Parasitic Cape honey bee workers ( Apis mellifera capensis ) are not given differential treatment by African guards ( A. m. scutellata ) (original) (raw)
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Apidologie, 2002
Thelytokous Apis mellifera capensis workers recently brought into regions occupied by the arrkenotokous African bee A. m. scutellata, parasitise these colonies, causing colony death. These capensis workers are genetically almost identical and are referred to as a 'pseudo-clone'. We surveyed 120 scutellata colonies, 27 in detail, at various stages of usurpation by the pseudo-clone. The scutellata queen could co-exist with egg-laying pseudo-clones for 50+ days in one case but disappeared 1-15 days in three other cases. Despite the presence of emerged queen cells no new adult queens of either race were observed in usurped colonies. Only 11 ± 13% of the pseudo-clone population had fully active ovaries, suggesting ovarian development is inhibited in the majority of the pseudo-clones. Only 2.7 ± 1.7% of the foraging force were pseudo-clones. The data were modelled and showed the rapid (56-105 days) growth of the pseudo-clone population and colony death over a wide range of initial conditions.
Apidologie, 2006
A single clonal lineage of socially parasitic Cape honeybee workers, Apis mellifera capensis, has caused dramatic losses in managed populations of A. m. scutellata, raising concerns that wild populations might also be affected. We surveyed A. m. scutellata swarms at 27 localities in beekeeping areas (N = 87) and in nature reserves (N = 79). While eleven swarms were infested in beekeeping areas, we found no infestations in nature reserves. Eight swarms had no symptoms except workers with black tergites. However, DNA data revealed that these workers are not parasitic, showing that diagnoses based on tergite colour alone yield false positive results. Nevertheless, it is practical because we had no false negative diagnoses either. Nature reserves may be important refuges to protect wild A. m. scutellata populations against imported honeybees.
International Journal of Entomological Research, 2014
Diseases, parasites and pests are problems of honey bee colonies in all parts of Nigeria with no protracted effort by beekeepers at improving colony hygiene for their domesticated bee colonies to curb the menace. Hygienic behavior is a genetic trait which has been a key assessment of general resistance of honey bees to diseases and parasites. Worker bees in healthy colonies detect, uncap and remove infected brood to reduce the spread of diseases. Forty two colonies of honey bees were selected in Ogun and Osun States and pathological tests were conducted to ascertain the presence and level of infection of the colonies with some diseases pathogens and Varroa mites that impact on the brood by killing it. Colonies were grouped into two categories: healthy colonies (HC) when they are free of parasites and brood diseases and infected colonies (IC) when they show the presence of parasites and brood diseases. Hygienic test was carried out using pin to kill some brood in both HC and IC, the numbers of dead broods uncapped and removed within 24 and 48hours were noted. Parasitic mite infestations were detected in 54.9 ± 5.91% (Mean ± S.D) of the colonies, 66.34 ± 6.16% (Mean ± S.D) of the colonies were having chalkbrood infections and there were no records of American and European foulbrood diseases.. Pin-killed brood assay revealed removal of dead brood within 24 and 48 hours, there is no significant difference observed between the rate of uncapping and removal of the dead brood in both IC and HC (t-critical = 1.782, and t-calc = 0.85, df = 12 and p = 0.05) The mean of dead brood uncapped and removed by the worker honey bees in IC is significantly greater than in the HC (t-critical =-1.782, and t-calc = 25.75df = 12 and P = 0.05). In Apis mellifera adansonii, uncapping and removal of dead brood in hygienic colonies is a mechanism of resistance and in infected colonies in addition to resistance, it reduces the spread of diseases and parasitic infections.