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Regulation of ovary activation in worker honey bees (Apis mellifera): larval signal production and adult response thresholds differ between anarchistic and wild-type bees.

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 06:19 authored by B Oldroyd, T Wossler, Francis Ratnieks
One-day-old anarchistic (selected for successful worker reproduction) and wild-type honey-bee workers were introduced into queenright colonies of honey-bees of two treatments. In treatment 1, all eggs and larvae were offspring of queens from an anarchistic line. In treatment 2, all eggs and larvae were offspring of wild-type queens. In both treatments, adult workers were wild type. This experimental arrangement was used to test the importance of larval genotype on ovary activation in young adult workers. After 12 days, the introduced bees were dissected to determine the frequency of ovary activation. In those colonies provided with wild-type brood, 0% of introduced wild-type bees and 16% of anarchistic bees had activated ovaries. In those colonies provided with anarchistic brood, 13% of introduced wild-type bees and 41% of anarchistic bees had activated ovaries. These results strongly support the hypothesis that selection for high levels of worker reproduction in anarchistic stocks has reduced the amount or composition of brood pheromones produced by larvae that normally signal workers to refrain from reproduction. They also suggest that anarchistic workers have a higher threshold for these signals than wild-type bees.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

ISSN

0340-5443

Issue

4

Volume

50

Page range

366-370

Pages

5.0

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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