scholarly journals Combined effects of waggle dance communication and landscape heterogeneity on nectar and pollen uptake in honey bee colonies

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Nürnberger ◽  
Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter ◽  
Stephan Härtel
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Waggle Dance ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Pollen Foraging ◽  
Dance Communication

The instructive component of waggle dance communication has been shown to increase resource uptake of Apis mellifera colonies in highly heterogeneous resource environments, but an assessment of its relevance in temperate landscapes with different levels of resource heterogeneity is currently lacking. We hypothesized that the advertisement of resource locations via dance communication would be most relevant in highly heterogeneous landscapes with large spatial variation of floral resources. To test our hypothesis, we placed 24 Apis mellifera colonies with either disrupted or unimpaired instructive component of dance communication in eight Central European agricultural landscapes that differed in heterogeneity and resource availability. We monitored colony weight change and pollen harvest as measure of foraging success. Dance disruption did not significantly alter colony weight change, but decreased pollen harvest compared to the communicating colonies by 40%. There was no general effect of resource availability on nectar or pollen foraging success, but the effect of landscape heterogeneity on nectar uptake was stronger when resource availability was high. In contrast to our hypothesis, the effects of disrupted bee communication on nectar and pollen foraging success were not stronger in landscapes with heterogeneous compared to homogenous resource environments. Our results indicate that in temperate regions intra-colonial communication of resource locations benefits pollen foraging more than nectar foraging, irrespective of landscape heterogeneity. We conclude that the so far largely unexplored role of dance communication in pollen foraging requires further consideration as pollen is a crucial resource for colony development and health.

scholarly journals Parallel processing of olfactory and mechanosensory information in the honeybee antennal lobe.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ettore Tiraboschi ◽  
Luana Leonardelli ◽  
Gianluca Segata ◽  
Elisa Rigosi ◽  
Albrecht Haase
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Parallel Processing ◽  
Antennal Lobe ◽  
Waggle Dance ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Activation Pattern ◽  
Antennal Lobes ◽  
Dance Communication ◽  
Combinatorial Code

We report that airflow produces a complex activation pattern in the antennal lobes of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Glomerular response maps provide a stereotypical code for the intensity and the dynamics of mechanical stimuli that is superimposed on the olfactory code. We show responses to modulated stimuli suggesting that this combinatorial code could provide information about the intensity, direction, and dynamics of the airflow during flight and waggle dance communication.

Honey bee waggle dance communication increases diversity of pollen diets in intensively managed agricultural landscapes

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (15) ◽  
pp. 3602-3611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Nürnberger ◽  
Alexander Keller ◽  
Stephan Härtel ◽  
Ingolf Steffan‐Dewenter
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Waggle Dance ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Dance Communication ◽  
Intensively Managed

scholarly journals Adaptations during maturation in an identified honeybee interneuron responsive to waggle dance vibration signals

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajayrama Kumaraswamy ◽  
Hiroyuki Ai ◽  
Kazuki Kai ◽  
Hidetoshi Ikeno ◽  
Thomas Wachtler
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Firing Rate ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Sensory Integration ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Signal Propagation ◽  
Waggle Dance ◽  
Vibration Signals ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Dance Communication

AbstractHoneybees are social insects, and individual bees take on different social roles as they mature, performing a multitude of tasks that involve multi-modal sensory integration. Several activities vital for foraging, like flight and waggle dance communication, involve sensing air vibrations using antennae. We investigated changes in the identified vibration-sensitive interneuron DL-Int-1 in the honeybee Apis mellifera during maturation by comparing properties of neurons from newly emerged and forager honeybees. Comparison of morphological reconstructions of the neurons revealed minor changes in gross dendritic features and consistent, region dependent and spatially localized changes in dendritic density. Comparison of electrophysiological properties showed an increase in the firing rate differences between stimulus and non-stimulus periods in foragers compared to newly emerged adult bees. The observed differences in neurons of foragers as compared to newly emerged adult honeybees indicate refined connectivity, improved signal propagation, and enhancement of response features important for the network processing of air vibration signals relevant for the waggle-dance communication of honeybees.

scholarly journals FLORAL BIOLOGY AND BEEKEEPING POTENTIAL OF Croton heliotropiifolius KUNTH (EUPHORBIACEAE) AT SEMI ARID REGION, BRAZIL1

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-903
Author(s):  
VANDERLEI DA SILVA OLIVEIRA ◽  
JOSÉ MONTEIRO DO NASCIMENTO JÚNIOR ◽  
RICARDO LANDIM BORMANN DE BORGES ◽  
LUCIENE CRISTINA LIMA E LIMA
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Flower Production ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Semi Arid

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to determine the beekeeping potential of Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth (Euphorbiaceae) based on flowering strategy, floral characteristics, available floral resources, and the individuals frequencies and foraging activities of Apis mellifera L. on its flowers in Fazenda Ingazeira, Brazil. Each C. heliotropiifolius plant possessed inconspicuous diclinous flowers clustered into 560 ± 60 dense terminal inflorescences containing 59 ± 12 pistillate and 160 ± 26 staminate flowers. Although both types of flowers produced nectar (pistillate: 2.8 ± 0.8 μL ; staminate: 0.3 ± 0.06 μL ), A. mellifera workers mostly visited staminate flowers (98%) during the peak visitation period (08:00-11:00 h). Moreover, during the foraging period, each plant produced approximately 5.376 × 10 8 pollen grains, ensuring approximately 33 visitation cycles from a colony of A mellifera workers that picked up an average of 405 pollen grains per visit per flower. Further, C. heliotropiifolius showed an annual cornucopia flowering strategy with high flower production for five months, which is an important characteristic that ensures floral resource availability in the environment. These findings suggest that C. heliotropiifolius has a great potential for apiculture in this region.

scholarly journals Contribution of Extensive Farming Practices to the Supply of Floral Resources for Pollinators

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alban Langlois ◽  
Anne-Laure Jacquemart ◽  
Julien Piqueray
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Pollinator Decline ◽  
Flower Density ◽  
Extensive Farming ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Intensification of agricultural practices leads to a loss of floral resources and drives pollinator decline. Extensive agricultural practices are encouraged in Europe and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity. We compared three agricultural landscapes without extensive farming practices with three adjacent landscapes containing organic crops and extensively managed grasslands in Belgium. Nectar resource availability and plant–pollinator interactions were monitored from April to June. Flower density per plant species and plant–pollinator interactions were recorded in different landscape elements. In April, the main nectar resources were provided by linear elements such as hedgerows and forest edges. Nectar production peaked in May, driven by intensive grasslands and mass-flowering crops. Occurrence of extensive grasslands and organic crops significantly alleviated the nectar resource gap observed in June. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining landscape heterogeneity for continuous flower resources and highlight the specific role of extensive grasslands and organic crops in June.

scholarly journals Ecological Connectivity in Agricultural Green Infrastructure:  Suggested Criteria for Fine Scale Assessment and Planning

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 807
Author(s):  
Simone Valeri ◽  
Laura Zavattero ◽  
Giulia Capotorti
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Spatial Pattern Analysis ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Unique Type

In promoting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service capacity, landscape connectivity is considered a critical feature to counteract the negative effects of fragmentation. Under a Green Infrastructure (GI) perspective, this is especially true in rural and peri-urban areas where a high degree of connectivity may be associated with the enhancement of agriculture multifunctionality and sustainability. With respect to GI planning and connectivity assessment, the role of dispersal traits of tree species is gaining increasing attention. However, little evidence is available on how to select plant species to be primarily favored, as well as on the role of landscape heterogeneity and habitat quality in driving the dispersal success. The present work is aimed at suggesting a methodological approach for addressing these knowledge gaps, at fine scales and for peri-urban agricultural landscapes, by means of a case study in the Metropolitan City of Rome. The study area was stratified into Environmental Units, each supporting a unique type of Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV), and a multi-step procedure was designed for setting priorities aimed at enhancing connectivity. First, GI components were defined based on the selection of the target species to be supported, on a fine scale land cover mapping and on the assessment of land cover type naturalness. Second, the study area was characterized by a Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) and connectivity was assessed by Number of Components (NC) and functional connectivity metrics. Third, conservation and restoration measures have been prioritized and statistically validated. Notwithstanding the recognized limits, the approach proved to be functional in the considered context and at the adopted level of detail. Therefore, it could give useful methodological hints for the requalification of transitional urban–rural areas and for the achievement of related sustainable development goals in metropolitan regions.

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