scholarly journals Discovery and molecular characterisation of the first ambidensovirus in honey bees

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
Sabina OTT RUTAR ◽  
Dušan KORDIŠ

Honey bees play a critical role in global food production as pollinators of numerous crops. Several stressors cause declines in populations of managed and wild bee species, such as habitat degradation, pesticide exposure and pathogens. Viruses act as key stressors and can infect a wide range of species. The majority of honey bee-infecting viruses are RNA viruses of the Picornavirales order. Although some ssDNA viruses are common in insects, such as densoviruses, they have not yet been found in honey bees. Densoviruses were however found in bumblebees and ants. Here, we show that densoviruses are indeed present in the transcriptome of the eastern honey bee (<em>Apis cerana</em>) from southern China. On the basis of non-structural and structural transcripts, we inferred the genome structure of the Apis densovirus. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that this novel Apis densovirus belongs to the <em>Scindoambidensovirus</em> genus in the Densovirinae subfamily. Apis densovirus possesses ambisense genome organisation and encodes three non-structural proteins and a split VP (capsid) protein. The availability of a nearly complete Apis densovirus genome may enable the analysis of its potential pathogenic impact on honey bees. Our findings can thus guide further research into the densoviruses in honey bees and bumblebees.

1998 ◽  
Vol 01 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 267-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Anderson

Honey bee nectar foragers returning to the hive experience a delay as they search for a receiver bee to whom they transfer their material. In this paper I describe the simulation of the "threshold rule" (Seeley, 1995) which relates the magnitude of this search delay to the probability of performing a recriutment dance — waggle dance, tremble dance, or no dance. Results show that this rule leads to self-organised near-optimal worker allocation in a fluctuating environment, is extremely robust, and operates over a wide range of parameter values. The reason for the robustness appears to be the particular sytem of feedbacks that operate within the system.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 29-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khum Narayan Paudayal ◽  
Ishan Gautam

Pollen analysis of 8 multifloral honey samples collected from 4 locations of Godavari, Lalitpur district, Nepal was performed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). In this investigation, a wide range of foraging plant sources for Apis cerana honey bees was identified which demonstrates the adequate potential for expanding and sustaining beekeeping in this area. The palynological assemblage of a total of 44 species of pollen flora representing 28 families was identified to the generic and some up to species level. Some of the pollen grains identified to only families, belong to Acanthaceae, Apiaceae, Araliaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Lamiaceae, Loranthaceae, Meliaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, Rutaceae and Pteridaceae. The pollen assemblages in honeys were mostly belonging to angiosperms while the gymnosperm pollen was completely absent. One pteridophyte spore belonging to family Pteridaceae recovered. In this paper the morphology of the pollen grains based on SEM observation are described and the importance of the systematic documentation of various bee flora are discussed.J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Vol. 26, 2012: 29-67


Author(s):  
Laura A. Wolter ◽  
Shota Suenami ◽  
Ryo Miyazaki

The gut of honey bees is characterized by a stable and relatively simple community of bacteria, consisting of seven to ten phylotypes. Two closely related honey bees, Apis mellifera (western honey bee) and Apis cerana (eastern honey bee), show a largely comparable occurrence of those phylotypes, but a distinct set of bacterial species and strains within each bee species. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of Ac13T, a new species within the rare proteobacterial genus Frischella from A. cerana japonica Fabricius. Description of Ac13T as a new species is supported by low identity of the 16S rRNA gene sequence (97.2 %), of the average nucleotide identity based on orthologous genes (77.5 %) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness (24.7 %) to the next but far related type strain Frischella perrara PEB0191T, isolated from A. mellifera. Cells of Ac13T are mesophilic and have a mean length of 2–4 µm and a width of 0.5 µm. Optimal growth was achieved in anoxic conditions, whereas growth was not observed in oxic conditions and strongly reduced in microaerophilic environment. Strain Ac13T shares several features with other members of the Orbaceae , such as the major fatty acid profile, the respiratory quinone type and relatively low DNA G+C content, in accordance with its evolutionary relationship. Unlike F. perrara , strain Ac13T is susceptible to a broad range of antibiotics, which could be indicative for an antibiotic-free A. cerana bee keeping. In conclusion, we propose strain Ac13T as a novel species for which we propose the name Frischella japonica sp. nov. with the type strain Ac13T (=NCIMB 15259=JCM 34075).


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 147-156
Author(s):  
Joice J.I. Rompas ◽  
Betsy Agustina Naomi Pinaria ◽  
Ventje V. Memah

This study aims to: 1). Knowing the development of Apis Cerana Honey BeesF.with extractor engine innovation 2). Control of pests that attack honey bees 3). Obtain products from honeybeesApis Cerana F.produced 4). Predict to what extent the quantity and quality of royal jelly products Apis cerana F.produced in the development of beekeeping in North Sulawesi, especially Kumelembuai Village, South Minahasa Regency. This research is expected to develop beekeeping in North Sulawesi, specifically the local bee Apis cerana in Kumelembuai Village. The benefits obtained from beekeeping development activities include increasing the income and nutritional quality of the community from beekeeping products such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis, bee venom. Conservation of natural resources, honey bees play an important role in helping the process of pollinating plants, in addition to beekeeping activities can also increase public awareness to participate in conservation efforts. North Sulawesi, especially in the village of Kumelembuai, can be developed using the methodqueen rearing best because it has bright prospects for cultivation in North Sulawesi. Honey bee cultivation is very profitable, in addition to increasing agricultural production (crop yields) and producing products from beesApis cerana namely honey, royal jelly, tepung sari, propolis, wax, bee venom which can all be utilized for human welfare. A number of studies have been carried out by various parties who feel an interest in the development of beekeeping, but the research conducted is still partial and limited to one or two environmental components, not integrated yet. It is hoped that this research can produce the best methods for developing beekeeping in the North Sulawesi kumelembu village. The research location will be conducted in the village of Kumelembuai, South Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi. Laboratory analysis is focused on the content of royal jelly products produced by honey bees Apis cerana F. Based on the results of data analysis and discussion in this study are as follows. 1. Research of the four methods namely Supersedure, Emergency cell, Miller and Doolittle produce superior methods, namely the method Emergency cell. 2. In the methodemergency cell artificial feeds provide queen cell formation and productionroyal jelly with a composition of 100 grams of sugar and 200 grams of water both cane sugar and palm sugar are higher than other treatments, although not significantly different. 3. Artificial feed with a composition of 200 grams of cane sugar and 200 grams of water gives a good effect on the fat content of royal jelly Apis cerana in the method emergency cell. 4. Product of royal jelly as a result of panelist evaluationin this study showed that the preferred odor was not pungent, slightly acidic and sticky taste on the tongue and the white color of the product of royal jelly honey bee Apis cerana


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-228
Author(s):  
P V Rami Reddy

Decline in honey bee populations has become a matter of concern and their conservation is very essential to sustain essential ecosystem services. They provide making available continuous supply of floral resources is of immense value in conserving honey bees. The effectiveness of an ornamental creeper, Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn as a sustainable bee forage plant was evaluated. It attracts four major native species of honey bees viz., Apis cerana, A. florea, A. dorsata and Tetragonula iridipennis. The wild little bee, A. florea was the most dominant forager followed by the Indian bee, A. cerana. The plant is amenable for easy multiplication through seeds as well as cuttings and meets both aesthetic and ecological needs. Using Antigonon, different studies related to honey bees like assessing species diversity, foraging behaviour, temperature driven shifts etc. can be carried out. Popularising perennial bee flora like Antigonon would help in conserving honey bees in both natural and urban habitats. Since Antigonon attracts all species of honey bees throughout the year, it could be utilized as a potential bioindicator of honey bee populations in a given environment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Zhou ◽  
H. Lin ◽  
X.-L. Fan ◽  
J.-Y. Gao

Reproductive biology of saprophytic plants has been poorly studied. Epipogium roseum (D.Don) Lindl. is a small saprophytic orchid that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia, Australia and Africa. The floral biology and insect visitation of E. roseum were studied in Xishuangbanna, south Yunnan Province, China. E. roseum possesses an obligate self-pollination system, in which the degenerative rostellum has lost its function as a physical barrier separating the stigma and stamens (pollinia), allowing contact between the stigmatic secretions and the pollinia during bud development. Flowers of E. roseum usually open and successfully attract insect visitors. The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana cerana) was the only visitor observed, and regularly visited flowers of E. roseum for nectar. However, these bees did not carry pollinia away after visiting the flowers due to the absence of a viscid disk in E. roseum; the results of experiments also indicated that the Asian honey bee does not contribute to fruit set in E. roseum. The visiting frequency of Asian honey bees to flowers of E. roseum varied both spatially and temporally. E. roseum does not undergo outcrossing mediated by insects and is adapted to obligate self-pollination. We suggest that this may have evolved because of the uncertainty of pollinator services associated with its saprophytic lifestyle. Our current studies do not support the hypothesis that obligate autogamy is favoured by myco-heterotrophic plants due to resource limitations.


Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shakeel ◽  
Hussain Ali ◽  
Sajjad Ahmad

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.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Ropars ◽  
Isabelle Dajoz ◽  
Colin Fontaine ◽  
Audrey Muratet ◽  
Benoît Geslin

AbstractAs pollinator decline is increasingly reported in natural and agricultural environments, cities are perceived as shelters for pollinators because of low pesticide exposure and high floral diversity throughout the year. This has led to the development of environmental policies supporting pollinators in urban areas. However, policies are often restricted to the promotion of honey bee colony installations, which resulted in a strong increase in apiary numbers in cities. Recently, competition for floral resources between wild pollinators and honey bees has been highlighted in semi-natural contexts, but whether urban beekeeping could impact wild pollinators remains unknown. Here, we show that in the city of Paris (France), wild pollinator visitation rates is negatively correlated to honey bee colony densities present in the surrounding (500m – slope = −0.614; p = 0.001 – and 1000m – slope = −0.489; p = 0.005). More particularly, large solitary bees and beetles were significantly affected at 500m (respectively slope = −0.425, p = 0.007 and slope = - 0.671, p = 0.002) and bumblebees were significantly affected at 1000m (slope = - 0.451, p = 0.012). Further, lower interaction evenness in plant-pollinator networks was observed with honey bee colony densities within 1000 meter buffers (slope = −0.487, p = 0.008). Finally, honey bees tended to focus their foraging activity on managed rather than spontaneous plant species (student t-test, p = 0.001) whereas wild pollinators equally visited managed and spontaneous species. We advocate responsible practices mitigating the introduction of high density of hives in urban environments. Future studies are needed to deepen our knowledge about the potential negative interactions between wild and domesticated pollinators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 886 (1) ◽  
pp. 012111
Author(s):  
Hikmah ◽  
M Daud ◽  
Andi ◽  
Baharuddin

Abstract This study aims to determine the characteristics of nesting habitat, harvesting techniques, and honey production of Asiatic honey bee (Apis cerana) in the protected forest in Enrekang Regency, Indonesia. Data was collected in the form of primary and secondary data. Data is collected by observation, survey, and literature study then analyzed by descriptive statistical methods. The results showed that the Asiatic honey bee hunting technique by local communities in the protected forest in Enrekang Regency was carried out traditionally during the flowering season, especially in September and October. Asiatic honey bees nest in stone cavities or cracked stones around flowering plants in elevation 976.9-1.085.1 masl. Depth of stone cavities nest ranges between 40-70 cm, height ranges between 20-60 cm, width ranges between 60-100 m, temperature and humidity in stone cavities nest vary between 23-26,9 °C and 70-87%, respectively. The average weight of honeycomb is 1.137,5 g produces an average honey 250.58 g, beeswax 250.58 g, bee bread 169.17 g, and bee brood (eggs, larvae, pupa) 105.42 g. Honey bee yields average is 17.20%, bee wax 60.05%, bee bread 13.97%, and bee brood (larvae, eggs, and pupae) 8.78%.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A.Y. Oddie ◽  
Bjørn Dahle ◽  
Peter Neumann

Background Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control. However, at least three populations of European honey bees have developed this ability by means of natural selection and have been surviving for >10 years without mite treatments. Reduced mite reproductive success has been suggested as a key factor explaining this natural survival. Here, we report a managed A. mellifera population in Norway, that has been naturally surviving consistent V. destructor infestations for >17 years. Methods Surviving colonies and local susceptible controls were evaluated for mite infestation levels, mite reproductive success and two potential mechanisms explaining colony survival: grooming of adult worker bees and Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH): adult workers specifically detecting and removing mite-infested brood. Results Mite infestation levels were significantly lower in surviving colonies and mite reproductive success was reduced by 30% when compared to the controls. No significant differences were found between surviving and control colonies for either grooming or VSH. Discussion Our data confirm that reduced mite reproductive success seems to be a key factor for natural survival of infested A. mellifera colonies. However, neither grooming nor VSH seem to explain colony survival. Instead, other behaviors of the adult bees seem to be sufficient to hinder mite reproductive success, because brood for this experiment was taken from susceptible donor colonies only. To mitigate the global impact of V. destructor, we suggest learning more from nature, i.e., identifying the obviously efficient mechanisms favored by natural selection.


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