Apis Cerana Indica Research Articles

In vivo and Laboratory Studies of Tetracycline Prevention of Foulbrood disease of Apis cerana indica Fab. and its Effects on Honey

Laboratory and field studies were carried out to assess the efficacy of the antibiotic tetracycline in preventing and managing American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) diseases in honey bees. Experiments with immature worker bees in the laboratory demonstrated that honey bee larvae could endure a broad range of antibiotic doses in their diet. The recommended dose of tetracycline (100 μg/ml) effectively protected young larvae from infection. However, once the dose exceeded this recommended level, it reached a point where it became lethal.

Field Exploration for Colony Selection: Evaluating Hygienic Behavior in Apis cerana indica Colonies.

Hygienic behavior (HB) emerges as a pivotal trait, impacting colony resistance to diseases. This study aimed to understand the behavioral traits of Apis cerana indica colonies, with a focus on HB and other key characteristics crucial for colony health, and to screen and identify colonies with superior hygienic behavior and better performance to combat prevailing diseases and pests. This research spans a comprehensive field analysis with different seasons and locations, encompassing the distinct environmental and management factors that influence honey bee behavior. The inclusion of A. cerana indica colonies from various locations provides a novel perspective, offering valuable insights regarding the hygienic behavior of A. cerana indica. Several statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and Aligned Rank Transformation-Analysis of Variance (ART-ANOVA) for repeated measures, shed light on the distribution of hive metrics, emphasizing the significance of considering seasonality and location-specific factors. PCA highlights unique characteristics in Tirupur and Coimbatore colonies, while correlation analyses uncover relationships among HB, honey, pollen, brood area, and adult population. Moreover, the study's nuanced findings gave the status of hygienic behavior of A. cerana indica colonies and identified colonies with better colony performance, which will be useful for future breeding programs with A. cerana indica.

Diversity and Relative Abundance of Different Pollinators in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The study on insect pollinator diversity and their abundance on cucumber flowers was conducted at the Vegetable Research Station, Agricultural Research Institute, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during 2023 - 2024. A total of 25 species, including 13 species of Hymenoptera, five species of Diptera, five species of Lepidoptera and two species of Coleoptera were documented. Of which, Hymenoptera was found to be most abundant, accounting for 72.17% followed by Diptera at 16.49%. Among the families, Apidae was observed as most dominant, with a high abundance and species diversity at 49.48% followed by Syrphidae at 9.28%. The families Sphecidae, Hesperiidae, and Calliphoridae each had the least abundance at 1.03%. Apis dorsata Fabricius was reported as most abundant species at 12.37% followed by Apis cerana indica, Ceratina binghami Cockerell and Camponotus compressus Fab. each at 8.25%. The species Acraea terpsicore (0.82%) had the lowest abundance. In recent years due to urbanization and fragmentation a decreased trend in pollinator activity had been observed so this research provides the base line data about the existing pollinator species diversity in the study area which offer insights for taking appropriate management practices to conserve the pollinator species.

Tropical and montane Apis cerana show distinct dance-distance calibration curves.

Social bees have evolved sophisticated communication systems to recruit nestmates to newly found food sources. As foraging ranges can vary from a few hundred meters to several kilometers depending on the environment or season, populations of social bee species living in different climate zones likely show specific adaptations in their recruitment communication. Accordingly, studies in the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, demonstrated that temperate populations exhibit shallower dance-calibration curves compared with tropical populations. Here, we report the first comparison of calibration curves for three Indian Apis cerana lineages: the tropical Apis indica, and the two montane Himalayan populations Apis cerana cerana (Himachal Pradesh) and Apis cerana kashmirensis (Jammu and Kashmir). We found that the colonies of the two montane A. cerana populations show dance-distance calibration curves with significantly shallower slopes than those of the tropical A. indica. Next, we transferred A. c. cerana colonies to Bangalore (∼ 2600 km away) to obtain calibration curves in the same location as A. indica. The common garden experiment confirmed this difference in slopes, implying that the lineages exhibit genetically fixed differences in dance-distance coding. However, the slopes of the calibration curves of the transferred A. c. cerana colonies were also significantly higher than those of the colonies tested in their original habitat, indicating an important effect of the environment. The differences in dance-distance coding between temperate and tropical A. cerana lineages resemble those described for Apis mellifera, suggesting that populations of both species independently evolved similar adaptations.

Nectar Feeding and Dearth Period Management in Indian Honey Bee <i>Apis cerana</i> (F)

There have been many attempts to reduce the loss of Indian honey bee Apis cerana (F) colonies during the dearth period by supplementing nectar feeding substitutes. An experiment on development and evaluation of nectar feeding substitutes was conducted at an apiary maintained at the Division of Entomology, SKUAST-K, Shalimar from July to September during 2020-21. Syrup containing apple juice, sugar and mixture of both were evaluated as a diet supplement to develop an efficient feeding substitute. These include: T1 - apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1:1; T2 - apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1; T3- apple juice alone and T4 - sugar syrup in the ratio of 1:1 and compared with T5 natural feeding to determine their impact on desirable attributes of colonies. A gradual increase in the colony performance index (CPI), space covered by eggs (sq cm), larvae (sq cm) and pupae (sq cm) was observed, which were maximum with apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1 viz; CPI (13.28); space covered by eggs (204.25 sq cm); larvae (296.12 sq cm); pupae (484.41 sq cm). All parameters were found to be least in T5 (natural feeding). Thus, apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1 (T2 ) was the best nectar feeding substitute.

Task specific behavior of Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica) workers

The success of honey bees living in a colony is due to well-organized interaction among morphologically similar castes, the workers. Here, we investigated the behavior of marked worker bees (Apis cerana indica Fab.) after emergence. To have a distinct difference in behavior between early- and middle-adult bees, worker bees were divided into two groups: young-aged bees (YAB) and middle-aged bees (MAB). Four castes i.e., “cell cleaner”, “nurse bee” (YAB), “MAB”, and “forager bees” were identified in A. c. indica. Seventeen distinct behavioral tasks performed by the worker caste with advancing age were recorded. YAB were observed to be engaged in taking care of the brood, such as “capping”, “inspecting”, and “feeding the brood”, while MAB were observed to be engaged in “honey processing”, “building combs”, “guarding”, and other tasks. There were no significant differences in “inspecting cells” and “walking” between YAB and MAB. YAB were seen “In cell” comparatively higher on the combs. Tasks like “capping” are done only by YAB, while tasks like “head inside honey cells”, “building comb”, and “chewing wood” are performed by MAB. Except for a brief orientation flight, YAB never performed “guarding” or “foraging” outside the colony. Data indicated that MAB is also involved in feeding the broods. The transition from within-colony to outside-colony tasks was observed when workers were 18-20 days old. Additionally, worker bees performed a variety of duties concurrently on the same day. Thus, the worker caste of A. c. indica, which lacks physical difference, can organize and divide colony responsibilities.

Pollinators diversity and pollination effects on yield attributes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus Linnaeus) in Odisha, India

In the study on the diversity of pollinators and their pollination efficiency in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under field condition of Odisha during 2021-22, recorded 18 species of pollinators. Indian honeybee, Apis cerana indica F. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) was found to be the major one among the insect pollinators. The experiment conducted for two years with three different treatments viz., open pollination (OP), managed A. cerana indica pollination (HB) and pollinator exclusion (PE) for better yield and quality revealed that both quantitative and qualitative parameters were significantly higher in OP sunflower crops followed by crops pollinated by A. cerana indica. Significantly higher seed yield, 1000 seed weight, percentage of seed filling and number of seed per capitulum were recorded in these treatments. These findings indicate OP and HB increase 33 per cent more yield in sunflower.

Temporal and Spatial Foraging Activity of Indian Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica F.) at Different Migratory Sites

Migratory beekeeping increases honey production and reduces the feeding costs of stationary beekeeping during longer dearth periods. This study discerns the influence of environmental conditions on the foraging behavior of the Indian honey bee, Apis cerana indica F., at different migratory sites in Southern India. The total number of foraging bees, pollen foraging efficiency, and nectar foraging efficiency were estimated. Furthermore, the influence of environmental factors, including temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and solar radiation, was recorded to identify its impact on the foraging behavior of honey bees. Among the climatic factors, maximum temperature (>30 °C) was the most crucial, negatively affecting bee activity with correlation coefficients of -0.83, -0.34, and -0.33 for outgoing bees, nectar, and pollen collectors, respectively. The relative humidity showed a positive impact on the frequency of worker bees moving out of the hive (r = 0.79), those coming in with nectar (r = 0.27), and pollen (r = 0.29). Rainfall hampered foraging activity, while solar radiation was found to have no significant effect on bee activity. Diurnal variations showed peak activity of bee foragers between 6.00 and 10.00 am. The visits by honey bees were significantly higher at low temperatures, solar radiation, precipitation, and high relative humidity. They made about 90% of their flower visits in the early morning, although plenty of bee flora was available throughout the day. Also, the environmental conditions at different sites strongly influenced the foraging behavior. However, the honey bees still focused their activities on favorable conditions depending on their biology and fixed their daily foraging patterns, improving beekeeping and honey production throughout the year.

Comparative Study of Amino Acids in the Different Stages of Honey Bee

Apiculture is the practice of keeping bees as well as the manufacturing of honey and beeswax. Nectar is the main source of carbohydrates for honey bees. The amount of nectar needed pet colony depends on how concentrated the sugars are in the nectar. A worker bee needs 11 mg of dry sugar each day, which translates to about 22 µl of 50% sugar syrup per bee per day. In order to make honeybees grow satisfactorily enough feed must be provided, and feed should have all the necessary nutrients for the growth of honeybees. The important nutrients such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and requirements of vitamins and minerals are necessary for the growth and development of honeybees. During development, several structural, physiological, and biochemical changes occur takes place in an organism from stage to stage. There is a variation in the quality of all biochemical components. In the present study, the free amino acids from the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult honeybee Apis cerana indica and also honey have been analyzed. This work was carried out by adopting the technique of paper chromatography. The developed chromatograms were dried and the spots were identified by spraying with (O.IN) Ninhydrin in acetone. The Rf values were calculated and compared with the Rf values of the standard amino acids. The presence of amino acids in different life stages of honeybee and honey were analyzed and compared.

Diversity of Pollinators on Sunflower

Sunflower crop was grown during rabi 2021 and summer 2022 at the M S Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Gajapati, Odisha. Investigation has been made on diversity of different pollinating agents associated with sunflower by observing their abundance, diversity, percentage contribution following the statistical diversity indices. The present study revealed eighteen different pollinators associated with sunflower. The Indian honey bee, Apis cerana indica (F)was recorded as the most dominant hymenopteran pollinator followed by the rock bee Apis dorsata(F)from family Apidae. The foraging activity of A. c. indica was observed to be maximum during midflowering stage (1.72± 1.23 and 2.78± 1.81 bees/ capitulum/ min in 1st and 2nd season, respectively) withhighest activity during 01:00-02:00 PM (3.02 bees/ capitulum/min.) and 10:00 to 11:00 AM (4.42 bees/capitulum/ min) during first and second seasons respectively. The Apidae family members’ i.e. A. c. indica and A. dorsata have attained eudominant and other pollinators were belonging mostly to the recedentand subrecedent classes based on dominance status. The diversity indices showed mid flowering stageattracted the most diversified group of pollinators.

Interactive Effect of Honey Bees [Apis mellifera, Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)] and Native Bees for Pollination Services in Radish, Raphanus sativus

Radish flowers, being self-incompatible are highly reliant on insect visitors for pollination. Honey bees are effective pollinators of radish. Pollination is influenced by visitation rates, behaviour and pollination effectiveness of pollinators which aid in seedset. We explored bee behaviour known to favour pollination; flowers visited per unit time and time required to process a flower by honey bees and non-Apis bees visiting radish. During our study, 54 species/morphospecies were observed to visit radish flowers, of which Apis cerana indica is predominant. Pollinator effectiveness was measured by means of seed set by flowers receiving a single visit of a specific pollinator as compared to seed set by flowers allowed for open pollination (multiple visits) and was found to be 0.31 and 0.36 for A. cerana and Apis mellifera, respectively. Yield enhancement studies through entomophily showed that, flowers receiving unrestricted visit of pollinators (open control) recorded 265.5% higher yield followed by interaction of two pollinators (A. c. indica + A. mellifera) 198.3%, A. mellifera (163.8%) and A. c. indica (178.3%) with respect to radish flowers allowed only for self-pollination. Pollinator diversity enhanced pollination and seed set in radish. These advantages of pollinator synergies and benefits of biodiversity are increasingly recognized.

Insect Delicacies Among the Mishing and the Tiwa Communities and Their Implications for Diseases and Food Security

The Mishings and the Tiwas, along with various global communities, have traditionally consumed insects for their palatability since ancient times. This study reveals the remarkable nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties of these edible insects, making them viable dietary options. Eupreponotus inflatus was observed to have the highest protein content at 65.81%, Vespa affinis with the highest carbohydrate content at 19.18%, and Anaciaeschna donaldi exhibiting the highest fat content at 27.31%. Apis indica and Gryllotalpa africana demonstrated superior anti-inflammatory activity at 3.48 mg/ ml and 3.45 mg/ ml, respectively. Given that inflammation is implicated in numerous chronic diseases, the observed nutrient profiles and anti-inflammatory characteristics of these edible insects position them as suitable dietary supplements globally. The presented insect species could serve as beneficial additions or alternatives to existing diets. The study underscores the need for broader recognition of the nutritional and anti-inflammatory benefits offered by these edible insects. By aligning with contemporary nutritional needs and global food challenges, integrating these insects into diets could contribute significantly to public health.

Pollinator Diversity and Foraging Behaviour of Insect Pollinators in Aonla

This study is on the diversity, abundance of floral visitors, foraging rate and speed of major pollinators in aonla orchard. Aonla flowers were observed with 22 floral visitors belonging to the Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Tetragonula iridipennis was the most abundant floral visitor followed by Apis cerana indica and A. dorsata. Number of flowers visited by A. cerana indica (13.46 flowers/ min) and T. iridipennis (8.26) was maximum during 1100-1200 hr. The time spent by A. cerana indica (6.24 sec/flower) and T. iridipennis (6.20) was also maximum during 1100-1200 hr.

Floral Handling by <i>Apis cerana indica</i> F. in Sunflower

The foraging activity of Apis cerana indica F with specific to their floral handling time on sunflower has been investigated at MSSSoA, Centurion University of Technology and Management in Gajapati district of Odisha in two cropping seasons. Floral handling time was to be maximum during mid flowering stages and the least during late flowering. The mean time spent on flowers was higher during 10:00-11:00 AM in the second season whereas it was during 01:00-02:00 PM in the first season.

Evaluation of first-generation Indian bee, Apis cerana indica colonies raised from breeder colonies by grafting method

Evaluation of first-generation Indian bee, Apis cerana indica colonies raised from breeder colonies by grafting method

Fine structure of sensilla on the proboscis of the Indian Honey Bee Apis cerana indica Fabricius (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Honey bees feed on flowers from which they collect nectar and pollen and their mouth parts are designed for fluid-feedingfrom flowers. The proboscis consists of a ‘tongue’ that includes a long glossa and ends in a spoon-shaped labellum, labial palp, galea and mandibles. The sensilla on the proboscis assists in nectar feeding. A study of the chemosensory hairs on the proboscis was carried out in Apis cerana indica collected from apiaries at the foot of Western Ghats, India. Light- and scanning electron microscopy were employed. In addition, silver staining was carried out to distinguish different types of chemosensilla. The glossa has 60 sensilla chaetica that stain by silver nitrate technique. The length (110 μ), width (2 μ) and spacing of microtrichia on glossa and forked hairs on the labellum are suited for the collection of nectar due to viscosity and to reduce leakiness while feeding. The length of the glossa being short suggests that A. cerana indica feeds on small-sized flowers that are not tubular. The labial palp has sensilla chaetica A and sensilla chaetica B distinguished by their length and sensilla basiconica, all of which are silver nitrate-positive and thus chemosensory in nature. Distal galea has sensilla basiconica, sensilla chaetica A and B and sensilla coeloconica. The maxillary palp is a mechanosensory structure. The bulge on the galea near the maxillary palp has chemosensory sensilla chaetica. Mandibular hairs did not stain with silver and are hence mechanosensory. The sensilla on proboscis in A. cerana indica is comparable to mouth part sensilla in Apis mellifera and Apis florea. The position of the chemosensilla at different regions suggests their role in tasting nectar, detecting the flow of nectar, and the dimensions of the flower and pollen.

IoT-Based Beehive Monitoring System for Real-Time Monitoring of Apis cerana indica Colonies

A study was conducted to monitor the bee activity in the colonies of diferente strengths in real time using an IoT-based device. The in-hive temperature and relative humidity were measured in the colonies of Apis cerana indica Fabricius of different strengths using the sensor-laden IoT device that was correlated with the movement of foragers into and out of the hive. A significantly higher movement of foragers was recorded at an in-hive temperature and relative humidity of 27.84 ºC and 61.47% at 5-6 p.m. with an observed activity of 9,638 bees/hive/hour in the strong colonies. In the weak colonies, the mean forager activity was 1,436.3 bees/hive/hour, which was recorded at an in-hive temperature of 26.52 ºC and 61.42% relative humidity. The mean honey area in the strong and weak colonies were 1,300.80±177.61 cm2 and 508.80±156.84 cm2, respectively. Pollen area in the strong and weak colonies were 447.60±112.08 cm2 and 116.20±66.43 cm2, respectively. In the strong and weak colonies, the area under egg brood was 470±53.06 cm2 and 88.20±36.85 cm2, larvae brood was 583.40±11.04 cm2 and 80.00±24.67 cm2 and sealed brood was 684.20±57.98 cm2 and 102.80±16.59 cm2, respectively. The real-time data on the movement of foragers in the colonies of different strengths enabled us to undertake timely intervention in the maintenance of the bee colonies.

Studies on Foraging Behaviour of Honeybees on Flowers of Rapeseed Crop

This paper represents foraging behaviour of honeybees on the flowers of rapeseed crop; Apis cerana indica started foraging at 07.10hr and ceased their foraging activity at 17.25hr. Thus, the duration of foraging activity was 10.15hr which was maximum foraging period, followed by A. florea (08.00hr to 05.00hr and 09.00hr) and A. dorsata (07.50hr to 03.00hr and 07.10hr) respectively. A. cerana indica spent maximum time of 6.57 ± 0.43 sec/flower followed by A. dorsata 6.55 ± 0.26 sec/flower and and A. florea 4.4 ± 0.27 sec/flower. Maximum number of flowers visited by A. dorsata of 11.3 ± 2.3 flowers/ min then A. cerana indica of 9.7 ± 2.6 flowers/ min and A. florea of 6.3 ± 1.2 flowers/ min.

The effect of migratory beekeeping on Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica) microbiota – a first report

Migratory beekeeping is a widely extended practice aimed at increasing the yield of honey and pollination services. Microbial symbionts that inhabit the honey bee’s gut are essential to their host’s food digestion, immunity, and gut protection. Throughout the honey bee life cycle and at several migratory sites, the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota changes. However, it is yet unknown how significant changes in migratory locations, such as altered floral supply, parasitism and pathogen infestation, affect the dynamics of the gut microbiota. The goal of this study was to describe the Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica) gut microbiome at different migratory sites of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Our results found that the core bacterial composition of the microbiota was consistent over different migratory sites. Despite this stability, our comparisons of the microbiota of honey bees from the same colony show that there are differences in composition at different migratory sites. Likewise, there is variation in relative abundance between microbiomes of different migratory sites. The four most dominant phyla were Proteobacteria followed by Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes. Most of the isolates belonged to families of Xanthomonadaceae, Orbaceae, Weeksellaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Neisseriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Dysgonomonadaceae, Clostridiaceae and Enterococcaceae. However, several commensal bacteria that proliferate in the hive environment including members of Lactobacillaceae (Lactobacillus kunkeei), Bifidobacteriaceae, Orbaceae and Neisseriaceae were also identified and considered as beneficial gut inhabitants and involved in the maintenance of a healthy microbiota. This is the first report on bee gut microbiota from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu geographically situated at the southeast coast of India.

Multiple Honey Harvesting Strategy - migratory Beekeeping in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India

Commercial beekeeping in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry depends on Indian bee, Apis cerana indica. The State had occupied first position in honey production in the country until 1990’s. In commercial beekeeping, migration has assumed really important dimensions. Our results demonstrated that total brood area reached the highest area of 1286.86 cm2 at January II at Puducherry site and lowest brood area at May II (527.38 cm2) at Chidambaram sites. Similarly, a significant difference was noticed in the mean total brood area, pollen area and queen prolificacy between the different migratory sites. Pollen area (cm2) was 155.22±7.88 to 272.56±9.61 cm2. The largest fortnightly mean pollen area was in February I (272.56±9.61 cm2) at Puducherry site, while the lowest was in June II (165.46±7.30 cm2) Chidambaram site. Egg laying area peaked in January II (297.81±4.75 cm2) at Puducherry site and rapidly declining through February, March, and April to reach its lowest point in May II (122.05±4.26 cm2) at Chidambaram site. In contrast, a non-significant difference was observed in nectar area and honey yield at different migratory sites (P>0.05). Current findings add to our understanding the honey yield was high in all the migratory sites without any differences by the way multiple honey harvest was possible in migratory beekeeping practices.