which the developmental environment may affect adult behavior in honey bees is not well understood. We conducted a multifaceted study to compare the behavior of adult honey bees that are reared in vitro to that of bees reared by their parental colony Laboratory assays were conducted to evaluate the following honey bee behaviors: (1) queen recognition, (2) nursing, (3) trophallactic food sharing, and (4) sucrose responsiveness. There were no statistical differences in trophallactic food sharing or queen recognition behaviors between bees reared in vitro and those reared in their parental colony. Statistically detectable differences were identified in the nursing behavior and sucrose responsiveness between bees reared in vitro and those in their parental colony. In addition to providing insights into the origin of basic honey bee behaviors, our findings relate to the relevance of in vitro rearing as a tool for assessing the risk of certain Stressors, such as pesticides and pathogens, to honey bee health. Our results underscore the impact that juvenile environment can have on adult bee behavior. We assert that the immature stages of honey bee development are dynamic and that future behavioral research will benefit from accounting for the influence that the rearing environment can have on adult behavior.
ISSN:0340-5443
1432-0762
DOI:10.1007/s00265-018-2507-5