Apis mellifera

Amino acid composition of royal jelly harvested at different times after larval transfer

H. Jie, Li, P. M., Zhao, G. J., Feng, X. L., Zeng, D. J., Zhang, C. L., Lei, M. Y., Yu, M., Chen, Q., Jie, H., Li, P. M., Zhao, G. J., Feng, X. L., Zeng, D. J., Zhang, C. L., Lei, M. Y., Yu, M., and Chen, Q., Amino acid composition of royal jelly harvested at different times after larval transfer, vol. 15, p. -, 2016.

The amino acids in royal jelly (RJ) have a wide range of pharmacological and health-promoting functions in humans. Multiple studies on the amino acid quality and composition in RJ have investigated RJ harvested at 72 h after larval transfer. In contrast, the concentration of amino acids in RJ harvested before 72 h remains unknown. In this study, the concentration of free amino acids (FAAs) and total amino acids (TAAs) in RJ harvested at 13 time points between 24 and 72 h after transfer of ten Apis mellifera colonies were measured.

Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) have low infestation levels of the mite Varroa destructor in different ecological regions in Mexico

C. A. Medina-Flores, Guzmán-Novoa, E., Hamiduzzaman, M. M., Aréchiga-Flores, C. F., and López-Carlos, M. A., Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) have low infestation levels of the mite Varroa destructor in different ecological regions in Mexico, vol. 13, pp. 7282-7293, 2014.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies of African and European descent were compared for levels of Varroa destructor infestation in 3 different ecological regions in Mexico. The 300 colonies that were studied were located in subtropical, temperate sub-humid, and temperate dry climates. The morphotype and mitotype of adult bees as well as their rates of infestation by varroa mites were determined. Additionally, the number of combs with brood and covered with bees was recorded for each colony.

First report of sacbrood virus in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Brazil

M. Freiberg, De Jong, D., Message, D., and Cox-Foster, D., First report of sacbrood virus in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Brazil, vol. 11, pp. 3310-3314, 2012.

Sacbrood disease, an affliction of honey bees (Apis mellifera) characterized by brood that fails to pupate and subsequently dies, is an important threat to honey bee health. The disease is caused by the sacbrood virus (SBV), a positive-, single-stranded RNA virus in the order Picornavirales. Because of the economic importance of honey bees for both pollination and honey production, it is vital to understand and monitor the spread of viruses such as SBV.

Rapid method for DNA extraction from the honey bee Apis mellifera and the parasitic bee mite Varroa destructor using lysis buffer and proteinase K

M. R. C. Issa, Figueiredo, V. L. C., De Jong, D., Sakamoto, C. H., and Simões, Z. L. P., Rapid method for DNA extraction from the honey bee Apis mellifera and the parasitic bee mite Varroa destructor using lysis buffer and proteinase K, vol. 12, pp. 4846-4854, 2013.

We developed a rapid method for extraction of DNA from honey bees, Apis mellifera, and from the parasitic bee mite, Varroa destructor. The advantages include fast processing and low toxicity of the substances that are utilized. We used lysis buffer with nonionic detergents to lyse cell walls and proteinase K to digest proteins. We tested whole thorax, thoracic muscle mass, legs, and antennae from individual bees; the mites were processed whole (1 mite/sample).

Experimental evaluation of the reproductive quality of Africanized queen bees (Apis mellifera) on the basis of body weight at emergence

D. A. De Souza, Bezzera-Laure, M. A. F., Francoy, T. M., and Gonçalves, L. S., Experimental evaluation of the reproductive quality of Africanized queen bees (Apis mellifera) on the basis of body weight at emergence, vol. 12, pp. 5382-5391, 2013.

There has been much speculation about which phenotypic traits serve as reliable indicators of productivity in queen honeybees (Apis mellifera). To investigate the predictive value of queen body weight on colony development and quality, we compared colonies in which queens weighed less than 180 mg to those in which queens weighed more than 200 mg. Both groups contained naturally mated and instrumentally inseminated queens. Colonies were evaluated on the basis of performance quality, growth rate, and queen longevity.

Protein levels and colony development of Africanized and European honey bees fed natural and artificial diets

M. M. Morais, Turcatto, A. P., Pereira, R. A., Francoy, T. M., Guidugli-Lazzarini, K. R., Gonçalves, L. S., de Almeida, J. M. V., Ellis, J. D., and De Jong, D., Protein levels and colony development of Africanized and European honey bees fed natural and artificial diets, vol. 12, pp. 6915-6922, 2013.

Pollen substitute diets are a valuable resource for maintaining strong and health honey bee colonies. Specific diets may be useful in one region or country and inadequate or economically unviable in others. We compared two artificial protein diets that had been formulated from locally-available ingredients in Brazil with bee bread and a non-protein sucrose diet. Groups of 100 newly-emerged, adult workers of Africanized honey bees in Brazil and European honey bees in the USA were confined in small cages and fed on one of four diets for seven days.

Rearing Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brood under laboratory conditions

I. C. Silva, Message, D., Cruz, C. D., Campos, L. A. O., and Sousa-Majer, M. J., Rearing Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brood under laboratory conditions, vol. 8, pp. 623-629, 2009.

We developed a method for rearing larvae of Africanized bees under laboratory conditions to determine the amount of diet needed during larval development to obtain a worker bee. We started with larvae 18-24 h old, which were transferred to polyethylene cell cups and fed for five days. We found that the amount of diet needed for successful larval development was: 4, 15, 25, 50, and 70 μl during the first to fifth days, respectively.

Comparative study of the hygienic behavior of Carniolan and Africanized honey bees directed towards grouped versus isolated dead brood cells

K. P. Gramacho and Gonçalves, L. S., Comparative study of the hygienic behavior of Carniolan and Africanized honey bees directed towards grouped versus isolated dead brood cells, vol. 8, pp. 744-750, 2009.

In Apis mellifera, hygienic behavior involves recognition and removal of sick, damaged or dead brood from capped cells. We investigated whether bees react in the same way to grouped versus isolated damaged capped brood cells. Three colonies of wild-type Africanized honey bees and three colonies of Carniolan honey bees were used for this investigation. Capped worker brood cells aged 12 to 14 days old were perforated with the pin-killing method.

Africanized honey bees are efficient at detecting, uncapping and removing dead brood

M. M. Morais, Francoy, T. M., Pereira, R. A., De Jong, D., and Gonçalves, L. S., Africanized honey bees are efficient at detecting, uncapping and removing dead brood, vol. 8, pp. 718-724, 2009.

The hygienic behavior of honey bees is based on a two-step process, including uncapping and removing diseased, dead, damaged, or parasitized brood inside the cell. We evaluated during periods of 1 h the time that hygienic and non-hygienic colonies of Africanized honey bees spend to detect, uncap and remove pin-killed brood using comb inserts with transparent walls placed in observation hives. We observed that hygienic colonies are significantly faster in detecting, uncapping and removing dead brood in the cells (P 0.001).

Morphometric and genetic changes in a population of Apis mellifera after 34 years of Africanization

T. M. Francoy, Wittmann, D., Steinhage, V., Drauschke, M., Müller, S., Cunha, D. R., Nascimento, A. M., Figueiredo, V. L. C., Simões, Z. L. P., De Jong, D., Arias, M. C., and Gonçalves, L. S., Morphometric and genetic changes in a population of Apis mellifera after 34 years of Africanization, vol. 8, pp. 709-717, 2009.

Though the replacement of European bees by Africanized honey bees in tropical America has attracted considerable attention, little is known about the temporal changes in morphological and genetic characteristics in these bee populations. We examined the changes in the morphometric and genetic profiles of an Africanized honey bee population collected near where the original African swarms escaped, after 34 years of Africanization. Workers from colonies sampled in 1968 and in 2002 were morphometrically analyzed using relative warps analysis and an Automatic Bee Identification System (ABIS).

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