The effect of hypoxia on the development of honeybee workers at prepupal and pupal stages

Abstract

The effect of different levels of hypoxia on viability, physiological condition and morphometric characters of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers at the prepupal and pupal stages was traced. A high tolerance of the honey bee brood to hypoxia was established. Excess CO2 by more than two orders of magnitude relative to its content in the atmosphere and beehive at the optimal temperature for a bee family exhibits a mimimum lethality. Morphological anomalies manifested as wing and proboscis hypoplasia were found at the CO2 concentration raised by 10-15 %. This leads to a reduction on the number of frenulum hooks on the hind wings and affects their asymmetry variability. The wing lengths and the number of frenulum books are in inverse while masses of the head, thorax and abdomen--in direct relationship with the CO2 concentration.