Apis Cerana Fabricius Research Articles

Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Chinese Herbs against Biomolecule Damage Induced by Peroxynitrite

This work evaluates the protective effects of Chinese herbs against ONOO(-)-induced biomolecule damage. Thirty-two Chinese traditional herbs were preliminarily screened for their ONOO(-)-scavenging activity by the fluorometric method. The potency of scavenging activity was in the following order: Apis cerana Fabricius (Propolis) > Rosmarinus officinalis L (Rosemary) > Pseudolarix amabilis (Nelson) Rehd. (Pine Bark PE) > Echinacea Moenck. (Echinacea); the remaining twenty-eight herbs performed unsatisfactorily for their scavenging activity. The four extracts with high ONOO(-) scavenging activity were selected for further characterization of their inhibiting effects on DNA single breaks, tyrosine nitration and LDL oxidation. A further study of the origin of this scavenging activity on the major active components showed cichoric acid and rosemary acid to both have strong ability to scavenge ONOO(-). These scavengers might be developed as therapeutic drugs for preventing ONOO(-)-involved diseases.

Detection of odor perception in Asiatic honeybee ( Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793) workers by changing membrane potential of the antennal sensilla

The role of honeybee mandibular gland compounds is poorly understood, although they may act as alarm pheromones. We measured forager and guard bee antennal responses evoked by two major components of mandibular gland secretions of the Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana. Membrane potentials of antennal sensilla were measured after exposure to three concentrations of the synthetic alarm pheromones 2-heptanone and (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol using a potentiostat (EA161) connected to an e-corder (ED401) with microelectrodes. The resting membrane potential of A. cerana foragers and guards was −55.23 ± 1.44 and −56.41 ± 1.21 mV, respectively. The membrane potential of foragers after exposure to 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0% 2-heptanone was −5.32 ± 0.46, −8.41 ± 1.33 and −11.53 ± 2.16 mV, respectively. The membrane potential of guards was −5.49 ± 1.66, −8.46 ± 1.32 and −7.31 ± 3.46 mV, respectively. Exposure of foragers to 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0% (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol induced membrane potentials of −24.00 ± 6.56, −36.36 ± 5.18 and −14.60 ± 8.20 mV, respectively; for guards they were −47.62 ± 1.46, −46.08 ± 0.87 and −9.35 ± 1.96 mV, respectively. The highest membrane potential was found in foragers exposed to 1.0% 2-heptanone. The membrane potentials of foragers were higher than that of guards except at the highest concentration (10.0%) of both pheromones. These findings suggest that antennal sensory receptors of foragers may have higher specific thresholds than those of guards.

Population structure and classification ofApis cerana

Multivariate morphometric analyses of Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 across its full geographical range were performed. Principal components plots did not reveal distinct morphoclusters. Further substructuring of the principal component plots could not initially be derived but only by introducing local labelling did it reveal six main morphoclusters. We apply geographically based common epithets to the morphoclusters and designate them as: as “Northern cerana”, “Himalayan cerana” “Indian plains cerana” “Indochinese cerana” “Philippine cerana” and “Indo-Malayan cerana”. A. cerana naturally occurs in climatic zones ranging from rainforest, savanna, steppe, grasslands and deciduous forest to taiga. The distributions of the morphoclusters are related to these physiographic and climatic factors. The taxonomy of A. cerana is formally revised and synonymous specific and infraspecific names summarized.

Pollination biology of Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes, an endemic and endangered plant in China

AbstractDisanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H.T. Chang usually has two inflorescences growing in opposite directions in the axillae, but occasionally three inflorescences grow paratactically. The typical flowering process could be divided into 4 periods: “Pre-dehiscence”, “Initial dehiscence”, “Full dehiscence” and “Withering”. Both the natural population and the planted population had a flowering peak of 15–35 days after the first flower bloomed. There were significant differences between the time courses of flowering of the two populations. Out-crossing is the main breeding system in this species. And autogamy decreases the risk of reproductive failure of this species. The main insect pollinators of D. cercidifolius var. longipes are Episyrphus balteatus de Geer, Scaptodrosophila coracina Kikkawa and Peng, Polistes olivaceus de Geer, Apis cerana Fabricius, Nezara viridula L. and Coccinella septempunctata L., and so on. Among the insects, S. coracina and E. balteatus are the most important and efficient pollinators, but others are inefficient pollinators. Though wind pollination is not efficient, it guarantees reproduction when insect pollinators are not available. “Mass flowering” is an adaptive behavior and reproductive strategy of this species, and “few fruiting” could be caused by the lack of pollinators.

Antimicrobial Peptide Evolution in the Asiatic Honey Bee Apis cerana

The Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is an important honeybee species in Asian countries. It is still found in the wild, but is also one of the few bee species that can be domesticated. It has acquired some genetic advantages and significantly different biological characteristics compared with other Apis species. However, it has been less studied, and over the past two decades, has become a threatened species in China. We designed primers for the sequences of the four antimicrobial peptide cDNA gene families (abaecin, defensin, apidaecin, and hymenoptaecin) of the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera L. and identified all the antimicrobial peptide cDNA genes in the Asiatic honeybee for the first time. All the sequences were amplified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In all, 29 different defensin cDNA genes coding 7 different defensin peptides, 11 different abaecin cDNA genes coding 2 different abaecin peptides, 13 different apidaecin cDNA genes coding 4 apidaecin peptides and 34 different hymenoptaecin cDNA genes coding 13 different hymenoptaecin peptides were cloned and identified from the Asiatic honeybee adult workers. Detailed comparison of these four antimicrobial peptide gene families with those of the Western honeybee revealed that there are many similarities in the quantity and amino acid components of peptides in the abaecin, defensin and apidaecin families, while many more hymenoptaecin peptides are found in the Asiatic honeybee than those in the Western honeybee (13 versus 1). The results indicated that the Asiatic honeybee adult generated more variable antimicrobial peptides, especially hymenoptaecin peptides than the Western honeybee when stimulated by pathogens or injury. This suggests that, compared to the Western honeybee that has a longer history of domestication, selection on the Asiatic honeybee has favored the generation of more variable antimicrobial peptides as protection against pathogens.

An adventitious distal abscissa in the forewing of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae:Apis)

The presence of an adventitious distal abscissa in the forewing venation of honey bees is recorded. The vein arises from the posterior quarter of the second submarginal cell, on the apical surface of the 2rs-m crossvein. The homology of this vein is discussed and its presence broadly compared across Hymenoptera so as to establish its correct identity. Based on the overall homology of hymenopteran wing venation it is concluded that this is a reacquisition the vein “Rs 2” and we accordingly tentatively term it “aRs 2”. The aRs 2 was found in both Apis cerana Fabricius and A. mellifera Linnaeus at moderate frequencies, although it predominantly occurs in northeast Asian populations of the former. Species of the giant honey bees (Megapis) and dwarf honey bees (Micrapis) were found to lack the vein entirely, while the vein was found at low levels in other Asian lineages (Apis s.str.). The predilection to possess the vein appears to be a trait supporting the cavity-nesting honey bee clade (Apis s.str.).

A new bee mite of the genus Pseudacarapis (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from Mexico

A new tarsonemid mite, Pseudacarapis trispicula Ochoa and Pettis n. sp., is described and illustrated from females phoretic on Apis mellifera L. collected from intercepted honey comb from Mexico. This is the first record of this genus in the Americas and the distribution and impact of this mite species in honey bee colonies remain unknown. The only other known species, Pseudacarapis indoapis Lindquist, has a host-specific association with Apis cerana Fabricius.

Interspecific rearing and acceptance of queens between Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 and Apis koschevnikovi Buttel-Reepen, 1906

L'acceptation interspecifique reciproque du couvain de mâles et de mâles adultes d'A cerana et d'A koschevnikovi pose la question de savoir s'il en est de meme pour les larves de reines et les reines adultes de ces deux especes. Dans des colonies orphelines d'A cerana et d'A koschevnikovi on a introduit des cellules royales artificielles renfermant de jeunes larves soit de la meme espece, soit de l'autres espece. Les deux especes d'abeilles melliferes ont prefere elever les larves de leur propre espece. Les colonies d'A cerana, en particulier, ont constamment choisi les larves de leur espece (fig 1) : seules quatre reines d'A koschevnikoviont ete elevees, alors que 42 reines d'A cerana ont emerge pendant la meme periode (tableau la). La selection par les colonies d'A koschevnikovi a ete moins severe (fig 2) : 30 reines d'A cerana et 72 reines d'A koschevnikovi ont ete elevees (tableau 1b). Pour tester l'acceptation des reines, des cellules royales mures (1 a 2 j avant l'emergence) ont ete introduites dans des colonies orphelines de l'autre espece et - a condition que les ouvrieres n'aient pas detruit la cellule royale - la jeune reine a emerge dans la colonie etrangere. Sur 18 cellules royales d'A cerana introduites dans des colonies d'A koschevnikovi, nous avons trouve dix jeunes reines d'A cerana (huit cellules royales ont ete detruites). Les reines etrangeres fraichement ecloses n'ont pas beaucoup attire l'attention des ouvrieres le premier jour mais, plus tard, elles ont ete constamment entourees par des ouvrieres qui les mordaient et elles sont mortes par emballement (tableau Il). Les colonies d'A cerana ont detruit a un stade precoce presque 50 % des cellules royales etrangeres. Dans six colonies d'A cerana, les reines d'A koschevnikovi ont ete tuees au cours des premiers jours. Mais dans quatre colonies d'A cerana le comportement agressif des ouvrieres envers la reine etrangere a diminue au bout de deux jours. Une reine d'A koschevnikovi n'est pas rentree de son vol de fecondation. Trois reines se sont accouplees et ont commence a pondre quatre jours apres le dernier vol de fecondation (tableau II). Les oeufs ont eclos et les ouvrieres d'A cerana ont eleve avec succes le couvain d'A koschevnikovi. Les ouvrieres d'A koschevnikovi recemment ecloses ont rendu la population d'ouvrieres de la colonie d'A cerana graduellement heterospecifique jusqu'a ce que les ouvrieres d'A cerana soient toutes remplacees par des ouvrieres d'A koschevnikovi. Les vols de fecondation des reines d'A koschevnikovi ont eu lieu entre 17 h et 18 h 15 (tableau III). L'heure moyenne des vols de reines des colonies d'A cerana s'est situee a 17 h 48, celle des reines des colonies d'A koschevnikovi a 17 h 43. Il n'y a pas eu de difference significative entre les reines s'envolant de colonies etrangeres et celles s'envolant de colonies de la meme espece en ce qui concerne l'activite totale de vol et la duree des vols de fecondation reussis (p = 0,83, Wilcoxon Rank Sum W test).

The biosystematics of Syntretomorpha szaboi Papp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) attacking the Oriental honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with a review of braconid parasitoids attacking bees

AbstractRecords of braconid parasitoids attacking bees (Apidae) are reviewed and their biology is discussed. The adult of Syntretomorpha szaboi Papp (Braconidae) is redescribed, the female for the first time. The final-instar larva is also described for the first time and the implications of interpreting larval characters are discussed. The Oriental honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is recorded here for the first time as the host of S. szaboi.

Geographical races of Apis cerana Fabricius in China and their distribution. Review of recent Chinese publications and a preliminary statistical analysis

Les auteurs ont traduit la litterature chinoise recente concernant les races geographiques d'Apis cerana Fabricius et leur repartition en Chine et soumis une partie de ces donnees a l'analyse statistique