T-RFLP analysis of bacterial communities in the midguts of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana honey bees in Thailand

Indigenous and exotic honey bee species were evaluated for their hygienic behavior in the climatic condition of Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Colonies of equal strength from indigenous (Apis cerana) and exotic (Apis mellifera) species were selected for the study. The same colonies were tested in two seasons. Sealed brood were killed with different methods i.e pin killed and freeze killed. The uncapping of cells and brood removal was recorded at different intervals. Significant differences were recorded between hygienic behavior of both species of honey bees. Apis cerana showed significantly superior hygienic behavior than Apis mellifera in both seasons. At different intervals in both species significant differences were recorded. A significant difference was recorded after 12 and 24 hours between the species in both seasons. No significant differences were recorded after 48hours in both species. From the study it is concluded that indigenous honey bee species has superior hygienic behavior than exotic species.

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Comparison of the two microsporidia that infect honey bees – a review

Agricultura ◽

10.1515/agricultura-2017-0006 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (1-2) ◽

pp. 49-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mateja Soklič ◽

Aleš Gregorc

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Nosema Apis ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Intracellular Parasites ◽

Special Concern ◽

Scientific Attention ◽

Energetic Reserves

Abstract Two microsporidian species, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, infect honey bees (Apis mellifera) worldwide. They are obligate intracellular parasites that multiply in the epithelial lining of the bee’s midgut and cause nosemosis. N. ceranae infections were primarily found in Apis cerana and raised interest in the last decade with the discovery of their presence in the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Nosema spp. utilizes hosts’ energetic reserves for the purpose of propagation and disrupts the digestive processes of the bee. Nosemosis reduces the lifespan of a single bee and affects the performance of the colony. It also has an economic impact through the reduction in the honey and pollen yield of severely infected colonies or even causes them to collapse. Lack of effective therapy for nosemosis is of special concern and calls for scientific attention. Although N. ceranae and N. apis are similar in many aspects, there are important differences between them such as clinical signs of infection or the ability to resist low temperatures.

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Differences in sugar metabolism between the honey bees Apis mellifera and Apis cerana impact floral attractiveness

Journal of Apicultural Research ◽

10.3896/ibra.1.46.3.09 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 181-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D P Abrol

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Sugar Metabolism

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No evidence of queen thelytoky following interspecific crosses of the honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera

Insectes Sociaux ◽

10.1007/s00040-016-0538-3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 241-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

R. Gloag ◽

K. Tan ◽

Y. Wang ◽

W. Song ◽

W. Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Interspecific Crosses

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Differential autogrooming response to the tracheal mite Acarapis woodi by the honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera

Insectes Sociaux ◽

10.1007/s00040-019-00732-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 95-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Y. Sakamoto ◽

T. Maeda ◽

M. Yoshiyama ◽

F. Konno ◽

J. S. Pettis

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Behavioral Response ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Response Threshold ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Tracheal Mite ◽

Apis Cerana Japonica ◽

The Difference

AbstractThe infestation of honey bees by the endoparasitic tracheal mite Acarapis woodi was first discovered in Apis mellifera on the Isle of Wight, England, and the mite has since spread to all continents except Australia. Since 2010, this tracheal mite has spread rapidly in the Japanese honey bee, Apis cerana japonica, of mainland Japan, causing considerable colony mortality. In contrast, infestations by the mites in the imported and managed European honey bee, A. mellifera, have rarely been observed in Japan. A previous laboratory experiment revealed a difference in susceptibility by demonstrating that the tracheal mite more frequently enters tracheae of A. cerana than those of A. mellifera. In this study, we compared autogrooming responses of A. cerana and A. mellifera by depositing a mite on each honey bee’s mesoscutum, and we then assessed the efficacy of autogrooming to remove the mite. The bees that received mites more frequently showed an autogrooming response compared to unchallenged bees in both bee species. However, a significantly greater proportion of A. mellifera individuals autogroomed compared to A. cerana. In addition, when bees autogroomed, A. mellifera removed the tracheal mite more effectively than A. cerana. When considering all bees in the mite-deposited group, the proportion of mite removal in A. mellifera was almost twice as high as that in A. cerana. Thus, the difference in susceptibility to the tracheal mite between these two bee species is attributed to the difference in the behavioral response threshold to mites and the effectiveness of mite removal by grooming.

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Lethality of Honey Bee Stings to Heavy Armored Hornets

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10060484 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 484

Author(s):

Gaoying Gu ◽

Yichuan Meng ◽

Ken Tan ◽

Shihao Dong ◽

James C. Nieh

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Elevated Temperature ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Arms Race ◽

Average Amount ◽

Vespa Velutina ◽

Bee Sting ◽

Large Ball

The heat ball defense of honey bees against their sympatric hornet predators is a classic and spectacular outcome of a co-evolutionary race. Hundreds of bees can encapsulate a hornet within a large ball that kills it with elevated heat. However, the role of stinging in this defense has been discounted, even though sting venom is an important weapon in bees. Surprisingly, no studies have tested the role of bee sting venom alone or in conjunction with elevated temperature on hornet survival. We surveyed dead Vespa velutina hornets found near and inside Apis cerana colonies and found stings retained in hornet bodies, most often in an intersegmental neck-like region, the veracervix. Experimentally stinging hornets in this region with A. cerana and Apis mellifera guards significantly increased hornet mortality. The combination of sting venom and elevated heat ball temperature (44 °C) was the most lethal, although there was no synergistic interaction between sting venom and temperature. As expected, hornet mortality increased when they were stung more often. The average amount of venom per insect species and the length of stinger lancets correlated with insect mass. Sting venom thus remains important in the arms race between bees and their hornet predators.

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A Review: Honey and Its Nutritional Composition

Asian Journal of Research in Biochemistry ◽

10.9734/ajrb/2020/v7i330142 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 34-43

Author(s):

Sabia Hasam ◽

Deana Qarizada ◽

Muzhda Azizi

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Health Effect ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Nutritional Composition ◽

Africanized Honey Bee ◽

Apis Andreniformis ◽

The World ◽

Apis Nigrocincta

Honey is one of the historical natural products produced by honey bees. Humans used it as medicine and protection against some infectious diseases, a honey quale is dependent in its classification of the honey bee. The most famous accomplished honey bees in the world are Africanized honey bee (Apis mellıfera .l), Western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera), Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana), Philippine honey bee (Apis nigrocincta), Koschevnikovs honey bee (A. koschevnikovi), Giant Honeybees (Apis dorsata), Dwarf Honeybees (Apis andreniformis). This study collected the health effect, quality and usage of honey in several industries; also argue about the nutritious value of honey that the most important parts are protein, carbohydrates, vitamin, and minerals. Honey is not only a nutrient it also plays a major role in many other products, uses of honey in cosmetics as a protective and softener of skin, it is used up to 22% in paste masks and mud packs (which are considered rinse-off formulations). Uses of honey in Ayurveda for prevention of irritation, cough, healthy teeth, gums, and boons. Production of honey has been compared in 2013 to 2018, in 2013 the world production of honey was 1,664 thousand tones with an increase of 1/3 in just two decades. China, where manufacturing amounted to 466.3 thousand tons, i.e. approximately 29% of the global volume of output, these are showing that China was the biggest producer of honey in the world but it gets a decrease in 2018 as well as Brazil, America, Russia, Ethiopia, and Iran. And it increases in Turkey, Argentine, India, Mexico, and Poland.

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