Honeybee Apis Mellifera Adansonii Research Articles

Diurnality in the defensive behaviour of African honeybees Apis mellifera adansonii and implications for their potential efficacy in beehive fences

AbstractAcross the range of African elephants Loxodonta spp., negative interactions with people are prevalent, and the impact of the resulting economic losses on farmers calls for solutions. The use of beehive fences, a mitigation method with ecological and socio-economic benefits, is gaining momentum in African savannah landscapes. We assessed the diurnal and nocturnal defensive behaviours of African honeybees Apis mellifera adansonii in response to visual and physical disturbances in the Campo–Ma'an conservation area, Cameroon. We examined six bee colonies, assessing their activity level, aggressive behaviour and ability to defend themselves when disturbed at different times of day. We found that activity levels varied between colonies and that colonies were more active during the day and inactive at night. The defensive perimeter around the hives also varied between the colonies and was generally greater during morning and evening periods. Bee colonies did not defend their hives around midday and at night. In response to a threat, bees were more likely to fly out from the hive during daytime than at night, with variation amongst colonies. Overall, as elephant intrusions occur mostly at night, beehive fences alone may not be an adequate mitigation method against crop damage caused by forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis. We suggest combining beehive fences with other mitigation methods to improve crop protection.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF HONEYBEE (APIS MELLIFERA ADANSONII) IN IJEBU ENVIRONAS REVEALED BY SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEAT (SSR) MARKERS

Honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii, dominant honey producing species in Nigeria was subjected to genetic variability studies using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) in other to provide the baseline data in Nigeria. Nine (9) Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) primers were used to assess the genetic diversity in Two (2) worker bees each collected from 22 colonies found in the four apiaries in Ijebu environs of Ogun State. Data collected were subjected to analysis and results showed that six (6) out of nine primers produced 80 reproducible, polymorphic bands while the remaining three (3) were monomorphic. Gene diversity (H ) in total population and magnitude of differentiation among T populations (FST) was 0.430 and 0.340, respectively. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) partitioned the total genetic variation as 70% within, 30% among populations. The cluster analysis showed that Ipari-Oke 3 and Odo-Epo 1-8 populations diverged from others which showed they are closer in genetic distances while Ipari-Oke 1 and Odo-Epo 2-5 were newly observed subcluster which represents another subspecies. In conclusion, genetic variations existed amongst the honey worker bees populations in Ogun State.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the West African honey bee Apis mellifera adansonii (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome of the West African honey bee Apis mellifera adansonii consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. It was 16,466 bp and consisted of 84.7% AT nucleotides. This subspecies had a similar mitogenome to those of other southern African honey bees, namely A. m. scutellata, A. m. capensis, and A. m. monticola.

Genetic characterization of the honeybee ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor from Benin (West Africa) using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers.

Varroa destructor is one of the scourges of global beekeeping. It was detected for the first time in Benin in 2011 on the honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii. The aim of this study was to identify the strain of Varroa sp. found and study its genetic diversity. In total 183 Varroa mites were sampled in 21 municipalities in Benin. The COI intergenic region of each mite mtDNA was amplified by PCR. The SacI restriction enzyme was used to determine the strains of Varroa sp. Only the Korean (K) haplotype, identical to the most prevalent strain in Africa, was detected. Analysis of the genetic diversity of Varroa mites with eight microsatellite loci (Simple Sequence Repeats) indicated a very low diversity of genotypes. Thus, V. destructor populations from Benin appear to make up a single group. Their clonal wealth ranges from 0.00 to 0.47. This study is an important step forward in the monitoring of the infestation of V. destructor.

Importance Du Couplage De L’inventaire Des Plantes Mellifères Et De L’analyse Pollinique Des Miels De La Saison Des Pluies En Zone Ouest Soudanienne Au Nord-Bénin

The melliferous plants vary from one area to another according to biotic, climatic and ecological factors. This study was realized in the Sudanese region of Benin, in order to inventorize honey plants visited by the honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille. Pollen analysis of 34 samples of honey from three apiaries in the northwest of the country, combined with direct observations around each apiary within 1000 m radius were realized per month. In total 129 species were censised including 109 species inventorized on the field and 73 taxa identified through pollen analysis. Among these taxa, 43 are identified until species level. The contribution of pollen analysis to the knowledge of melliferous plants is 15.50%. The pollen analysis of honeys and visual inventory of honey plants field are two complementary methods of studying the honey flora.

Spectrum of plant species foraged by Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille in the North Sudanian phytogeographical region of Burkina Faso

Melissopalynological analysis of 60 honey samples collected from 50 Kenyan Top Bar Hives in the North Sudanian phytogeographical region of Burkina Faso established the plant species foraged by honeybees Apis mellifera adansonii. Forty-three pollen types from 29 families were identified in the honey samples. The most common families were Mimosaceae (9.30%), Asteraceae (6.98%) and Anacardiaceae (6.98%). The most frequently visited plants were Combretum (66.66%), Tridax procumbens (66.66), Acacia seyal-group (50%), Cleome viscosa-group (50%) and Cyperus esculentus (41.67%). The results showed that Apis mellifera adansonii is polylectic with a heterogeneous foraging behaviour. Pollen analysis showed that the honeys from the two main honey flows of Burkina Faso were polyfloral.

Pollination efficiency of Apis mellifera adansonii (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Callistemon rigidus (Myrtaceae) flowers at Dang (Ngaoundéré, Cameroon)

To evaluate the impact of the honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille on fruit and seed yields of Callistemon rigidus R. Br. 1819, its foraging and pollinating activities were studied in Ngaoundere for two seasons (June–August 2009 and July–September 2010). Each year, observations were made on 120 inflorescences per treatment. The treatments included unlimited flower access by all visitors, bagged flowers to deny all visits and limited visits by A. m. adansonii only. In addition, all flower visitors were recorded. The worker bee's seasonal rhythm of activity, its foraging behaviour on flowers, its pollination efficiency, the fruiting rate, the number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of normal seeds were recorded. Individuals from five and ten insect species that visited C. rigidus flowers were recorded in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Apis mellifera adansonii was the most frequent, followed by Myrmicaria opaciventris Emery. Apis mellifera adansonii intensely and preferably foraged for nectar. The fruiting rate, the number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of normal seeds of unprotected inflorescences were significantly higher than those of inflorescences protected from insects. Apis mellifera adansonii foraging resulted in a significant increase in the fruiting rate by 92.04% in 2009 and 64% in 2010, as well as the number of seeds per fruit by 38.67% in 2009 and 59.16% in 2010, and the percentage of normal seeds by 84.67% in 2009 and 82.30% in 2010. Cultivation of C. rigidus plants could be recommended to increase seeds, fruits and honey production.

Nectar Sources for the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera adansonii) Revealed by Pollen Content

Nectar sources for the African honeybee Apis mellifera adansonii were investigated. The work involved analysis of three honey samples bought from open markets in Lagos, Nigeria. The pollen sediment of the honeys was acetolysed, mounted on slides and pollen types were identified and counted to determine the relative frequency of the different pollen types in the honey samples. The proportion of pollen from each of the honey samples varied from 196 in sample A, 280 in sample B to 238 in sample C. The most abundant taxa identified from the honey samples were Tridax procumbens and Elaeis guineensis belonging to the families Asteraceae and Palmae. The highest proportion of Palm pollen grain was recorded in sample B with one hundred and ten (110) pollen grains per slide. The pollen grains in the families Palmae and Asteraceae are of great importance to the bees for honey production, this can be seen in the abundance displayed in sample B and C. Other pollen taxa recovered belong to the families Mimosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Sapotaceae and Anacardiaceae providing a clue on the ecological origin of the pollen grains in the honey sample. Pollen analysis of honey proved to be useful in deciphering nectar sources of Apis mellifera adansonii.