Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
141
result(s) for
"Africanized honeybee."
Sort by:
Attack of the killer bees
\"Since the mating of certain European and African bees in Brazil during the late 1950s, an aggressive bee has been slowly heading northward. These Africanized honeybees are known as invasive species today as they disrupt the ecosystems they enter. More information about the killer bees spread draws readers into the interesting scientific topic of invasive species\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Drone production, semen viability and spermatozoa longevity of Africanized Apis mellifera
Characteristics correlated with beekeeping production, less influenced by the environment and that can be controlled by management techniques, can help in the selection of colonies with higher production capacity, aiming to improve breeding programs. This research was carried out to evaluate the production of Africanized Apis mellifera drones and the longevity of spermatozoa from different genetic groups when supplemented with protein or not. Two genetic groups were used: one selected for royal jelly production from the Africanized honeybee breeding program and another without genetic selection. In both groups, the number of drone brood and the quality of semen were evaluated every 30 days, for five months. Statistical analysis was performed using Bayesian Inference. Statistical difference was found for the drone production among the treatments, and colonies without genetic selection produced more males (187.80 ± 11.15) than the selected colonies (93.07 ± 8.88). The selected colonies for royal jelly production presented greater efficiency in the reproductive cycle of males, because they produced fewer drones than colonies without genetic selection, however, with 31% greater semen viability.
Journal Article
Africanized honeybee vs. army ant
Africanized honeybees, also known as killer bees, and army ants are both tiny animals that really strike fear in many people. In this action-packed volume, readers will follow along with a battle of the insects and decide who they think would be the ultimate victor. Readers will learn about factors such as adaptations, size, and sting. They'll use the information to make an educated guess about which insect they think would win if such a battle were to really break out. This imaginative, high-interest title is loaded with eye-catching graphics and facts that support important elementary science concepts.
Book
Oral acute toxicity and impact of neonicotinoids on Apis mellifera L. and Scaptotrigona postica Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Wild and managed bees are essential for crop pollination and food production. However, the widespread use of insecticides such as neonicotinoids may affect the survival, development, behavior, and maintenance of bee colonies. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the impacts of three neonicotinoid insecticides on the survival and walking abilities of the Africanized honeybee A. mellifera and stingless bee S. postica. A. mellifera was more susceptible than S. postica to all neonicotinoids tested. The median lethal concentrations LC50 values estimated for acetamiprid, imidacloprid, and thiacloprid were 189.62, 22.78, and 142.31 ng µL–1 of diet for A. mellifera, and 475.94, 89.11, and 218.21 ng µL–1 of diet for S. postica, respectively. All tested neonicotinoids affected the speed, distance traveled, duration and frequency of resting, and continuous mobility of both bee species. The results showed that in spite of the different susceptibility to compounds with cyano and nitro radicals, the behavioral variables showed different levels of commitment according to the molecule insecticide and bee species. These results contribute not only to the understanding of the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on A. mellifera and S. postica, but also to help in the development of protocols that aim to reduce the impact of these insecticides in Neotropical environments.
Journal Article
Africanized honeybee venom (Apis mellifera) promotes human complement activation split products storm
Complement activation split products are signatures of many immunopathological disorders. Among the laboratory findings observed in these diseases, a reduction in the level of circulating intact complement components can be mentioned, and this change has also been detected in envenomation by multiple Africanized honeybee (Apis mellifera) stings. Although envenomation by these animals elicits diverse life-threatening reactions, the capacity of bee venom (AmV) to activate the human complement system remains elusive.
By coupling immunochemical and functional approaches, it was observed that AmV strongly consumes components of the alternative pathway (AP) of the complement system in normal human serum (NHS). Additionally, AmV interfered with classical (CP) and lectin pathways (LP) activities. In parallel, a high increase in Ba fragment levels was detected, suggesting that the changes in AP activity were due to its activation. Furthermore, an increase in the level of the C1s-C1INH complex and a decrease in the physiological level of MASP1-C1INH suggested that CP and LP were also activated in the presence of AmV. Strikingly, NHS exposed to increasing AmV concentrations varying from 5 to 1000 µg/mL presented a high generation of C3a, C4a and C5a anaphylatoxins, and sC5b-9 complexes assembly, thus reinforcing that AmV triggers complement activation.
These results show that AmV is a strong complement activator. This activation presents a mixed profile, with a predominance of AP activation. This suggests that complement split products can play important roles in the envenomation by Africanized honeybee, as they could induce diverse immunopathological events observed in patients and may also dictate patient clinical prognosis.
Journal Article
Multiple bee stings, multiple organs involved: a case report
Accidents related to Africanized honey bees are growing globally and are associated with multiple stings owing to the aggressive behavior of this species. The massive inoculation of venom causes skin necrosis and rhabdomyolysis leading to renal failure. Anaphylactic manifestations are more common and are treated using well-defined treatment protocols. However, bee venom-induced toxic reactions may be serious and require a different approach. We report the case of a 3-year-old child, which would help clinicians to focus on the treatment approach required after an incident involving multiple bee stings.
Journal Article
A Little Peek May Be Enough: How Small Hive Beetle Estimates Can Help Address Immediate Colony Management Needs
Due to the ongoing global spread of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, there is a significant need for detection and practical management strategies against this pest. The standard inspection strategies for SHBs involve (1) detailed visual examination of the colony, which is challenging in areas with defensive bees, or (2) sampling beetles via traps, which requires repeated visits to the apiary and can be difficult for beekeepers with apiaries in rural areas. In this study, we modified the inspection sequence to examine the in-hive distribution of the beetle and assess whether a limited, yet targeted, inspection could provide valuable information on beetle infestation. We conducted our modified sampling in three different countries: Hawai’i (USA), Mexico, and Costa Rica. We found that targeted screening of the top areas of the hive (cover and top-side frames) provided reliable information about the relative prevalence of SHBs in a colony. The results also suggested that SHBs do not naturally congregate on a bare bottom board but migrate downward during inspection. Trap placement on the bottom floor of the hive may underestimate beetle presence in low to medium pest levels. The proposed inspection protocol is not influenced by the genetic origin of the bees (Africanized or European) and could be a practical alternative for assessing SHB infestation levels in honeybee colonies.
Journal Article
High Rates of Honey Bee Colony Losses and Regional Variability in Ethiopia Based on the Standardised COLOSS 2023 Survey
The COLOSS research association has been assessing honey bee colony losses, associated risk factors and management, focusing on Western countries but with a progressive international expansion. Here, we report the first survey on the loss rates of colonies in 2022/2023 in Ethiopia using COLOSS monitoring survey tools. A face-to-face interview questionnaire survey was conducted on 64 beekeepers selected from Oromia and Tigray regions. This covered 1713 honey bee colonies distributed in 68 apiaries. The percentages of colonies lost were significantly different between Oromia (24.1%) and Tigray (66.4%) regions. Colony losses were attributed as unsolvable queen problems (8% in Oromia; 10% in Tigray), natural disaster (32%; 82%), and empty hives or dead colonies (60%; 8%). The loss rate was significantly affected by queen replacement (p < 0.0001), use of natural comb (p < 0.0001), feed supplementation (p < 0.0001), region (p < 0.0001), varroa treatment (p < 0.0001), colony splitting (p < 0.01), and merging (p < 0.01). Beekeepers in Oromia managed more colonies and implemented improved practices compared to those in Tigray. However, all beekeepers in Oromia detected at least some bees with signs of deformed wing virus, compared to 76% of beekeepers in Tigray. In conclusion, the colony loss rate was significantly different between Oromia and Tigray regions due to differences in natural disasters, management, environment and health factors.
Journal Article
Population genomics and morphometric assignment of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Republic of South Africa
Backgrounds
Apis mellifera scutellata
and
A.m. capensis
(the Cape honey bee) are western honey bee subspecies indigenous to the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Both bees are important for biological and economic reasons. First,
A.m. scutellata
is the invasive “African honey bee” of the Americas and exhibits a number of traits that beekeepers consider undesirable. They swarm excessively, are prone to absconding (vacating the nest entirely), usurp other honey bee colonies, and exhibit heightened defensiveness. Second, Cape honey bees are socially parasitic bees; the workers can reproduce thelytokously. Both bees are indistinguishable visually. Therefore, we employed Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS), wing geometry and standard morphometric approaches to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of these bees to search for diagnostic markers that can be employed to distinguish between the two subspecies.
Results
Apis mellifera scutellata
possessed the highest mean number of polymorphic SNPs (among 2449 informative SNPs) with minor allele frequencies > 0.05 (Np = 88%). The RSA honey bees generated a high level of expected heterozygosity (
H
exp
= 0.24). The mean genetic differentiation (
F
ST
; 6.5%) among the RSA honey bees revealed that approximately 93% of the genetic variation was accounted for within individuals of these subspecies. Two genetically distinct clusters (
K
= 2) corresponding to both subspecies were detected by Model-based Bayesian clustering and supported by Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) inferences. Selected highly divergent loci (
n
= 83) further reinforced a distinctive clustering of two subspecies across geographical origins, accounting for approximately 83% of the total variation in the PCoA plot. The significant correlation of allele frequencies at divergent loci with environmental variables suggested that these populations are adapted to local conditions. Only 17 of 48 wing geometry and standard morphometric parameters were useful for clustering
A.m. capensis
,
A.m. scutellata
, and hybrid individuals.
Conclusions
We produced a minimal set of 83 SNP loci and 17 wing geometry and standard morphometric parameters useful for identifying the two RSA honey bee subspecies by genotype and phenotype. We found that genes involved in neurology/behavior and development/growth are the most prominent heritable traits evolved in the functional evolution of honey bee populations in RSA. These findings provide a starting point for understanding the functional basis of morphological differentiations and ecological adaptations of the two honey bee subspecies in RSA.
Journal Article
Morphotype and haplotype identification of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae), and its importance for apiculture in Nicaragua
The ectoparasite Varroa (Acari: Varroidae) is considered to be the main pest of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Nicaragua. The aim of this study was to determine morphotypes and mitochondrial haplotypes of the Varroa mites, related to infestation levels in A. mellifera hives in Nicaragua in a cross-sectional study (2013–2016). Samples were taken from 34 sentinel apiaries in five geographical zones; from 713 Varroa females collected during the study, 153 were selected for measurement of various morphometric characters for further classification into morphotypes. The mitochondrial haplotype was assigned to one of the two (Korean or Japanese), using the restriction by SacI of the PCR product of a fragment of the gene CO-I. Morphometric measurement and sequencing revealed the affiliation to the species Varroa destructor with a mean (± SD) body width of 1699.1 ± 60.2 µm and a body length of 1161.1 ± 34.9 µm. Body characters were significantly different among the 34 apiaries. Varroa destructor samples were classified into four morphotypes, with no significant differences in the geographical zones. As GAGCTC SacI enzyme cleavage sequences were not observed, all PCR products were identified as V. destructor Korean haplotype. The CO-I gene nucleotide sequences from two samples V. destructor showed both 100% similarity with the Korean haplotype and 99.8% similarity to the Japanese haplotype. Although the V. destructor mite was identified as a Korean haplotype, host-parasite association in 2 decades has led into a balance without entering into severe losses in the Nicaraguan apiculture.
Journal Article