Pollination of strawberry by the stingless bee,Trigona minangkabau, and the honey bee,Apis mellifera: An experimental study of fertilization efficiency

In this paper we show the results of investigating the presence of organochlorine pesticides in honey and pollen samples from managed colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. and of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona Mexicana Guérin. We found that 88.44% and 93.33% of honey samples, and 22.22% and 100% of pollen samples of S. mexicana and A. mellifera, respectively, resulted positive to at least one organochlorine. The most abundant pesticides were DDE, DDT, Endrin and heptaclor. Despite the low foraging range of S. mexicana the number of pesticides detected in the honey samples was similar to that of A. mellifera. Paradoxically we a found a small number of organochlorines in pollen samples of S. mexicana, perhaps indicating a rapid turnover of this material as compared to A. mellifera.

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Experimental study on the toxicity of imidacloprid given in syrup to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies

Pest Management Science ◽

10.1002/ps.957 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 111-125 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Jean-Paul Faucon ◽

Clément Aurières ◽

Patrick Drajnudel ◽

Laeticia Mathieu ◽

Magali Ribière ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee

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Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and cytochemistry of the anterior midgut region of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Micron ◽

10.1016/j.micron.2018.06.017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 113 ◽

pp. 41-47

Author(s):

Lenise Silva Carneiro ◽

Stéphanie Asséf Millen Valente Teixeira ◽

Wagner Gonzaga Gonçalves ◽

Kenner Morais Fernandes ◽

José Cola Zanuncio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Stingless Bee ◽

Melipona Quadrifasciata ◽

Anterior Midgut

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Occurrence of deformed wing virus variants in the stingless bee Melipona subnitida and honey bee Apis mellifera populations in Brazil

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/jgv.0.001206 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 100 (2) ◽

pp. 289-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Flaviane S. de Souza ◽

Jessica L. Kevill ◽

Maria E. Correia-Oliveira ◽

Carlos A. L. de Carvalho ◽

Stephen J. Martin

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Stingless Bee ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Melipona Subnitida

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Pollination of tomatoes by the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and the honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Genetics and Molecular Research ◽

10.4238/vol8-2kerr015 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 751-757 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

S.A. Bispo dos Santos ◽

A.C. Roselino ◽

M. Hrncir ◽

L.R. Bego

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Stingless Bee ◽

Melipona Quadrifasciata

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Biomechanics of pollen pellet removal by the honey bee

Journal of The Royal Society Interface ◽

10.1098/rsif.2021.0549 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (181) ◽

pp. 20210549

Author(s):

Marguerite Matherne ◽

Caroline Dowell-Esquivel ◽

Oliver Howington ◽

Olivia Lenaghan ◽

Gabi Steinbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Shear Stress ◽

Relaxation Time ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Relaxation Times ◽

Maxwell Model ◽

Viscoelastic Materials ◽

Creep Tests

Honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) carry pollen back to their hive by mixing it with nectar and forming it into a pellet. The pellet must be firmly attached to their legs during flight, but also easily removable when deposited in the hive. How does the honey bee achieve these contrary aims? In this experimental study, we film honey bees removing pollen pellets and find they peel them off at speeds 2–10 times slower than their typical grooming speeds. Using a self-built pollen scraper, we find that slow removal speeds reduce the force and work required to remove the pellet under shear stress. Creep tests on individual pollen pellets revealed that pollen pellets are viscoelastic materials characterized by a Maxwell model with long relaxation times. The relaxation time enables the pellet to remain a solid during both transport and removal. We hope that this work inspires further research into viscoelastic materials in nature.

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