中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂夏季高温下为长季节栽培设施西瓜授粉行为观察

应用中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂为设施西瓜授粉,对其高温条件下的授粉行为进行对比观察。结果表明:两种蜜蜂的授粉行为相似,但在访花时间、访花间隔、访花频率和采集专一性等行为上存在差异。中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂的棚内活动时间分别为5.54 h和5.50 h,与西瓜开花时间基本重合;意大利蜜蜂的单花访花时间3.03±0.17 s比中华蜜蜂的访花时间2.66±0.15 s长,而访花间隔3.22±0.24 s显著低于中华蜜蜂的4.07±0.30 s,访花频率9.53±0.38朵/min显著高于中华蜜蜂的8.09±0.29朵/min。中华蜜蜂在5∶00-7∶00、7∶00-9∶00、9∶00-11∶00采集花粉中西瓜花粉的比例分别为11.03%、13.31%和12.62%,意大利蜜蜂在相应时间段采集花粉中西瓜花粉的比例分别为54.31%、55.97%和32.32%,差异显著。本研究认为中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂都能高效地完成设施西瓜的授粉任务,而且意大利蜜蜂在西瓜授粉上更具优势。     

云南中华蜜蜂与意大利蜜蜂的蜂蜜孢粉学和营养生态位

2010-2011年分别在云南昆明和蒙自地区采集中华蜜蜂与意大利蜜蜂的蜂蜜样品,进行蜂蜜孢粉学与营养生态位分析.结果表明:中华蜜蜂蜂蜜绝对花粉浓度为1.55万个·g-1,显著高于意大利蜜蜂(1.01万个·g-1).中华蜜蜂采集的蜜源植物种类为12.9个,显著多于意大利蜜蜂(7.7个).说明意大利蜜蜂对蜜源植物的选择性更强,中华蜜蜂则能利用更多的蜜源植物资源.中华蜜蜂的营养生态位宽度为0.35,显著大于意大利蜜蜂(0.23).中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂之间的营养生态位重叠度为0.71,种间竞争系数为0.93,表明2种蜜蜂对食物资源的竞争激烈.     

中华蜜蜂与意大利蜜蜂蜂王体表信息素含量比较

【目的】分析中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana与意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica蜂王不同时期的体表信息素含量变化,探索两蜂种之间蜂王交尾干扰机理。【方法】本试验通过GC-MS检测并分析了中华蜜蜂蜂王和意大利蜜蜂蜂王刚出房、性成熟时期以及婚飞过程中体表信息素含量变化。【结果】研究结果表明:中华蜜蜂性成熟蜂王在飞行过程中,其体表9-ODA含量显著高于刚出房蜂王,9-HDA显著高于刚出房蜂王和性成熟蜂王;意大利蜜蜂飞行蜂王在9-ODA含量也显著高于刚出房蜂王。另外,意大利蜜蜂性成熟期蜂王在9-ODA、9-HDA、10-HDA含量显著高于中华蜜蜂蜂王,而两蜂种蜂王体表信息素在婚飞时期差异不显著。【结论】同种蜂王不同发育时期,其体表信息素含量存在差异;中华蜜蜂蜂王与意大利蜂王在婚飞过程中,其体表信息素差异不显著,但部分体表信息素在性成熟而未进行婚飞时差异显著。     

安徽两种蜜蜂种群的春季繁殖及数量动态特征

1997～ 1999年在皖中和皖西、皖南山区对意大利蜜蜂 (ApismelliferaLigusticaSpi.)和中华蜜蜂(ApisceranaceranaFeb .)种群数量动态进行系统观察研究 .结果表明 ,蜜蜂种群数量明显受气候和蜜粉源植物的影响 ,周年呈现“两高”(春、秋 )和两低 (夏、冬 )的变化模式曲线 ;意大利蜜蜂春繁及秋季更新速度明显快于中华蜜蜂 ,但越夏效果不及中华蜜蜂 .意大利蜜蜂的性比值为 (314.4± 2 89.9)∶1～ (32 9.4± 30 5 .8)∶1,中华蜜蜂为 (334.2± 2 35 .5 )∶1～ (413 .1± 377.2 )∶1,雄蜂呈季节性出现 .蜜蜂种群内年龄组配在不断变化 .     

城市园林对本土传粉者中华蜜蜂的保护作用

【目的】蜜蜂等传粉昆虫是生态系统的关键种,其种群下降趋势是目前全球关注的热点问题,探讨传粉昆虫现状和保护途径具有重要实践意义。【方法】对四川地区城市园林里中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana进行调查,记录其拜访行为、蜜粉源植物和营巢生境特征,并观察主要植物的其他访花昆虫。【结果】城市园林中有大量开花植物,花期持续时间长,是蜜蜂可利用的食物资源;中华蜜蜂在城市中广泛活动,所调查城市都观测到采集蜂进行有效采集,在冬季中华蜜蜂蜂群也能正常活动;城市中其他访花昆虫以鳞翅目和双翅目为主,蝴蝶等会竞争食物资源,行为分析认为蜜蜂具有竞争优势;部分人工绿地和半自然生境可成为中华蜜蜂的营巢地。【结论】城市园林可为中华蜜蜂提供适宜的生存环境,建议改善城市景观和园林管理以更好地发挥园林生境的保护作用。     

温度对中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂个体主要抗寒生理指标的影响

【目的】为了探究中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana和意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica个体耐寒性差异的生理机制。【方法】本试验分别对20日龄的中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂工蜂进行0、10、25℃持续4 h的温度处理,随后测定不同温度处理后两蜂种体内葡萄糖、甘油和氨基酸的含量。【结果】低温状态下中华蜜蜂体内葡萄糖含量显著降低,意大利蜜蜂在0℃组显著下降却在10℃组显著上升;中华蜜蜂体内甘油在低温环境下显著积累,意大利蜜蜂体内甘油水平在10℃时显著的上调却在0℃组无显著变化;中华蜜蜂体内17种氨基酸在各温度处理间显著变化,且多数的氨基酸含量表现出10℃组降低而0℃组积累的趋势,意大利蜜蜂体内只有15种氨基酸参与机体的抗寒机制,其中多数的氨基酸表现为低温环境下大量积累,仅有亮氨酸和精氨酸表现为低温时被转化消耗的现象。【结论】低温条件下可引起两蜂种体内葡萄糖、甘油和氨基酸含量的显著变化,初步推测蜜蜂体内可能存在"葡萄糖-甘油-氨基酸"的抗寒物质系统,但两蜂种在不同程度的低温处理后各生理指标的变化存在较大的差异,从一定程度上阐释两蜂种抗寒性的差异。本研究为蜜蜂个体抗寒生理机制的进一步研究提供基础数据,同时为蜜蜂抗寒新品系的选育提供理论依据。     

2种蜜蜂和3种胡蜂蜂毒前肥大细胞脱粒肽原基因的克隆及同源性分析

从中华蜜蜂、意大利蜜蜂、大胡蜂、墨胸胡蜂和亚非马蜂5种雌成蜂毒腺中快速抽提总RNA,用RT-PCR方法分别扩增各得到大小约为350bp的cDNA片段,进一步将这5个片段克隆入pGEMT-easy载体,进行测序和序列分析。结果表明：所扩增得到的5个片段长度均为341bp,均包含一个完整的开放阅读框和3′端未编码区的188bp核苷酸序列,证实为5种蜂的蜂毒前肥大细胞脱粒肽原的cDNA。经序列比较,意大利蜜蜂、中华蜜蜂、大胡蜂、墨胸胡蜂和亚非马蜂前肥大细胞脱粒肽原核苷酸序列彼此间的同源性都为90％以上。中华蜜蜂、大胡蜂、墨胸胡蜂和亚非马蜂与意大利蜜蜂的前肥大细胞脱粒肽原氨基酸序列的同源性分别为96％、100％、94％和98％。尽管大胡蜂和墨胸胡蜂与意大利蜜蜂属于不同的科,但它们的肥大细胞脱粒肽却完全相同,而中华蜜蜂与意大利蜜蜂属于同一个属,它们的肥大细胞脱粒肽却不相同。中华蜜蜂和亚非马蜂肥大细胞脱粒肽第5号位的氨基酸为精氨酸,替代了意大利蜜蜂5号位的半胱氨酸,该位置的半胱氨酸与19号位的半胱氨酸组成意大利蜜蜂肥大细胞脱粒肽分子的一个对蛋白活性起重要作用的二硫键。     

中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂蜂毒前溶血肽原蛋白cDNA的克隆与序列分析

分别从中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana和意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera工蜂毒腺中抽提总RNA,通过RT-PCR方法扩增,各得到了蜂毒前溶血肽原蛋白的cDNA,再将扩增产物克隆到pGEM-Teasy载体上,进行测序和序列分析。结果表明,所扩增到的这两个片段长度均为213 bp,均为编码蜂毒前溶血肽原的cDNA,并分别推导出两者所编码的氨基酸序列。经序列比较,中华蜜蜂前溶血肽原与意大利蜜蜂、印度蜜蜂Apis cerana indica前溶血肽原的同源性都为97%。所报道的中华蜜蜂蜂毒前溶血肽原的核苷酸序列的GenBank登录号为AF487907。     

蜜蜂抗菌肽进化差异的新发现

中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂是一对非常相近的姐妹种,大约1000万年前起源于亚洲的一个共同“祖先”,但前者比后者具有更强的抗寒能力和抗病能力。浙江大学农学院昆虫研究所的陈学新教授课题组首次通过实验证实：这是因为意大利蜜蜂比中华蜜蜂具有更为长期的驯化过程,使之在进化过程中丧失了某些基因。     

中华蜜蜂工蜂王浆腺活性的变化

本试验以短期体外放射化学测定法,测定了中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana)工蜂的王浆腺(HP)的活性,以意大利蜂(Apis mellifera ligustica)进行对比.结果表明工蜂的HP在体外培养液中1—6小时掺入的放射性DPM几乎呈直线增加.春夏繁殖期,中华蜜蜂7日龄工蜂的HP活性最强,而意大利蜜蜂是10日龄.中华蜜蜂的越冬工蜂的HP虽呈发育状态,但活性低.而在早春,当蜂群内部出现幼虫时,越冬工蜂的HP又呈现活性.     

Role of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the pollination biology of a California native plant, Triteleia laxa (Asparagales: Themidaceae)

A central focus of pollination biology is to document the relative effectiveness of different flower visitors as pollinators. Ongoing research seeks to determine the role that introduced honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) play in the pollination of both invasive and native plants. Here we report on the importance of A. mellifera as pollinators of a California native plant, Triteleia laxa Bentham. In observation plots and transect censuses, A. mellifera overwhelmingly dominated the T. laxa flower visitor assemblage. We believe the proximity to agriculture, where A. mellifera density is higher relative to areas far from agriculture, contributes to the discrepancy between A. mellifera abundance at the two sites. Although A. mellifera were inferior flower visitors qualitatively (visited less flowers per minute), they were the most frequent interactors with flowers. Furthermore, the proportion of visits to flowers on the same plant among flower visitor species did not differ, suggesting a general mechanism by which insects forage at T. laxa flowers and that A. mellifera do not cause more deleterious geitonogamy than do native pollinators. Flower visitation rates as a function of floral display size did not differ between A. mellifera and other flower visitors. The difference in the magnitude of flower visitation (largely by A. mellifera) between sites is consistent with a difference in seed set between sites. These results suggest that non-native A. mellifera bees can play an important role in the pollination of native plant species.     

Natural selection of Varroa jacobsoni explains the different reproductive strategies in colonies of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera

In colonies of European Apis mellifera, Varroa jacobsoni reproduces both in drone and in worker cells. In colonies of its original Asian host, Apis cerana, the mites invade both drone and worker brood cells, but reproduce only in drone cells. Absence of reproduction in worker cells is probably crucial for the tolerance of A. cerana towards V. jacobsoni because it implies that the mite population can only grow during periods in which drones are reared. To test if non-reproduction of V. jacobsoni in worker brood cells of A. cerana is due to a trait of the mites or of the honey-bee species, mites from bees in A. mellifera colonies were artificially introduced into A. cerana worker brood cells and vice versa. Approximately 80% of the mites from A. mellifera colonies reproduced in naturally infested worker cells as well as when introduced into worker cells of A. mellifera and A. cerana. Conversely, only 10% of the mites from A. cerana colonies reproduced, both in naturally infested worker cells of A. cerana and when introduced into worker cells of A. mellifera. Hence, absence of reproduction in worker cells is due to a trait of the mites. Additional experiments showed that A. cerana bees removed 84% of the worker brood that was artificially infested with mites from A. mellifera colonies. Brood removal started 2 days after artificial infestation, which suggests that the bees responded to behaviour of the mites. Since removal behaviour of the bees will have a large impact on fitness of the mites, it probably plays an important role in selection for differential reproductive strategies. Our findings have large implications for selection programmes to breed less-susceptible bee strains. If differences in non-reproduction are mite specific, we should not only look for non-reproduction as such, but for colonies in which non-reproduction in worker cells is selected. Hence, in selection programmes fitness of mites that reproduce in both drone and worker cells should be compared to fitness of mites that reproduce only in drone cells. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

意大利蜜蜂(Apis mellifera ligustica)与中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana ceraca)的生态位比较

为了明确中华蜜蜂和意大利蜜蜂在皖南山区生态适应性,研究两种蜜蜂的食物生态位、时间生态位和空间生态位及其差异,结果是中蜂与意蜂食物(蜜源植物)资源生态位宽度分别是 0.923、0.765,中蜂对蜜源植物采集喜好性差异小,而意蜂差异大,中蜂对意蜂生态位重迭为0.160,中蜂对意蜂生态位相似性为0.755;油菜花期,中蜂与意蜂时间资源生态位宽度分别是0.879、0.801,枇杷花期,分别是0.760、0.677,中蜂与意蜂的空间资源生态位宽度分别是0.797、0.670.中蜂3种生态位宽度均大于意蜂,中蜂三维生态位值是意蜂的1.61倍和1.57倍.表明中蜂在皖南山区生态适应性比意蜂强.     

Suitable areas for the invasion expansion of Xylocopa bees in South America

The introduction of exotic species into native ecosystems can be a cause for concern when those species are invasive. Invasive species cause ecological problems and have socio-cultural impacts on human health and the economy; for example, invasive bees may negatively impact their introduced ecosystem by spreading diseases or outcompeting native pollinators. Xylocopa spp. bees are diverse and distributed throughout the Neotropics. However, Xylocopa augusti (Lepeletier, 1841) and Xylocopa splendidula (Lepeletier, 1841) are not native to Mediterranean Chile. This study aimed to evaluate the invasive potential of these exotic species and predict the potential macroecological effects of their invasions. We also aimed to pinpoint possible distributions for these species throughout South America. We correlated biogeographic occurrence data with climatic variables for each species to model their potential distribution in both current and future scenarios. The models provide strong evidence that both species are changing their distributions: their ranges are expanding towards western South America, particularly Bolivia, Chile and Peru. We demonstrate an increase in niche overlap between these species and show there are new geographic areas vulnerable to the establishment of these invasive bees under current and future climate conditions. These data suggest that these bees may adapt their geographic distribution as the climate changes and pose a threat to native pollinators in new geographic areas.     

外来西方蜜蜂放蜂密度对云南罗平本地传粉蜂群落结构及物种多样性的影响

【目的】近年来随着交通条件的改善,每年有大量西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera蜂场从全国各地赶到云南放蜂。本研究旨在揭示西方蜜蜂这一外来蜂种对云南本地传粉蜂种类、数量及其物种多样性的影响。【方法】采用马来氏网收集、调查了云南省罗平县西方蜜蜂高放蜂密度试验点(鲁特和走马田)、中放蜂密度试验点(外纳和下阿列)和低放蜂密度试验点(马把和下庄科)共6个试验点包括山林生境和农田生境的本地传粉蜂群落结构;并对比分析了不同放蜂密度、不同生境下各试验点传粉蜂物种多样性指数(H′)、均匀度指数(J′)及丰富度指数(Dm)之间的差异。【结果】采集到的1 715头本地传粉蜂隶属于10科53种,其中蜜蜂科(Apidae)、隧蜂科(Halictidae)和胡蜂科(Vespidae)为优势类群,东方蜜蜂Apis cerana和切淡脉隧蜂Lasioglossum excisum为优势种。在放蜂密度(试验点周围3 km范围内西方蜜蜂蜂群数量)为723～2 750群这一变动范围内,各试验点本地传粉蜂物种数量、个体数量均随西方蜜蜂放蜂密度的增大而减少,物种多样性指数(H′)及丰富度指数(Dm)也相应降低,但西方蜜蜂放蜂密度对本地传粉蜂均匀度指数(J′)没有影响。此外,在相同放蜂密度下,山林生境的本地传粉蜂物种多样性均显著高于农田生境。【结论】云南罗平本地传粉蜂的群落结构及物种多样性受西方蜜蜂放蜂密度的影响,在放蜂密度从723～2 750群这一变动范围内,放蜂密度越大,本地传粉蜂的个体数、物种数、多样性指数和丰富度指数越小。本研究结果为进一步研究合理控制西方蜜蜂放蜂密度以保护云南本地传粉蜂种的多样性提供了思路。     

Recovery of learning responses by honeybees following a sublethal exposure to permethrin

ABSTRACT A classical conditioned response was used to evaluate the learning behaviour of honeybees ( Apis mellifera L.) which survived a sublethal dose of permethrin. Treated bees had lower learning response levels than untreated bees for 3 days, but regained normal learning ability on the fourth day after exposure. However, bees trained prior to exposure showed no significant effect of permethrin on their conditioned response.     

DNA RFLPs at a highly polymorphic locus distinguish European and African subspecies of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. and suggest geographical origins of New World honey bees

A highly polymorphic locus in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., was detected with genomic probe pB178. Eighty-five alleles, consisting of Msp I and Dde I RFLPs, were found among the Old and New World bees tested. Forty-one Msp I and 43 Dde I restriction fragment patterns, or variants, were identified. Variants and alleles were discontinuously distributed in Old World European and African subspecies. Principal coordinate analysis of the genetic distances between the alleles resulted in the identification of three distinct groups corresponding to three groups of honey bee races with historically different geographical distributions: east European A. m. ligustica and A. m. caucasica ; west European A. m. mellifera ; and South African A. m. scutellata . The clustering of alleles into these groups is consistent with previous honey bee phylogeographic studies, employing other nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers, which in part support the evolutionary history of the honey bee hypothesized by Ruttner based on morphometric and allozyme data. The majority of alleles in bees from the USA grouped with those found in east European bees, while other alleles grouped with alleles found in A. m. mellifera . While the majority of the alleles in neotropical bees grouped with or were identical to African alleles, other alleles grouped with alleles found in A. m. mellifera, A. m. ligustica , and A. m. caucasica . Clues to the ancestry of neotropical bees may be found in the identification of alleles that were identical or more similar to alleles found in South African and west European bees; evidence for west European ancestry has been suggested using other taxonomic characters that were not unique to west European bees. Both west European and African alleles were found in individual neotropical colonies, which may indicate that honey bee subspecies which evolved allopatrically have hybridized in the human-assisted extension of their original geographical ranges.     

The Africanization of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) of the Yucatan: a study of a massive hybridization event across time

Until recently, African and European subspecies of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) had been geographically separated for around 10,000 years. However, human-assisted introductions have caused the mixing of large populations of African and European subspecies in South and Central America, permitting an unprecedented opportunity to study a large-scale hybridization event using molecular analyses. We obtained reference populations from Europe, Africa, and South America and used these to provide baseline information for a microsatellite and mitochondrial analysis of the process of Africanization of the bees of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The genetic structure of the Yucatecan population has changed dramatically over time. The pre-Africanized Yucatecan population (1985) comprised bees that were most similar to samples from southeastern Europe and northern and western Europe. Three years after the arrival of Africanized bees (1989), substantial paternal gene flow had occurred from feral Africanized drones into the resident European population, but maternal gene flow from the invading Africanized population into the local population was negligible. However by 1998, there was a radical shift with both African nuclear alleles (65%) and African-derived mitochondria (61%) dominating the genomes of domestic colonies. We suggest that although European mitochondria may eventually be driven to extinction in the feral population, stable introgression of European nuclear alleles has occurred.     

Predator-prey coevolution: Australian native bees avoid their spider predators

Australian crab spiders Thomisus spectabilis manipulate visual flower signals to lure introduced Apis mellifera. We gave Australian native bees, Austroplebia australis, the choice between two white daisies, Chrysanthemum frutescens, one of them occupied by a crab spider. The colour contrast between flowers and spiders affected the behaviour of native bees. Native bees approached spider-occupied flowers more frequently. However, native bees avoided flowers occupied by spiders and landed on vacant flowers more frequently. In contrast to honeybees that did not coevolve with T. spectabilis, Australian native bees show an anti-predatory response to avoid flowers occupied by this predator.     

A simple and distinctive microbiota associated with honey bees and bumble bees

Specialized relationships with bacteria often allow animals to exploit a new diet by providing a novel set of metabolic capabilities. Bees are a monophyletic group of Hymenoptera that transitioned to a completely herbivorous diet from the carnivorous diet of their wasp ancestors. Recent culture-independent studies suggest that a set of distinctive bacterial species inhabits the gut of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Here we survey the gut microbiotae of diverse bee and wasp species to test whether acquisition of these bacteria was associated with the transition to herbivory in bees generally. We found that most bee species lack phylotypes that are the same or similar to those typical of A. mellifera, rejecting the hypothesis that this dietary transition was symbiont-dependent. The most common bacteria in solitary bee species are a widespread phylotype of Burkholderia and the pervasive insect associate, Wolbachia. In contrast, several social representatives of corbiculate bees do possess distinctive bacterial phylotypes. Samples of A. mellifera harboured the same microbiota as in previous surveys, and closely related bacterial phylotypes were identified in two Asian honey bees (Apis andreniformis and Apis dorsata) and several bumble bee (Bombus) species. Potentially, the sociality of Apis and Bombus species facilitates symbiont transmission and thus is key to the maintenance of a more consistent gut microbiota. Phylogenetic analyses provide a more refined taxonomic placement of the A. mellifera symbionts.