Behavior Of Colonies Research Articles

Foraging Activity and Preference of Pollen Sources by Stingless Bee, Heterotrigona itama in Tropical Lowland Forest of Terengganu

Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are a highly diversified group of eusocial corbiculate bees distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. However, studies on the relation of stingless bee activeness with environmental parameters and pollen source preference are very limited particularly from the lowland forest of East Coast Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, this study aimed to determine the relationship between stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama foraging activity with environmental factors (temperature, humidity, and light intensity) and preference of floral sources in a meliponiary of Marang, Terengganu. The foraging activities of five healthy colonies of H. itama were observed from 0700 to 1700 hours on hot sunny days for eight months of study period (August 2020 – September 2021). The foraging activity was enumerated using camera recording for 10 minutes at one-hour intervals (0700-1700 hours). In this study, the peak time for H. itama to go forage was observed at 0900 until 1100 hours in the early morning and declined rapidly from 1100 until 1700 hours. October 2020 recorded the highest activeness of stingless bees, followed by August 2021 and September 2021. There was a significant difference in the interaction of stingless bee activeness between time and months [F67,424 = 3.498, p<0.05]. However, temperature, humidity and light intensity did not significantly influence the activeness of stingless bees. Acacia mangium was the most frequent pollen grain collected by H. itama, followed by Melastoma malabathricum and other pollen types were considered minor pollen types (<15%). Findings from this study can help beekeepers to understand the foraging behaviour of stingless bee colonies and the preference of the available pollen resources for sustainable meliponiculture management practice.

Differences between uncapping and removal behaviors in Apis cerana from the perspective of long non-coding RNAs

BackgroundHygienic behavior, a specialized form of immune response evolved in social insects, plays a crucial role in safeguarding colonies from disease spread. In honeybee colonies, such behavior typically entails the dual steps of uncapping and removal of unhealthy and deceased brood. Although in recent years, numerous studies have examined the development of hygienic behavior, the mechanisms underlying the division in the performance of uncapping and removal have yet to be sufficiently elucidated. In this regard, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been evidenced to be engaged in regulating the physiological activities of honeybees; however, whether lncRNAs are likewise involved in the uncapping and removal tasks has not been clarified.ResultsIn this study, the strong hygienic Apis cerana worker bees were used and the processes of uncapping and removal behaviors in three colonies were assayed with freeze-killed brood in the field. We then sequenced the antennal RNAs of honeybees to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and performed lncRNA-mRNA association analysis to establish the differences between uncapping and removal. We detected 1,323 differentially expressed lncRNAs in the antennae, and the findings of lncRNA-mRNA association analyses revealed that the target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs between uncapping and removal worker bees were predominantly linked to response to stimulus, receptor activity, and synapse. Notably, among the lncRNAs enriched in cellular response to stimulus, XR_001766094.2 was exclusively expressed in the uncapping worker bees. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that XR_001766094.2 plays a key role in distinguishing uncapping from removal behaviors by responding to external stimulus, thereby suggesting that the division of hygienic behaviors is governed by differential thresholds of responsiveness to environmental cues.ConclusionWe characterized differences in the uncapping and removal behaviors of worker bees from a perspective of lncRNAs. Uncapping bees may be equipped with a more rapid stimulatory response and more acute olfactory sensitivity, contributing to the rapid hygienic behavior in honeybee colonies. Our results thus establish a foundation for potential lncRNA-mediated gene expression regulation in hygienic behavior.

Robustness and Scalability of Incomplete Virtual Pheromone Maps for Stigmergic Collective Exploration

The Swarm Guiding and Communication System (SGCS) is a decision-making and information-sharing framework for robot swarms that only needs close-range peer-to-peer communication and no centralized control. Each robot makes decisions based on an incomplete virtual pheromone map that is updated on each interaction with another robot, imitating ant colonial behavior. Similar systems rely on continuous communication with no range limitations, environment modification, or centralized control. A computer simulation is developed to assess the effectiveness and robustness of the framework in covering an area. Consistency and the time needed for 99% coverage are compared with an unbiased random walk. The pheromone approach is shown to outperfom the unbiased one regardless of number of agents. Innate resilience to individual failures is also demonstrated.

Colonial Governance in the Mining Sector: Las Bambas’ RSC and the Conflicts with the Communities

ABSTRACT Mining is an essential component of Peru's social metabolism and the main export item in monetary terms. Copper accounts for half of exports, and its demand is expected to increase because of the energy transition. Mining extraction causes permanent and numerous socio-environmental conflicts, particularly affecting indigenous populations whose integrity is at risk. The Chinese mining company MMG owns the Las Bambas mining project and has ongoing conflicts with affected communities. Affected communities are vulnerable to the mining giant and government repression. Despite promises of community participation, the company has failed to deliver. A long process of complaints and protests begins, to which more communities affected by the mining project are joining. Based on an analysis of the mining company's corporate social responsibility, we will show its colonial governance, demonstrating that its corporate social responsibility does not resolve the conflict, but on the contrary, favors the monetary claims of the communities supporting a corporate colonial behavior.

Can you dig it? The impact of a movable substrate "dig pit" on naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) behavior and welfare.

Zoos are often limited by exhibit design in the opportunities they can provide animals to express natural behaviors; however, the opportunity to perform certain natural behaviors is key to supporting good animal welfare. Traditionally, in zoos, naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are housed in gunite-lined acrylic chambers that replicate the look of their tunnel systems in the wild but don't offer the opportunity for natural digging and tunnel construction behaviors. In this study, naked mole rat behavior was evaluated when providing two different presentations of movable substrate added on to the original exhibit-a tank with loose substrate and a dig pit with hard-packed clay. We recorded 299 5-min focal observations with 30-s intervals and 30 group scans to understand behavioral changes across treatments (10 days of observation per treatment). Results were analyzed using Bayesian mixed models. Digging behavior emerged in both presentations of moveable substrate. A potential indicator of negative welfare, barrier-directed behavior, decreased when the mole rats had access to the tank of loose substrate. A potential indicator of positive welfare, exploratory behavior, increased with access to the dig pit when the mole rats had the opportunity to build tunnels. Additionally, affiliative social interactions increased, and aggressive interactions decreased with access to either presentation of movable substrate. The observed changes in colony behavior demonstrate that captive naked mole rats readily exhibited the natural behaviors of digging and tunnel building when the opportunity was presented, and the habitat modification likely improved naked mole rat welfare.

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.

Optimization of the Colony Size Parameter in the Ant Algorithm for Solving the Routing Problem in Communication Networks

With the increasing amount of information and complexity of communication networks, the issue of routing remains relevant. The routing problem is a classic problem of building a logical structure of a communication network. To solve this problem, many methods are used, such as: genetic algorithms, ant algorithm, swarm intelligence, artificial bee colony algorithm, firefly algorithm, bacterial food search optimization algorithm, etc. Despite the fact that the effectiveness of using the ant algorithm is widely known and described, however, there is no single approach to finding the optimal use case for the algorithm. There is a need to determine the optimal size of the colony when solving the routing problem. The article describes the results of the simulation process of modeling the behavior of ant colonies of different sizes to find the optimal route through the AnyLogic environment. It is determined that by means of simulation it is possible to reproduce the use of the ant algorithm to solve the routing problem in communication networks. To find the optimal ratio of the colony size to the complexity of the task, you can use the grid search methodology. The results clearly demonstrate that with increasing complexity of the task (the number of communication nodes), the same number of ants cope worse with the task. The problem associated with the need to accurately determine the optimal size of a colony is of great practical importance, because an increase in the size of a colony has generally decreasing utility. It was found that for many, an increase in the number of ants from 100 to 500 had a relatively greater effect than an increase in the size of the colony from 1000 to 10000. It is proved that by means of simulation it is possible to reproduce the use of the ant algorithm to solve the routing problem in communication networks.

Mite non-reproduction is not a consequence of the brood removal behavior of varroa sensitive hygiene honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera).

A sustainable solution to the global threat of the Varroa destructor mite is the selection of varroa-resistant honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. Both "mite non-reproduction" (MNR) and "varroa sensitive hygiene" (VSH) appear to be promising selection traits for achieving the goal of a resistant honey bee. MNR describes colonies that have a high number of non-reproductive mites (no offspring, no males, or delayed development of mite offspring). High numbers of non-reproductive mites have been observed in selected colonies, but the mechanism behind this trait has not yet been identified. The specialized hygienic behavior of selected honey bees, called VSH, is the removal of varroa-infested brood. These traits were thought to be linked by VSH bees preferentially removing reproductive varroa females leaving only non-reproductive mites behind in cells and thus creating colonies with high levels of MNR. To further investigate this link, we used an experimental setup and data sets from a four-year selection project designed to breed for MNR and VSH colonies. In addition, we sought to answer the question of whether non-reproductive mites are a direct consequence of worker removal behavior. To test this, we artificially induced removal behavior, and after providing the mite with enough time to re-enter another cell, we opened all capped cells, relocated the mites, and evaluated their reproduction. As shown in previous studies and in this study, VSH had no effect on MNR levels. Also, the induced removal behavior did not lead to non-reproduction in the subsequent reproductive cycle post interruption. We thus concluded that breeding for non-reproductive mites does not automatically breed for VSH behavior and worker removal behavior does not cause subsequent reproductive failure of the mites forced to flee and find a new cell for reproduction.

Reproductive inefficiency and increased behavioral variation are associated with large group size in the orchid bee, Euglossa dilemma

Orchid bees are the only corbiculate bee lineage that is not obligately eusocial. However, multiple species of orchid bee show facultative sociality, with reproductive division of labor and a social hierarchy effectively enforced by oophagy. Orchid bee species differ in the degree of reproductive skew in social groups, as well as the rigidity of social roles. In the orchid bee Euglossa dilemma, previous observation of social groups of two or three individuals found that reproductive skew was complete, with one clear dominant individual that ate and replaced each subordinate laid egg. Here, we compare patterns of egg laying and egg-replacement between typical social nests of 2–3 individuals and larger social nests of 4–5 individuals. We find a striking difference in the reproductive behavior of colonies of varying group size; larger nests exhibit more reproductive inefficiency and conflict over the dominant social position, characterized by repeated oophagy and slower egg replacement. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that group size in E. dilemma may be limited by the ability of dominant bees to keep up with egg replacement. We discuss the possible causes and consequences of observed behavioral variation and its implications for understanding social behavior in orchid bees.

Honey bee colony behavior and ontogeny are adversely affected when exposed to a pesticide-contaminated environment.

Honey bees exhibit age polyethism and thus have a predictable sequence of behaviors they express through developmental time. Numerous laboratory studies show exposure to pesticides may impair critical honey bee behaviors (brood care, foraging, egg-laying, etc.) that adversely affect colony productivity and survival. There are fewer studies that examine the impacts of pesticides in natural field settings, especially given the challenges of implementing treatment groups and controlling variables. This study helps address the need for impact studies on pollinators under field conditions to assess the consequences of chemical overuse and dependency in agricultural and urban landscapes. To assess the impact of systemic pesticides in a natural field setting on worker bee behavioral development, observation hives were established to monitor changes in behaviors of similarly aged workers and sister queens within 2 experimental groups: (i) colonies located near point-source systemic pesticide pollution (pesticide contaminated treatment), and (ii) colonies embedded within a typical Midwestern US agricultural environment (control). In this study, worker bees in the contaminated environment exhibited important and biologically significant behavioral differences and accelerated onset of hive tasks (i.e., precocious behavioral development) compared to similarly aged bees at the control site. Queen locomotion was largely unaffected; however, the egg-laying rate was reduced in queens at the contaminated (treated) site. These results show that environmental pesticide exposure can disrupt colony function and adversely affect worker bee behavioral maturation, leading to reduced worker longevity and decreased colony efficiency.

Unraveling the forces shaping foraging dynamics in harvester ant colonies: Recruitment efficiency and environmental variability

The collective foraging behavior of ant colonies is a central focus in behavioral ecology. This paper enhances the classical model of foraging dynamics in harvester ant colonies by introducing a nonlinear recruitment rate and considering environmental variability. Initially, we analyze the existence and stability of steady states in the deterministic model. The results suggest that an increase in mean recruitment time can reduce the foraging threshold, leading to both forward and backward bifurcations. Furthermore, both average recruitment time and the interference intensity of recruiters impact the number of workers in each subgroup. Subsequently, we conduct an analysis of the long-term and transient dynamics of collective foraging in random environments, providing sufficient conditions for the colony to sustain foraging activity. The findings emphasize the scene-dependent impact of environmental stochasticity on foraging dynamics. When ant colonies deterministically cease foraging, environmental stochasticity may unexpectedly prolong the foraging state. Conversely, when colonies deterministically persist in foraging, environmental stochasticity may disrupt this continuity. Additionally, the effect of environmental stochasticity on foraging status varies with the initial worker size. Sizes near the boundary of the basin of attraction between non-foraging and foraging states exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental stochasticity, and sufficiently large stochasticity can impact foraging dynamics across a broader range of initial worker sizes. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between intrinsic factors (e.g., recruitment efficiency and interference intensity) and extrinsic factors (e.g., environmental stochasticity) in shaping the collective foraging dynamics of ant colonies.

Проблема приватности в цифровом обществе роевого интеллекта

Introduction. The development of digital technologies requires the specification of the type of the emerging digital society. One of the development scenarios is the formation of a digital society of swarm intelligence. Theoretical analysis. The concept of swarm intelligence means an optimization algorithm that imitates the behavior of swarms or colonies of insects and bird flocks. Human society is characterized by the manifestation of swarm intelligence as a condition of joint organized activity, but the development of digital technologies brings swarm intelligence to a higher level. Creation of private swarms causes risks in the form of “Byzantine robot” – a hacked particle of the swarm, transmitting false information and jeopardizing the whole swarm. The solution is to incorporate elements of the economic game that support the values of honesty, cooperation and solidarity into the particle interactions. This leads to making privacy a “process” and changing its value status. Protecting privacy in swarm intelligence society has the potential to cause labor to lose its public status and acquire a private, hidden status and anonymize employment. Conclusion. The possible scenario of human society development towards the digital society of swarm intelligence can become a source of profound social changes and, above all, a rethinking of the social stratification based on the division of labor and social hierarchy in general.

Analyze the Impact of Mobility and Pause Time on ACO based Manet Routing Protocols - Review

Abstract: Recently, many researchers have studied its performance within Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs). Every ad hoc network protocol focuses on a different set of measurements and traits. The majority of the currently utilized mobility models are employed to provide realistic movement patterns for MANET scenarios. A crucial element in the creation of MANET protocols is simulation. The future topology of a network can be predicted, which enables Quality of service- aware routing to choose a dependable link for data transmission. Ant algorithms, also known as swarm intelligence, are a wider field of study that deals with algorithmic approaches that are motivated by the behaviour of ant colonies and other insects. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a subset of this larger topic. Based on the pheromone value deposited over the link, we identified two categories for the link quality in the proposed approach. We have demonstrated how the network's performance is enhanced by the suggested technique. The nodes are moving in the specified terrain dimensions through the Enhanced Manhattan Mobility Model (EMMM). The five QoS performance metrics are analyzed over three MANET routing protocols. The comparison is made over two important factors-mobility and pause time with the proposed ACO technique of reliable links. In the first experiment of different speeds, DSR is 25.5% better than AODV and 5.3% better than DSDVin metric packet dropping, 1.15% better than AODV and 1.01% better than DSDV in Packet Delivery Ratio, 1.5% better than AODV and 1.04% better than DSDV in packet overhead, and 62.7% better than AODV and 73.1% better than DSDV in average end-to-end delay. In the second experiment of pause times, DSR is 25.05% better than AODV and 4.5% better than DSDV in packet dropping, 1.18% better than AODV and 1.01% better than DSDV in packet delivery ratio, 1.01% better than DSDV in throughput, 0 to 0.002% in packet overhead, and 0.02% to 0.005% shorter delay.

Coupling of gene regulation and carrier modification manipulates bacterial biofilms as robust living catalysts

The biofilm of an engineered strain is limited by slow growth and low yield, resulting in an unsatisfactory ability to resist external stress and promote catalytic efficiency. Here, biofilms used as robust living catalysts were manipulated through dual functionalized gene regulation and carrier modification strategies. The results showed that gene overexpression regulates the autoinducer-2 activity, extracellular polymeric substance content and colony behavior of Escherichia coli, and the biofilm yield of csgD overexpressed strains increased by 79.35 % compared to that of the wild type strains (p < 0.05). In addition, the hydrophilicity of polyurethane fibres modified with potassium dichromate increased significantly, and biofilm adhesion increased by 105.80 %. Finally, the isoquercitrin yield in the catalytic reaction of the biofilm reinforced by the csgD overexpression strain and the modified carrier was 247.85 % higher than that of the untreated group. Overall, this study has developed engineered strains biofilm with special functions, providing possibilities for catalytic applications.

Türev Filtresi Kullanımının Pathfinder Algoritması ile Optimize Edilmiş Bir PID Denetleyici Üzerindeki Etkisi: Bir DC Motor Hız Kontrol Sistemi Örneği

In this article, Pathfinder-Derivative filtered proportional-integral-derivative controller (PF-PIDF) is proposed as the optimum algorithm and controller for DC motor speed control. The Pathfinder algorithm is inspired by the collective behavior of the animal colony and imitates the leadership hierarchy of the herds in order to determine the best meal or hunting ground. The movement of all particles is not regular, they all move randomly. In order to acquire the best parameters of the derivative filtered PID controller (PIDF) controller with the Pathfinder algorithm, the objective function ITAE (Integral of the Time Multiple Absolute Error), one of the commonly used objective functions in the literature, was used. Time solution set analysis, frequency response analysis (bode), robustness analysis, pole-zero map analysis and load disturbance rejection analysis were performed in MATLAB/Simulink software to make comparisons between algorithms and controllers and to testify the sufficiency of the proposed controller. As a result of the studies, it has been seen that the with PIDF Pathfinder algorithm has better performance than the other optimization algorithms in the article.

Hygiene activity of bees in certain territories of Ukraine

The main results of the evaluation of the hygienic activity of bees are highlighted and it is assumed that pollution affects the behavioral patterns of bees and the general protective immune response of the body to the penetration of infection. After all, in Kharkiv, Sumy and Mykolaiv regions, an increased level of pollution was noted in connection with the approach to the zone of hostilities, in particular, the recording of flights to the territory of the apiary, shelling and the movement of heavy military equipment. We assumed that the weakening of the resistance of honey bees to diseases and the deterioration of the general immune response of the body may occur as a result of contamination of the natural environment, including feed, pollen and nectar, with various toxic substances. These substances can include heavy metals, radioactive elements, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics and other chemical compounds that negatively affect the health of bees and the quality of beekeeping products. It is shown that the best indicators of the activity of the hygienic behavior of bees were noted for the territory with the least anthropogenic load and the most distant from the zone of hostilities (Vinnytsia region). The hygienic behavior of bees is that they identify and remove infected or dead larvae from the hive, which can be a source of disease and parasites. This behavior is an important factor in the survival of bee colonies and maintaining productivity. Further studies include the selection of bees and beekeeping products (honey, honey) for laboratory studies to assess the possibility of their use in bioindication of environmental pollution. Bioindication is a method of measuring the quality of the environment using living organisms that respond to changes in environmental conditions. Bees are sensitive bioindicators because they forage over a large area and reflect the level of contamination in their products. Analyzing the research results, it can be concluded that in one group of bees, the indicators of the time of complete removal of dead brood for 2022–2023 had an uneven character. Fairly low indicators of hygienic activity over the two-year period were noted in the 2nd and 3rd groups of bees, as the average value of the time of complete removal of dead larvae was 22.7 and 23.5 hours, respectively. The lowest indicators of the time of removal of dead brood over the entire period of observation were noted in the 5th group of bees. However, the average indicators of this group are 6.5% lower than in the control group. When studying the hygienic behavior of bee colonies, we found that the efficiency of removing dead brood depends on the strength of the colony. A correlation between the values of hygienic activity of bees and family strength obtained in 2022 was found in the 2nd (R=0.95) and 3rd (R=0.78) groups. In 2023, a strong relationship between the indicators of the time of removal of 100% of larvae and the strength of the family was noted in the 5th (R=0.74), 1st groups (R=0.72). This indicates that stronger bee colonies have a greater ability to self-cleanse from dangerous factors that may threaten their health and productivity.

Targeted worker removal reveals a lack of flexibility in brood transport specialisation with no compensatory gain in efficiency

Division of labour is widely thought to increase the task efficiency of eusocial insects. Workers can switch their task to compensate for sudden changes in demand, providing flexible task allocation. In combination with automated tracking technology, we developed a robotic system to precisely control and spatiotemporally manipulate floor temperature over days, which allowed us to predictably drive brood transport behaviour in colonies of the ant Camponotus floridanus. Our results indicate that a small number of workers, usually minors belonging to the nurse social group, are highly specialised for brood transport. There was no difference in the speed at which workers transported brood, suggesting that specialisation does not correlate with efficiency. Workers often started to transport the brood only after having identified a better location. There was no evidence that workers shared information about the presence of a better location. Notably, once brood transporters had been removed, none of the remaining workers performed this task, and the brood transport completely stopped. When brood transporters were returned to their colony, brood transport was immediately restored. Taken together, our study reveals that brood transport is an inflexible task, achieved through the synchronous actions of a few privately informed specialist workers.

HUNTING FOR SOLOMON'S RING IN SALT ISLAND: THE HISTORY OF HADRAMI DIASPORA IN SUMENEP, 1832-1901

This article aims to narrate historically the social transformation and economic behavior of the Arab-Hadrami colony in Sumenep. Therefore, a socio-economic historical approach is employed in this research. The researcher engages in archival accuracy, synthesizing data, and presenting it within a historiographical framework. The study findings reveal that the formation of the Arab colony in Sumenep is attributed to the paternalistic relationship established between Arab-Hadrami traders and Sultan Abdurrahman. Socially and religiously based relationship facilitated the migration of Arab traders to Sumenep while also creating economic prosperity for them. However, following the Sultan's demise, the social ties between the Sumenep nobility and Arab traders began to diminish. Secondly, the colonial government's reorganization of Sumenep successfully opened up the island of Madura to the international market through the salt commodity. On the other hand, the reorganization of Sumenep stimulated the mobility of Arab-Hadrami trade, opening up new economic spaces such as maritime trade and salt transportation for them, and establishing capitalist relationships between Arab-Hadrami traders and the Sumenep nobility through the credit system.

Metagenomic analysis of the honey bee queen microbiome reveals low bacterial diversity and Caudoviricetes phages.

In eusocial insects, the health of the queens-the colony founders and sole reproductive females-is a primary determinant for colony success. Queen failure in the honey bee Apis mellifera, for example, is a major concern of beekeepers who annually suffer colony losses, necessitating a greater knowledge of queen health. Several studies on the microbiome of honey bees have characterized its diversity and shown its importance for the health of worker bees, the female non-reproductive caste. However, the microbiome of workers differs from that of queens, which, in comparison, is still poorly studied. Thus, direct investigations of the queen microbiome are required to understand colony-level microbiome assembly, functional roles, and evolution. Here, we used metagenomics to comprehensively characterize the honey bee queen microbiome. Comparing samples from different geographic locations and breeder sources, we show that the microbiome of queens is mostly shaped by the environment experienced since early life and is predicted to play roles in the breakdown of the diet and protection from pathogens and xenobiotics. We also reveal that the microbiome of queens comprises only four candidate core bacterial species, Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Lactobacillus apis, Bombella apis, and Commensalibacter sp. Interestingly, in addition to bacteria, we show that bacteriophages infect the queen microbiome, for which Lactobacillaceae are predicted to be the main reservoirs. Together, our results provide the basis to understand the honey bee colony microbiome assemblage, can guide improvements in queen-rearing processes, and highlight the importance of considering bacteriophages for queen microbiome health and microbiome homeostasis in eusocial insects.IMPORTANCEThe queen caste plays a central role in colony success in eusocial insects, as queens lay eggs and regulate colony behavior and development. Queen failure can cause colonies to collapse, which is one of the major concerns of beekeepers. Thus, understanding the biology behind the queen's health is a pressing issue. Previous studies have shown that the bee microbiome plays an important role in worker bee health, but little is known about the queen microbiome and its function in vivo. Here, we characterized the queen microbiome, identifying for the first time the present species and their putative functions. We show that the queen microbiome has predicted nutritional and protective roles in queen association and comprises only four consistently present bacterial species. Additionally, we bring to attention the spread of phages in the queen microbiome, which increased in abundance in failing queens and may impact the fate of the colony.

Thermoregulation of stingless bee colonies in boxes for rationale breeding in the Center-West of the state of Maranhão

Indigenous stingless bees of the subfamily Meliponinae are recognized as bees native to Brazil. They have an atrophied sting and are widely distributed throughout tropical regions, from Mexico to the south of Brazil on the American Continent. This study was carried out to evaluate the thermoregulatory behavior in colonies of stingless bees allocated in rational breeding boxes in the municipality of Grajaú, Central West region of the state of Maranhão. The project was developed at the IFMA Grajaú Campus, where two models of rational breeding boxes for stingless bees were made to evaluate which of the models has greater colonial development of two species of bees (Melipona fasciculata and Melipona flavolineata) when transferred from the native nests to the rational breeding boxes. To this end, digital thermometers were installed in stingless bee hives and thermo-hygrometers to monitor the maximum and minimum daily temperature for six months. Despite a wide variation in maximum and minimum external temperatures, the bees managed to maintain the temperature between 23.5º and 33.9ºC and the relative humidity between 39 and 64% inside the hives throughout the days, especially the hives in model 1. This was the most adapted prototype for rearing bees in this experiment, with good thermoregulation of stingless bee colonies throughout the day in both species over the study months.