Genetic variation in worker temporal polyethism and colony defensiveness in the honey bee, Apis mellifera |
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Authors: | Giray Tugrul; Guzman-Novoa Ernesto; Aron Carol W; Zelinsky Benjamin; Fahrbach Susan E; Robinson Gene E |
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Institution: | a
Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
b
CENIFMA-INIFAP-SARH, Queretaro, QRO. 76030, Mexico
c
Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA |
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Abstract: | To test the hypothesis that colonies of honey bees composedof workers with
faster rates of adult behavioral developmentare more defensive than colonies
composed of workers with slowerbehavioral development, we determined whether
there is a correlationbetween genetic variation in worker temporal polyethism
andcolony defensiveness. There was a positive correlation for thesetwo
traits, both for European and Africanized honey bees. Thecorrelation was
larger for Africanized bees, due to differencesbetween Africanized and
European bees, differences in experimentaldesign, or both. Consistent with
these results was the findingthat colonies with a higher proportion of older
bees were moredefensive than colonies of the same size that had a lower
proportionof older bees. There also was a positive correlation betweenrate
of individual behavioral development and the intensityof colony flight
activity, and a negative correlation betweencolony defensiveness and flight
activity. This suggests thatthe relationship between temporal polyethism and
colony defensivenessmay vary with the manner in which foraging and defense
dutiesare allocated among a colony's older workers. These resultsindicate
that genotypic differences in rates of worker behavioraldevelopment can
influence the phenotype of a honey bee colonyin a variety of ways. |
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Keywords: | Apis mellifera behavioral development defense foraging honey bees life history |
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