Nest Entrance Marking with Colony Specific Odors by the Bumble Bee Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Ethology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 273-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin L. Foster ◽  
George J. Gamboa
Keyword(s):  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Nest Entrance ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis

Drifting bumble bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers in commercial greenhouses may be social parasites

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 1843-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L Birmingham ◽  
Shelley E Hoover ◽  
Mark L Winston ◽  
Ron C Ydenberg
Keyword(s):  
Social Insect ◽  
Social Parasitism ◽  
Worker Reproduction ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Nectar Robbing ◽  
Social Parasites ◽  
Aggressive Interactions ◽  
Insect Societies ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis ◽  
Behavioural Consequence

Commercial greenhouses require high densities of managed bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis Greene, 1858 and Bombus impatiens Cresson, 1863) colonies to pollinate crops such as tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller). We examined drifting, a behavioural consequence of introducing closely aggregated colonies into greenhouse habitats, to determine possible explanations for observed drifting frequencies. Bee drift is normally associated with increased individual mortality and disease transfer between colonies. In this study, individual bees frequently drifted into and remained within foreign colonies. More drifting bees were found in colonies with higher worker and brood populations and greater pollen stores. Increased intracolony aggressive interactions were not associated with a higher number of drifting bees. Drifting bees had a significantly greater number of mature eggs in their ovaries than did resident worker bees residing in colonies hosting drifters, suggesting that drifting could potentially increase the fitness of individual worker bees and may not be solely a function of disorientation and (or) nectar robbing. Taken together, our results suggest that drifting of workers into foreign colonies within greenhouses may demonstrate a predisposition to social parasitism. This selfish worker reproduction challenges our previous understanding of social insect societies as being cooperative societies.

scholarly journals Specific recognition of reproductive parasite workers by nest-entrance guards in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Blacher ◽  
Laurie Boreggio ◽  
Chloé Leroy ◽  
Paul Devienne ◽  
Nicolas Châline ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Nest Entrance ◽  
Specific Recognition

Intraspecific nest and brood recognition by queens of the bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 2893-2897 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Gamboa ◽  
Robin L. Foster ◽  
Kenneth W. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis ◽  
Brood Recognition ◽  
Thermoregulatory Behaviour ◽  
Observation Period

Queens of pre-emergence colonies of the bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis, discriminated between their own nest or brood and that of an unrelated conspecific queen in the field. In particular, behavioural observations of queens from 11 matched pairs of replaced nests (controls) and switched nests (treatments) revealed that queens spent significantly more time in thermoregulatory behaviour (incubating and covering brood), and initiated such behaviours significantly sooner, with their own brood than with unrelated (foreign) brood. Queens also spent significantly more time inspecting foreign brood than their own brood. Finally, queens returning to foreign nests were significantly more likely to depart during the observation period than queens returning to their own nest. Although queens recognized unrelated nests or brood, they were not observed to destroy unrelated brood. Rather, in most cases they adopted foreign nests containing unrelated worker-destined brood, and remained with these nests for the life of the colonies.

FACTORS INFLUENCING RECOGNITION OF THE NEST ENTRANCE BY RETURNING BUMBLE BEE FORAGERS (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

1972 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. W. Eshelman ◽  
R. C. Plowright
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Training Period ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Nest Entrance ◽  
Factors Influencing

AbstractThe relative importance of position and color in nest-entrance recognition was tested in two bumble bee species, Bombus griseocollis (Degeer) and B. occidentalis Greene, using two identical sheds, each bearing a horizontal row of four nest-entrances marked with colored discs to which workers returned after foraging in the field. The bees were trained successively to either a yellow or a green disc on each of the four positions (alternating between the sheds), the other three positions being marked with black discs during each training period. The positions to which bees returned after moving the colored disc to each of the other three positions following each training period were recorded.The results indicate: (1) that the importance of position relative to color was greater at the end positions than in the inner positions; (2) that whereas B. griseocollis relied more on color relative to position than did B. occidentalis when the bees had been trained to the outer positions, the converse held true for inner positions; (3) that position was more important relative to color when the bees were homing than when they were choosing a position at which to alight or enter. Ecological and behavioral implications of the results are discussed.

Are bumble bee colonies in tomato greenhouses obtaining adequate nutrition?

2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Whittington ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Brood Production ◽  
Adequate Nutrition ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Greenhouse Crops ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis ◽  
Drone Production ◽  
Bee Colonies

AbstractManaged bumble bees are important pollinators of greenhouse crops, but few studies have examined factors that affect the health and productivity of commercially produced colonies. We investigated whether supplemental feeding with diverse pollens affected worker longevity and colony size of Bombus occidentalis Greene (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in tomato (Solanaceae) greenhouses. We found no differences in colony worker populations, brood production, or queen and drone production between supplemented and nonsupplemented treatments, suggesting that B. occidentalis colonies obtain adequate nutrition from the tomato pollen available in greenhouses. Adult populations did not increase in any treatment, but either remained stable or declined after colonies were placed in greenhouses. Because brood-rearing increased in all treatments but adult populations did not, adult mortality due to a non-nutritional factor such as disease or disorientation appears to be an important problem limiting the size of bumble bee colonies, and thus the effectiveness of bumble bees for greenhouse tomato pollination.

Significant expansion of the distribution of the bumble bee Bombus moderatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Alberta over 20 years1This paper is dedicated to the memory of Adolf Scholl.

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.E. Owen ◽  
M.C. Otterstatter ◽  
R.V. Cartar ◽  
A. Farmer ◽  
S.R. Colla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Southern Limit ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis ◽  
Last Ice Age ◽  
Natural Expansion

Bombus moderatus Cresson, 1863 occurs in the northern and western regions of North America and reaches its southern limit in Alberta. In 1915, the southernmost record was Banff; by 1987, it had appeared in Kananaskis Country, 40 km southeast of Banff, and by 2010, it had spread 80 km farther east to become one of the more common bumble bee species in Calgary, where it had never been previously recorded. This represents a rate of spread over the last 20 years of about 4 km/year. The simplest hypothesis that can account for this change is that it is just a continuation of the natural expansion of its range since the end of the last ice age. An alternative hypothesis is that it is filling the niche vacated as a result of the decline in another species, Bombus occidentalis Greene, 1858.

Orientation and drifting behaviour of bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in commercial tomato greenhouses

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L Birmingham ◽  
Mark L Winston
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Nest Entrance ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Novel Environment ◽  
Substantial Loss ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Bombus Occidentalis ◽  
Orientation Cues ◽  
Greenhouse Tomatoes

A novel environment lacking in directional cues may present orientation challenges to foraging bees. We examined orientation and drifting behaviour of Bombus occidentalis Greene and Bombus impatiens Cresson, the two major bumblebee pollinators of greenhouse tomatoes in British Columbia. Our objectives were to establish the extent and frequency of bee drift into foreign colonies and to examine the potential of nest entrance patterns and landmarks to reduce drift in commercial greenhouses. On average, 28% of marked bumblebees drifted into foreign hives, making up 0.3%–34.8% of the population in those colonies. Bees drifted towards the top position when hives were vertically stacked. The use of simple black and white patterns and large landmarks did not affect the number of drifting bees, suggesting that disorientation is not a major contributor to drift or to the substantial loss of adult bees from colonies during their first week in a greenhouse. Bees had decreased foraging times when landmarks were present in the greenhouse and showed a marginally but not significantly increased rate of pollen input to colonies. These studies contribute to understanding bumblebee behaviour in a novel environment and determining whether orientation cues are feasible management options to reduce drift and potential bee loss.

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