Comparative analysis of cryopreservation of seminal vesicle derived spermatozoa from Bombus impatiens and Apis mellifera – Implications for artificial insemination of bumble bees

The ability to accurately estimate bee mass through measurements of intertegular distance (ITD) is an important tool for field biologists. ITD is the distance between the bases of the 2 wing tegulae on the bee’s thorax. However, the relationship between ITD and bee mass can vary based on species and sampling region. A collection of 92 bees—representing 3 species—was examined to assess the accuracy of ITD in estimating dry mass for bees in northwest Ohio. The focus was on 3 species: silky striped sweat bees (Agapostemon sericeus), honey bees (Apis mellifera), and common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens). Overall, there was a positive correlation between ITD and dry mass across all individuals sampled (R2 = 0.77), but within species the degree of correlation varied significantly. The results suggest that ITD accurately estimates dry mass in silky striped sweat bees (R2 = 0.93), but the correlation weakens in common eastern bumble bees (R2 = 0.54) and is non-existent in honey bees (R2 = 0.39). Field biologists interested in using ITD to estimate bee mass should take preliminary measurements when investigating bumble bees, and should avoid ITD estimates in honey bees.

Download Full-text

Establishing Bumble Bees as a Supplementary System for Honey Bees in the Pollination of Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.31.4.668f ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 668f-668

Author(s):

Michael S. Stanghellini ◽

John T. Ambrose ◽

Jonathan R. Schultheis

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Statistical Difference ◽

Seed Set ◽

Citrullus Lanatus ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

Bombus Impatiens ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Fruit Abortion ◽

The Individual

The effectiveness of bumble bees, Bombus impatiens, and honey bees, Apis mellifera, on the pollination of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), was compared at the individual bee level. Correlations between the number of bee visits a flower received and the resultant seed set and fruit abortion rates were established. Using `Royal Jubilee' watermelon, B-impatiens-visited flowers resulted in higher seed sets than A. mellifera when compared at equal bee visit numbers. This difference between bee types was highly significant. With respect to fruit abortion rates, no statistical difference between bee types was detected. However, bee visit count was significant. Increasing the number of bee visits received by a flower resulted in a lower percentage of aborted fruit.

Download Full-text

Stigmatic Pollen Grain Deposition by Honey Bees and Bumble Bees after Single Bee Visits to Pistillate Watermelon Flowers

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.484a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 484a-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M.S. Stanghellini ◽

J.T. Ambrose ◽

J.R. Schultheis

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Light Microscopy ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Citrullus Lanatus ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Pollen Grain ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

Bombus Impatiens ◽

Single Visit ◽

Microscope Slides

As a means to assess pollinator efficiency, the number of pollen grains deposited by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson) after single visits to pistillate watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] flowers was compared. Pistillate flowers were enclosed in nylon bags prior to anthesis, and were then exposed to single visits by each bee species (RCBD: 10 flowers per bee species per replicate; 4 replicates). Pollen grains were removed from stigmata immdiately after bee visitation by use of a glycerin jelly-gelatin mixture that was mounted onto microscope slides. Light microscopy was used to count the number of pollen grains per slide. Bumble bees deposited significantly more pollen grains than did honey bees (P < 0.05). After single bee visits to flowers, bumble bees deposited an average of 481 pollen grains, while honey bees deposited an average of 119 pollen grains. Although multiple bee visits are usually required to set watermelon fruit, this work demonstrates that bumble bees are more-efficient pollinators of watermelon at the single visit level than are honey bees.

Download Full-text

Comparative Analysis of Cryopreservation of Spermatozoa From Bombus Impatiens and Apis Mellifera

Cryobiology ◽

10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.11.110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 103 ◽

pp. 189

Author(s):

Claire Campion ◽

Arun Rajamohan ◽

Michael E. Dillon ◽

Joseph P. Rinehart

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Bombus Impatiens

Download Full-text

Flowers as dirty doorknobs: Deformed wing virus transmitted between Apis mellifera and Bombus impatiens through shared flowers

Journal of Applied Ecology ◽

10.1111/1365-2664.13962 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Phillip Alexander Burnham ◽

Samantha A. Alger ◽

Brendan Case ◽

Humberto Boncristiani ◽

Laurent Hébert‐Dufresne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Bombus Impatiens ◽

Deformed Wing Virus

Download Full-text

Mirror Image Pattern Matching By Bumble Bees

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853995x00306 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 132 (1-2) ◽

pp. 87-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C.M.S. Plowright ◽

Y.G. Korneluk

Keyword(s):

Pattern Matching ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Mirror Image ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

Bombus Impatiens ◽

Artificial Flower ◽

Choice Tests ◽

Image Transformations ◽

Image Pattern

AbstractBumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were trained to discriminate between a rewarding and non-rewarding artificial flower that differed only in their configuration of four identical petals. On choice tests between 2 empty flowers, the bees chose the flower with the configuration of the rewarding flower over the mirror image, but the mirror image over a novel flower. This behaviour is the same as has been observed with honey bees and functional interpretations are considered. The problem of distinguishing between left-right pattern reversals and true mirror image transformations is discussed.

Download Full-text

Busy Bees: Variation in Insect Flower-Visiting Rates across Multiple Plant Species

Psyche A Journal of Entomology ◽

10.1155/2015/134630 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Margaret J. Couvillon ◽

Chandra M. Walter ◽

Eluned M. Blows ◽

Tomer J. Czaczkes ◽

Karin L. Alton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Plant Species ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

The Other ◽

Insect Diversity ◽

Visitation Rates ◽

Insect Visitation ◽

Flower Visiting

We quantified insect visitation rates by counting how many flowers/inflorescences were probed per unit time for five plant species (four native and one garden: California lilac, bramble, ragwort, wild marjoram, and ivy) growing in Sussex, United Kingdom, by following individual insects (n=2987) from nine functional groups (honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombusspp.), hoverflies, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps, non-Apidae bees, and moths). Additionally, we made a census of the insect diversity on the studied plant species. Overall we found that insect groups differed greatly in their rate of flower visits (P<2.2e-16), with bumble bees and honey bees visiting significantly more flowers per time (11.5 and 9.2 flowers/minute, resp.) than the other insect groups. Additionally, we report on a within-group difference in the non-Apidae bees, where the genusOsmia, which is often suggested as an alternative to honey bees as a managed pollinator, was very speedy (13.4 flowers/minute) compared to the other non-Apidae bees (4.3 flowers/minute). Our census showed that the plants attracted a range of insects, with the honey bee as the most abundant visitor (34%). Therefore, rate differences cannot be explained by particular specializations. Lastly, we discuss potential implications of our conclusions for pollination.

Download Full-text

The factors influencing the pollinators visitation of the oilseed rape cultivars

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/553/2019-pse ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (No. 12) ◽

pp. 574-580

Author(s):

Jan Kazda ◽

Aneta Bokšová ◽

Martina Stejskalová ◽

Tomáš Šubrt ◽

Jan Bartoška ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Oilseed Rape ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

Major Influence ◽

Winter Oilseed Rape ◽

Pollinator Visitation ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Visitation Rates ◽

The Individual

Currently, the hybrid cultivars are predominant in the cultivation of winter oilseed rape in Europe. Cultivation of hybrid cultivars instead of the traditional line can affect the visitation of pollinators. Beekeepers and farmers claim that hybrid cultivars are not visited by pollinators as much as the line. Ten yellow and one white flowering oilseed rape cultivars were used to compare the visitation rates of pollinators (Apis mellifera L. and Bombus sp.) during flowering in the years 2015–2017. At the same time, the visitation of hybrid and line cultivars by pollinators was evaluated. Visitation of pollinators on each cultivar was calculated from observed visitations to flowering oilseed rape plants in an area 2.1 m<sup>2</sup> from the edge of single plots for 20 s. The results from this study clearly show that the individual cultivars, whether hybrids or lines, did not have a major influence on the pollinators’ visitation, either by honey bees or bumble bees. It is thus proved that hybrid cultivars do not affect the pollinator visitation and there is no need to worry about the prevalence of these cultivars in the Czech fields. However, a more significant effect for both pollinator groups appears to have been the color of the flower.

Download Full-text