Abstract
It has been known for many years that in temperate climates the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, exists in the form of two distinct populations within the year, short-living summer bees and long-living winter bees. However, there is only limited knowledge about the basic biochemical markers of winter and summer populations as yet. Nevertheless, the distinction between these two kinds of bees is becoming increasingly important as it can help beekeepers to estimate proportion of long-living bees in hives and therefore in part predict success of overwintering. To identify markers of winter generations, we employed the continuous long-term monitoring of a single honey bee colony for almost two years, which included measurements of physiological and immunological parameters. The results showed that the total concentration of proteins, the level of vitellogenin, and the antibacterial activity of haemolymph are the best three of all followed parameters that are related to honey bee longevity and can therefore be used as its markers.
Highlights
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are fundamental for agriculture, playing a crucial role in the plant life cycle as one of the most important pollinators
We have identified several physiological and immune parameters which significantly differ between summer and winter honey bee populations and we propose these parameters as markers of longevity
Increased significantly during the winter period and remained at over 50 mg/mL from October to Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to assess correlations between the physiological parameters and the seasons when the average, with a peak of 4.4 ± 0.5 mg/mL in July 2017 (Figure 1b) and a minimum of 1.3 ± 0.1 mg/mL
Summary
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are fundamental for agriculture, playing a crucial role in the plant life cycle as one of the most important pollinators. Bees (Apoidea) are responsible for the pollination of approximately 70% of all crop species worldwide [3]. For this reason, there are serious economic implications when honey bees struggle with pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae, Ascosphaera apis, viruses, etc.), parasites and pests (Varroa destructor, Nosema sp., Aethina tumida, etc.), and other factors affecting the survival of the colony [4]. Honey bee colony losses are considered to be a multifactorial problem, combining the influence of biotic and abiotic stressors, e.g., nutrition [7], pesticides [8], and climate change [9]. Knowledge of the physiological and immunological status of honey bee colonies is pivotal in helping beekeepers counteract potential problems and protect honey bees
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