scholarly journals Review on Sublethal Effects of Environmental Contaminants in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Knowledge Gaps and Future Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Di Noi ◽  
Silvia Casini ◽  
Tommaso Campani ◽  
Giampiero Cai ◽  
Ilaria Caliani
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Anthropogenic Contamination ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The Impact

Honey bees and the pollination services they provide are fundamental for agriculture and biodiversity. Agrochemical products and other classes of contaminants, such as trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, contribute to the general decline of bees’ populations. For this reason, effects, and particularly sublethal effects of contaminants need to be investigated. We conducted a review of the existing literature regarding the type of effects evaluated in Apis mellifera, collecting information about regions, methodological approaches, the type of contaminants, and honey bees’ life stages. Europe and North America are the regions in which A. mellifera biological responses were mostly studied and the most investigated compounds are insecticides. A. mellifera was studied more in the laboratory than in field conditions. Through the observation of the different responses examined, we found that there were several knowledge gaps that should be addressed, particularly within enzymatic and molecular responses, such as those regarding the immune system and genotoxicity. The importance of developing an integrated approach that combines responses at different levels, from molecular to organism and population, needs to be highlighted in order to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic contamination on this pollinator species.

Sequential generations of honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens produced using cryopreserved semen

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon K. Hopkins ◽  
Charles Herr ◽  
Walter S. Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Instrumental Insemination ◽  
Diploid Female ◽  
Frozen Semen

Much of the world’s food production is dependent on honey bees for pollination, and expanding food production will further increase the demand for managed pollination services. Apiculturists outside the native range of the honey bee, in the Americas, Australia and eastern Asia, have used only a few of the 27 described subspecies of honey bees (Apis mellifera) for beekeeping purposes. Within the endemic ranges of a particular subspecies, hybridisation can threaten native subspecies when local beekeepers import and propagate non-native honey bees. For many threatened species, cryopreserved germplasm can provide a resource for the preservation of diversity and recovery of endangered populations. However, although instrumental insemination of queen honey bees is well established, the absence of an effective means to cryopreserve honey bee semen has limited the success of efforts to preserve genetic diversity within the species or to develop repositories of honey bee germplasm for breeding purposes. Herein we report that some queens inseminated with cryopreserved semen were capable of producing a substantial number of fertilised offspring. These diploid female larvae were used to produce two additional sequential generations of new queens, which were then back-crossed to the same stock of frozen semen. Our results demonstrate the ability to produce queens using cryopreserved honey bee spermatozoa and the potential for the establishment of a honey bee genetic repository.

scholarly journals Toxicity Evaluation of Selected Plant Water Extracts on a Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Larvae Model

Animals ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Roksana Kruszakin ◽  
Paweł Migdal
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Larval Rearing ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
Chelidonium Majus ◽  
Freeze Dried ◽  
Study Laboratory ◽  
The Impact

So far, larval rearing in vitro has been an important method in the assessment of bee toxicology, particularly in pesticide risk assessment. However, natural products are increasingly used to control honey bee pathogens or to enhance bee immunity, but their effects on honey bee larvae are mostly unknown. In this study, laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of including selected aqueous plant infusions in the diet of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) larvae in vitro. The toxicity of infusions from three different plant species considered to be medicinal plants was evaluated: tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.), and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.). The impact of each on the survival of the larvae of honey bees was also evaluated. One-day-old larvae were fed a basal diet consisting of distilled water, sugars (glucose and fructose), yeast extract, and freeze-dried royal jelly or test diets in which distilled water was replaced by plant infusions. The proportion of the diet components was adjusted to the age of the larvae. The larvae were fed twice a day. The experiment lasted seven days. Significant statistical differences in survival rates were found between groups of larvae (exposed or not to the infusions of tansy, greater celandine, and coriander). A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the survival rate was observed in the group with the addition of a coriander herb infusion compared to the control. These results indicate that plant extracts intended to be used in beekeeping should be tested on all development stages of honey bees.

scholarly journals Feral and managed honey bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), in southern California have similar levels of viral pathogens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C Geffre ◽  
Dillon Travis ◽  
Joshua Kohn ◽  
James Nieh
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Viral Pathogens ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Queen Cell

Bees provide critical pollination services but are threatened by multiple stressors, including viral pathogens. Most studies of pollinator health focus on managed honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) (MHB) or native bee species, but a third player, the feral honey bee (FHB), requires further study. Spillover and spillback of viral pathogens between these managed, feral, and native bees is generating increasing interest. In this case study, we provide evidence suggesting that FHB colonies play an important role in viral pathogen dynamics of southern California pollinator communities because they act as reservoirs, of viral pathogens such as acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and deformed wing virus (DWV). Surprisingly, even though FHB are not treated for diseases or parasites, they harbor similar pathogen loads to MHB, which are usually highly treated, suggesting the need for future studies to determine if FHB resist or are more resilient to viruses.

scholarly journals Characterizing the Impact of Commercial Pollen Substitute Diets on the Level of Nosema spp. in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e0132014 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Fleming ◽  
Daniel R. Schmehl ◽  
James D. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Field-Level Sublethal Effects of Approved Bee Hive Chemicals on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e76536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Berry ◽  
W. Michael Hood ◽  
Stéphane Pietravalle ◽  
Keith S. Delaplane
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Field Level

scholarly journals On the Importance of the Sound Emitted by Honey Bee Hives

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Alessandro Terenzi ◽  
Stefania Cecchi ◽  
Susanna Spinsante
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Acquisition System ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Sound Analysis

Recent years have seen a worsening in the decline of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. This phenomenon has sparked a great amount of attention regarding the need for intense bee hive monitoring, in order to identify possible causes, and design corresponding countermeasures. Honey bees have a key role in pollination services of both cultivated and spontaneous flora, and the increase in bee mortality could lead to an ecological and economical damage. Despite many smart monitoring systems for honey bees and bee hives, relying on different sensors and measured quantities, have been proposed over the years, the most promising ones are based on sound analysis. Sounds are used by the bees to communicate within the hive, and their analysis can reveal useful information to understand the colony health status and to detect sudden variations, just by using a simple microphone and an acquisition system. The work here presented aims to provide a review of the most interesting approaches proposed over the years for honey bees sound analysis and the type of knowledge about bees that can be extracted from sounds.

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