蜜蜂哺育蜂与采集蜂行为转变调控因子研究进展

西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera作为真社会性昆虫,是人类认知行为研究的理想模式生物之一。正常蜂群中工蜂有着年龄依赖性的行为转变,成年蜂一般在出房后3周内主要从事巢内工作,之后工蜂行为渐渐转向巢外采集工作,其中最重要的是采集蜜粉等。工蜂这种从巢内工作转向巢外工作的行为转变与多种因素有关,本文从蜂群自身社会环境、工蜂体内生理和基因(包括mRNA和microRNA)的表达变化等方面详细概述了工蜂哺育蜂和采集蜂行为转变研究进展,为深入探究影响蜜蜂行为转变的调控因子及机制提供理论背景。     

蜜蜂无政府主义蜂群的研究进展

西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera作为典型的社会性昆虫, 最重要的特征是生殖劳动分工。蜂王垄断蜂群的生殖权利, 工蜂生殖功能受到抑制, 从事除产卵和交配以外的所有职能。而在无政府主义蜂群中, 即使蜂王存在, 也有较多工蜂的卵巢激活并产卵, 蜂群中大多数雄蜂是工蜂的后代。这些特殊蜂群为正常蜂群工蜂不育机制研究提供了绝佳的反例材料。本文对无政府主义蜂群的行为特征、 产生条件、 遗传基础等研究进行了综述。无政府主义蜂群中有较多的工蜂产卵, 且工蜂所产卵能够逃避工蜂监督, 这种行为的产生受环境、 遗传组成、 基因表达等多种因素的影响, 并且遗传结构体系复杂, 参与调控的基因数量多。无政府主义蜂群行为机制的研究为工蜂不育机制的揭示及其他社会性昆虫工职不育基因的筛选和功能研究提供借鉴。     

城市园林生境冬季中华蜜蜂的活动规律和采集行为

蜜蜂等传粉昆虫是生物多样性的重要组成部分,关系植物繁殖和农业生产.为探讨城市园林在土著蜂种中华蜜蜂保护中的作用,对川南地区冬季中华蜜蜂的活动格局、访花行为和蜜粉源植物等进行观测.结果表明:工蜂在冬季适宜天气积极外出采集,活动持续时间长,出巢、回巢和未带粉采集蜂数量在14:00—15:00最多,呈双峰格局,而采粉蜂数量在11:00达到峰值,呈单峰格局,时间对蜜蜂活跃程度影响显著;蜂群对花蜜和花粉采集投入存在差异,只有近20%的采集蜂携带花粉;温湿度对蜜蜂活动具有一定影响;不同日期蜂群活动格局大体相似,但个别时段体现出差异.冬季园林生境中开花植物较少,但多种类群皆为可采集的蜜粉资源,中华蜜蜂通过调节其行为策略可实现有效采集;山茶等主要园林植物花上蜜蜂的拜访表现出较强规律性.可通过科学的园林管理增加冬季蜜粉资源,以利于营造中华蜜蜂的适宜生境和维持野外种群.     

社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制研究进展

社会性的出现是生物演化过程中的重要革新, 理解社会性的演化和调控机制具有重要的理论和实际意义。社会性昆虫的个体间有着明显的级型分化和劳动分工, 这有利于它们适应复杂的环境变化。理解社会性昆虫如何产生不同的形态、行为和生活史特性, 一直是进化和发育生物学的重要目标。随着测序技术的不断更新及生物信息学的快速发展, 已经有众多关于社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制的研究报道。本文通过整理社会性昆虫研究的已有成果, 从环境因素、生理调控和分子机制等方面对社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制相关研究进展进行了综述, 并对未来的研究方向做出了展望。根据现有证据, 社会性昆虫所生活的生物环境(食物营养、信息素、表皮碳氢化合物)和非生物环境(温度、气候等)均能直接或间接影响社会性昆虫级型和行为的分化; 保幼激素、蜕皮激素、类胰岛素及生物胺等内分泌激素和神经激素对社会性昆虫的级型和行为分化也有重要的调控作用; 此外, 遗传因素、新基因等DNA序列或基因组结构上的变化以及表观遗传修饰、基因的差异表达等基因调控机制均能不同程度地影响社会性昆虫的行为分化。本文建议加强昆虫纲其他社会性类群如半翅目蚜虫和缨翅目蓟马等的社会性行为及其演化机制的研究, 以加深对社会性昆虫起源及其行为演化的理解和认识。     

蚂蚁亲系识别及研究方法进展

1前言亲系识别（Kinrecognition）是指社会性昆虫具有识别亲属与非亲属的能力,它被认为是昆虫社会性起源和演化的必要条件。此外,亲系识别在昆虫个体间的通讯、协作和繁衍等社会生活中具有重要作用。蚂蚁是社会性昆虫,许多种类表现出社群封闭性,即社群内相互合作和利它,而社群间表现出相互排斥,甚至强烈的进攻性。这一现象表明蚂蚁具有识别亲系的能力。揭示亲系识别的化学本质和遗传根源,不仅有助于对昆虫超社会性的起源和演化的研究,而且对行为学的其它相关学科（如行为生态学、行为遗传学、行为生理学）,进化生物学的研究以及人…     

昆虫肠道微生物稳态的调控机制

稳定的肠道微生物内环境是肠道微生物与肠道免疫反应相互作用的结果。在不断的进食过程中,昆虫肠道微生物种类和数量不断发生变化,肠道微生物与肠道上皮细胞之间形成了复杂的、动态的平衡机制。昆虫肠道上皮细胞可以感知有益和有害条件并利用免疫调控通路来实现微生物种群稳态的动态调节,例如双重氧化酶-活性氧(dual oxidase-reactive oxygen species, Duox-ROS)系统和免疫缺陷(immunodeficiency, Imd)信号通路可以感知肠道微生物数量变化并参与到肠道微生物稳态调节过程。除此之外,肠道微生物群也会通过群体感应(quorum sensing, QS)释放相应的效应因子来调节菌群行为,间接性起到稳态调节的作用。因此,本文综述了昆虫肠道中物理防御、免疫信号通路以及肠道微生物通过QS在昆虫肠道微生物稳态维持中的作用,加深对肠道组织与肠道微生物互作关系的认识。未来将继续对更多种类昆虫体内微生物的稳态调控机制及调控机制间的作用关系进行研究,并基于调控机制设计开发改变肠道微生物稳态的新型农药,为实现有效害虫防治提供新的靶标和思路。     

昆虫对CO2感受机制的研究进展

CO2是空气的重要组分,它既是植物光合作用的主要原料之一,也可以作为环境中的化学信号直接影响昆虫的生命活动.CO2在双翅目、鞘翅目和鳞翅目昆虫的觅食行为中都发挥着重要作用;CO2可以影响蝇类和蛾类的产卵行为;CO2是社会性昆虫调节巢穴内气候条件的重要指标.对昆虫感受CO2的机制研究一方面可以拓展对昆虫化学感受体系的认知...     

ame-let-7调节蜜蜂劳动分工行为的研究进展

意大利蜜蜂是典型的社会性昆虫,存在与年龄相关的劳动分工行为,一直是人类研究动物行为的最佳模式生物。蜜蜂行为可塑性是劳动分工的重要特点,与其自身脑部神经结构变化、脑部基因表达变化及体内激素水平等有关。miRNAs与靶基因特异性结合,发挥多种生物调节功能。miR-let-7介导靶基因在动物发育及病理方面的研究较深,但对动物行为可塑性的调控机理尚未明确。本文就ame-let-7影响蜜蜂哺育蜂与采集蜂的劳动分工行为研究进行总结,主要从ame-let-7的表达模式、其对蜜蜂行为可塑性调节作用、对蜜蜂糖反应及学习记忆能力的影响及其相关靶基因的研究等方面进行归纳,为深入研究ame-let-7对蜜蜂行为可塑性的调控机制提供理论依据。     

五羟色胺对昆虫取食、生殖和非遗传多型的调控

5-羟色胺广泛分布于昆虫神经系统和外围组织,调控多种生理过程和行为。研究表明,5-羟色胺可以降低昆虫取食量,促进嗉囊的收缩;5-羟色胺可以和多巴胺协同调控昆虫唾液的分泌,分别形成唾液的蛋白质和非蛋白质成分。5-羟色胺与多巴胺、保幼激素协同作用可以促进中华马蜂、美洲大蠊的卵成熟发育,还可与章鱼胺、直肠肽等协同调控多种昆虫输卵管的收缩。在昆虫生殖行为方面,5-羟色胺的调控主要表现为增强对性信息素的反应、抑制交尾后行为和维持生殖滞育。5-羟色胺通过诱导聚集行为调控蝗虫的型变,还与章鱼胺等信号分子协同调节蜜蜂、蚂蚁等社会性昆虫胚后发育和行为多型。5-羟色胺对昆虫取食、生殖及非遗传多型的调控机理还需深入研究。     

蜜蜂的行为

简要介绍了蜜蜂的生活方式（独栖性,社会性和盗寄生性）,全年的生活周期;筑巢地点的选择和建造巢房的工艺,采食花粉,花蜜的习性和酿蜜的过程,蜜蜂种群内部及与植物间的信息传递方式,化学通讯是主要藉化学信息物质保持蜂群的内在联系,行为和物理通讯,主要是通过蜜蜂的“舞蹈”和光,声等因素传递蜜源植物的方位及距离等。     

Colony response to graded resource changes: an analytical model of the influence of genotype,environment, and dominance

Successful social groups must respond dynamically to environmental changes. However, a flexible group response requires the coordination of many individuals. Here we offer a static analytical model that integrates variation in environment-based cues for performance of a task with genetically and environmentally based variation in individual responses, and predicts the resultant colony behavior for that task. We also provide formulae for computing effective number of alleles in a haplo-diploid colony founded by any number of parents. Variable colony resources combined with variation among worker phenotypes generate known patterns of colony flexibility, allowing us to explicitly test how the number of loci, dominance/codominance, and the phenotype's environment influences group response. Our model indicates that the number of loci strongly influences colony behavior. For one or two loci, the proportion of workers foraging for pollen remain constant over vast increases in colony pollen stores, but then drops dramatically when the pollen stores increase past a specific threshold. As the number of loci controlling pollen foraging increases, graded increases in pollen stores result in a graded drop in the proportion of the worker population foraging for pollen. The effect of number of alleles is less strong, a result we discuss in light of the fact that a low number of effective alleles are expected in a colony. Comparisons of our model with empirical honey bee (Apis mellifera) data indicate that worker foraging response to pollen stores is driven by one or two loci, each with dominant allelic effects. The growing body of evidence that genotype has strong effects on task performance in social insect colonies, and the variation in within-colony genetic diversity across social insect taxa, make our model broadly applicable in explaining social group coordination.     

In-Hive Behavior of Pollen Foragers (Apis mellifera) in Honey Bee Colonies Under Conditions of High and Low Pollen Need

Pollen collection in honey bees is regulated around a homeostatic set-point. How the control of pollen collection is achieved is still unclear. Different feedback mechanisms have been proposed but little is known about the experience of pollen foragers in the hive. A detailed documentation of the behavior of pollen foragers in the hive under different pollen need conditions is presented here. Taking a broad observational approach, we analyze the behavior of individual pollen foragers in the hive between collecting trips and quantify the different variables constituting the in-hive stay. Comparing data from two colonies and 143 individuals during experimentally induced times of low vs. times of high pollen need, we show that individual foragers modulate their in-hive working tempo according to the actual pollen need of the colony: pollen foragers slowed down and stayed in the hive longer when pollen need was low and spent less time in the hive between foraging trips when pollen need by their colony was high. Furthermore, our data show a significant change in the trophallactic experience of pollen foragers with changing pollen need conditions of their colony. Pollen foragers had more short (< 3 s) trophallactic contacts when pollen need was high, resulting in an increase of total number of trophallactic contacts. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that trophallactic experience is one of the various information pathways used by pollen foragers to assess their colony's pollen need.     

Regulation of nectar collection in relation to honey storage levels by honey bees, Apis mellifera

Honey bees collect distinct nutrient sources in the form ofnectar (energy) and pollen (nitrogen). We investigated the effectof varying energy stores on nectar and pollen foraging. We foundno significant changes in nectar foraging in response to changesin honey storage levels within colonies. Individual foragersdid not vary activity rates or nectar load sizes in responseto changes in honey stores, and colonies did not increase nectarintake rates when honey stores within the hive were decreased.This result contrasts with pollen foraging behavior, which isextremely sensitive to colony state. Our data show that individualforaging decisions during nectar collection and colony regulationof nectar intake are distincdy different from pollen foraging.The behavior of honey bees illustrates that foraging strategy(and therefore foraging models) can incorporate multiple currencies,including both energy and protein intake.[Behav Ecol 7: 286–291(1996)]     

Perception of the pollen need by foragers in a honeybee colony

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, adjust their pollen foraging activity according to the need for pollen within the colony, determined by the amount of stored pollen and young brood present in the hive. To clarify how pollen foragers detect the supply of pollen, we followed individual honeybees while they were returning with pollen. Pollen foragers deposited their loads on the frame where most of the unsealed brood was, independent of the position of this frame within the hive. They also inspected more cells on that frame and spent most of their time there, indicating that pollen foragers may individually evaluate the pollen requirements of the colony. In 18 normal-sized colonies we also tested whether olfactory cues provided by a frame of hungry young brood or an additional pollen frame covered by cages affect foraging activity. These experiments showed that olfactory stimulation within the colony is insufficient to increase or decrease the foraging effort, but suggest that foragers must have direct contact with the brood and pollen area to regulate their foraging activity according to the conditions in the colony. The different mechanisms by which foragers may gather the information about pollen supply are discussed. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

The influence of status and the social environment on energy stores in a social fish

This study explores how muscle and liver energy stores are linked with social status and the social environment in Neolamprologus pulcher, a cooperatively breeding fish that lives in colonies comprised of up to 200 distinct social groups. Subordinate muscle energy stores were positively correlated with the number of neighbouring social groups in the colony, but this pattern was not observed in dominant N. pulcher. Furthermore, liver energy stores were smaller in dominants living at the edge of the colony compared with those living in the colony centre, with no differences among subordinates in liver energy stores. Subordinate N. pulcher may build up large energy stores in the muscles to fuel rapid growth after dispersal, which could occur more frequently in high‐density environments. Dominant N. pulcher may use the more easily mobilized energy stores in the liver to fuel daily activities, which could be more energetically demanding on the edge of the colony as a result of the increased predation defence needed on the edge. Overall, this study demonstrates that both subordinate and dominant physiology in N. pulcher varies with characteristics of the social environment. Furthermore, dominant and subordinate energy storage strategies appear to differ due to status‐dependent variation in daily activities and variation in the need to prepare for future reproductive or dispersal opportunities.     

Modelling social insect foraging

Foraging in the social insects can be viewed as a provisioning process, in which workers are powered by one resource (e.g. nectar) to deliver another (e.g. pollen) for the colony. The rate of delivery of a resource depends on the number of workers and how hard they work, which may depend on self-feeding rate. Whether individuals sacrifice their own foraging efficiency in favour of colony performance is unclear, as theory and experiment have not yet properly addressed these issues.     

The within-nest behaviour of honeybee pollen foragers in colonies with a high or low need for pollen

Numerous studies have documented that honeybee colonies can rapidly adjust the number of foragers collecting pollen in response to changes in quantities of brood, pollen and nectar in the nest. However, few studies have examined the behaviour of individual pollen foragers while in the nest between trips. Thus, little is known about how a pollen forager actually assesses its colony's needs. To understand this process better, we observed the behaviour of 319 pollen foragers while in their nests between foraging trips. We observed foragers in two types of nest environments: one with a relatively high need for pollen and one with a relatively low need for pollen. Foragers performed as many as 14 activities during two phases demarcated by the unloading of pollen loads. They inspected empty cells and cells with pollen, and performed the waggle dance at higher relative frequencies before unloading (P≤ 0.0004 each act). They antennated nestmates, autogroomed and received trophallaxis at higher relative frequencies after unloading (P≤ 0.0004 each act). All acts were performed both before and after unloading, but not always by each bee. Pollen foragers discriminated among cells based on cell contents in two contexts. First, they inspected cells already containing pollen more often than expected by chance. Second, their pattern of inspecting cells with different contents differed from their pattern of unloading pollen loads in those cells. Pollen foragers performed 42.3±4.6% (least square mean±SE) of preunloading inspection events on empty cells, but unloaded in them only 19.9±4.6% of the time. They performed 42.2±4.6% of preunloading inspection events on cells already containing pollen, but unloaded in them 79.4±4.6% of the time (P< 0.0001). Our data show that pollen foragers can determine the contents of cells in the nest and suggest that the regulation of pollen collection involves direct assessment of colony need by pollen foragers. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Preparation for disturbance-induced absconding of Cape honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.)

African honeybees, Apis mellifera, are characterised by frequent disturbance-induced absconding. However, the effectiveness in preparation before such disturbance-induced absconding has not been rigorously quantified yet. We investigated the effectiveness of preparation for disturbance-induced absconding by evaluating colony phenotypes prior to and after absconding in ten colonies of the Cape honeybee, A. m. capensis. Seven non-absconding colonies at the same apiary were used as controls. While seven absconded colonies left neither stores nor brood behind, three colonies abandoned only a small area of honey, pollen, open or capped brood. At the end of the observations, the control colonies still had pollen and honey stores and brood. The mean reduction rate between a major disturbance and the absconding event was 0.052 ± 0.018 cm² stores and open brood per worker per day. Our results demonstrate that disturbance-induced absconding can also occur with preparation, if the disturbance is not highly destructive and enough time for preparation is available. We conclude that Cape honeybee colonies can show a considerable high effectiveness in their preparation before disturbance-induced absconding, which limits the loss of colony resources. In light of the general high mobility of African honeybee colonies such an efficient behaviour is probably adaptive. Received 22 December 2004; revised 3 June 2005; accepted 13 June 2005.     

Social structure and winter survival in acorn ants

Fluctuating selection is a major theme in the evolutionary and ecological literature, yet attempts to measure how differential selection across time or space affects long-term change in life history traits or behaviors are still rare. Social evolution among the insects has been broadly studied with respect to how key parameters such as queen number and relatedness vary to influence colony fitness. However, a primary focus on fertility selection in the warm months must be complemented by parallel investigations on survivorship selection during the cold months. Here we provide the first assessment of social structure and overwintering survivorship in the field. We studied the acorn ant, which stays aboveground throughout the cold winters in North America, by varying queen number and colony size over two consecutive winters. We found that winter survival was quite low but unconnected to variable colony structure. Therefore previous studies on how social structure affects fertility selection in acorn ants have not been confounded by countervailing selection during the cold months. Our data support the assumption of the larger literature that selective forces molding social behavior in ants act primarily on fertility selection during the reproductive season.     

The provision of supplementary food to hive bees

Sucrose syrup is less satisfactory than honey as a winter and spring food for bees: a mixture of approximately equal parts of honey and syrup is of almost the same value as honey alone.
Feeding confined to early autumn induced the strongest spring development of colonies; syrup feeding in the spring may retard colony development, and food supplied at this time is apparently wasted. Feeding with syrup and pollen is advantageous only when a colony is lacking in stores of carbohydrate and protein.
A total of four British Standard brood combs full of pollen provides sufficient protein for a colony on B.S. equipment from autumn until April: the best results were obtained by providing colonies on eleven B.S. combs, in early autumn, with 35-40 lb. of honey, or honey and concentrated sucrose syrup, and four brood combs full of pollen.