EJPAU 2005. Borsuk G. , Paleolog J. GENOTYPIC WITHIN-COLONY INTERACTIONS AND THE COLONY DEFENSE IN <I>APIS MELLIFERA</I>

Electronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities (EJPAU) founded by all Polish Agriculture Universities presents original papers and review articles relevant to all aspects of agricultural sciences. It is target for persons working both in science and industry,regulatory agencies or teaching in agricultural sector. Covered by IFIS Publishing (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), ELSEVIER Science - Food Science and Technology Program, CAS USA (Chemical Abstracts), CABI Publishing UK and ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publisher - full membership). Presented in the Master List of Thomson ISI.

2005
Volume 8
Issue 3

Topic:

Biology

ELECTRONIC
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES

Borsuk G. , Paleolog J. 2005. GENOTYPIC WITHIN-COLONY INTERACTIONS AND THE COLONY DEFENSE IN APIS MELLIFERA, EJPAU 8(3), #04.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume8/issue3/abs-04.html

GENOTYPIC WITHIN-COLONY INTERACTIONS AND THE COLONY DEFENSE IN APIS MELLIFERA

Grzegorz Borsuk, Jerzy Paleolog
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Agricultural University in Lublin, Poland

ABSTRACT

The authors studied how genotypic variability within colonies affects their defensive response. Different genetic types of bees were used in the experiments. The influence of the artificially generated within-colony genotypic diversity on the colony defence was investigated. Common stinging assays were performed. Time to the first sting was (TFS) and the number of stings made to the leather target within 2 minutes (NS) were recorded. The contribution of both defensive and gentle workers in the defensive response of the colonies being a physical mix of two such worker types was also studied (film analysis of the bees attacking the target). It was concluded that the within-colony, inter-worker genotypic interactions influenced the colony defense response due to the fact that the quantified value of the colony was usually not the additive composite of diverse worker groups of which the colony was composed. Moreover, the inter-worker interactions were dependent both on the quantified characteristics, which were different for TFS and NS, and on the types of the combined bees. The film analysis revealed that the contribution of defensive/gentle bees to the colony defense only partly reflect the defensive : gentle worker ratio in the colonies composed of such worker types. The contribution also depended on the types of mixed workers.

Key words: Honeybee, defensive behaviour, genotypic-interactions, mixed-colony, sociobiology.

Grzegorz Borsuk
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production,
Agricultural University in Lublin, Poland
Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Phone: +48-81-4456620

Jerzy Paleolog
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production,
Agricultural University in Lublin, Poland
Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Phone: +48-81-4456620
email: Palel@ursus.ar.lublin.pl

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